WOMEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
Sunday at 2 p.m. the Catamounts will host their second-ever Hockey East quarterfinal home game welcoming the five-seed Maine Black Bears to Gutterson Fieldhouse. A free live stream of the contest is available at CBS CollegeSportsLive with Rob Ryan and Todd Woodcroft on the call.
 
RELATED LINKS
Live Video (free) | CatamounTV: Quarterfinals Preview | Hockey East Tournament Central
 
KILBERG WINS HOCKEY EAST SPORTMANSHIP AWARD
On Friday, it was announced that senior forward Olivia Kilberg received the Hockey East Sportmanship Award. Kilberg was awarded the conference's sportsmanship award after playing 115 games for the Catamounts and committing just three penalties over four years. She had six penalty minutes as a first-year and has committed no infractions over the last three seasons.
 
POULIN-LABELLE NAMED SECOND TEAM ALL-STAR
Saturday morning it was announced that junior defenseman Maude Poulin-Labelle was named a Hockey East Second Team All-Star. Poulin-Labelle led the Catamounts in scoring this season with one goal and eight assists for nine points. At 0.90 points-per game she was the second highest scoring defenseman in the NCAA this season. On January 11, Poulin-Labelle was named Hockey East Player of the Week after notching a goal and three assists during a weekend sweep at UConn.
 
Following her Third Team All-Star nod last season Poulin-Labelle is the third Catamount in program history to be named a Hockey East All-Star twice. Roxanne Douville '14 was honored as a First Team All-Star during 2012-13 and 2013-14 campaign while Taylor Willard '18 was honored as a Second Team All-Star following the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.
 
MCPHERSON NAMED TO HOCKEY EAST ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
McPherson was named to Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team after a standout first-year season for the Catamounts. She finished the regular season with a .938 save-percentage and a 1.57 goals-against average. Her goals-against average was eighth best in the NCAA. She posted back-to-back shutouts over Holy Cross and UConn to start her collegiate career. She was named the Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week on January 11 and the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week on January 5.
 
SCOUTING THE BLACK BEARS
Due to the special circumstances surrounding COVID-19 the Catamounts haven't faced Maine since last season. In addition, due to local regulations the Black Bears have played all of their games on the road this season amassing a 7-8-1 record.
 
On the last weekend of the regular season they split a two-game set at Holy Cross. Falling 2-1 in the first game and winning a shootout after a 1-1 tie in the second game to secure the five-seed in the Hockey East Tournament.
 
Maine is led by two players who joined UVM's Maude Poulin-Labelle as Second Team All-Stars, senior goaltender Loryn Porter and sophomore forward Ida Kuoppala. Porter is a finalist for the inaugural Women's Hockey Goalie of the Year Award. In her first season as the starting goalie for the Black Bears she has played every minute and boasts a 1.56 goals-against average and a .953 save percentage. Kuoppala had eight goals and five assists for 13 points in 14 games this year.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Sunday's game will be the 57th meeting between Vermont and Maine. The Catamounts have a 19-27-10 record in the all-time series, but own a 4-3-3 mark in the last 10 contests. Last season Vermont was 2-0-1 against the Black Bears, sweeping a weekend series in Orono and skating to a 2-2 tie on Senior Night at Gutterson Fieldhouse.
 
In Vermont's only other home Hockey East playoff game the Catamounts hosted Maine on March 1, 2014 in the Hockey East Quarterfinals in a 3-2 triple overtime win for Vermont. Brittany Zuback '15 scored with 2:48 left in the third overtime to end the longest Hockey East women's game ever.
 
HOW TO WATCH THE CATAMOUNTS ON SPORTSLIVE
Want to follow the Catamounts at home or on the road? Visit our How to Watch the Catamounts page - http://go.uvm.edu/how2 for details on how to watch Hockey East action on NESN and SportsLive.