MEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
The Vermont (3-14-2, 2-7-2) men's hockey team heads to Boston for the first time this season as they will face Boston University (10-9-3, 6-5-3) in a two-game Hockey East series at Agganis Arena this weekend. Friday's contest is set for 7 p.m. and will air live on NESN+. Then on Saturday the teams will wrap their season series at 4 p.m. The voice of the Catamounts, Adam LaFleur, will broadcast the action live on WVMT (FM 96.3 / AM 620).
RELATED LINKS
Listen Live | Live Stats
Live Video: Friday (Outside New England) | Saturday
AGGANIS ARENA COVID-19 EVENT POLICY
All guests 12 years and older will be required to provide digital or printed proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 to gain access to Agganis Arena for all events, per the City of Boston Vaccination Mandate. Proof of a negative COVID-19 test will no longer be accepted. The City of Boston's Mask Mandate will remain in effect until further notice.
LAGUNOV LEADING YOUNG GROUP
Philip Lagunov, a graduate forward and 2021 National Champion with UMass, has led UVM's young group of forwards this season. He leads UVM in scoring with six goals and six assists for 12 points. Lagunov's best statistical game against the Terriers came on February 1, 2019, collecting a goal and an assist in a 7-5 win at Agganis Arena.
IT ALL STARTS AT THE DOT
Vermont is ninth in the NCAA and third in Hockey East winning 53.4% of their faceoffs. First year
Simon Jellus has won 62.7% of his draws and graduate transfer
Philip Lagunov has won 51.2% of his draws, winning 190 this season. Lagunov's 190 wins place him tied for 48th in the NCAA this season.
FAST STARTS KEY FOR THE CATAMOUNTS
Vermont has scored 16 of its 31 goals this season in the first period. It is also the Catamounts best period defensively, they are averaging just 8.7 shots against in the opening twenty minutes of the contest.
DISCIPLINE A PRIORITY
The Catamounts are one of the most disciplined teams in college hockey this season. Their 163 penalty minutes is ninth fewest in the NCAA this season. In seven games this season UVM has committed six minutes or less of penalties. On December 30 against RPI the Catamounts didn't commit any infractions. It was their first game without a penalty taken in over 20 years.
DEFENSE CONTRIBUTING ON BOTH ENDS
Vermont's defensemen have scored 25% of the Catamounts goals this season.
Andrew Lucas (2),
Robbie Stucker (3) and
Joe Leahy (2) have all scored multiple goals for the Catamounts. Lucas is the top-scoring defenseman on the team with two goals and a team-high eight assists for 10 points.
SCOUTING THE TERRIERS
The Terriers are unbeaten in their last seven games, the second-longest streak in the NCAA, and haven't lost since November 27 against Cornell. Over that stretch of seven games the Terriers have given up just one goal five times. In their last contest, a week ago Friday Jay O'Brien scored eight seconds into overtime to lift the Terriers to a 2-1 win over UConn. The Terriers currently sit in a three-way tie with Boston College and Providence for fourth place in Hockey East.
Sophomore forward and St. Louis Blues draft pick Dylan Peterson leads the Terriers in scoring this season with seven goals. The Terriers have a very balanced offensive attack 11 players on the roster have three or more goals. Junior defenseman Domenick Fensore leads the team with 15 assists and 18 points. He has at least a point in nine of the Terriers last 11 games.
Boston University is carried between the pipes by Chicago Blackhawks draft pick Drew Commesso. The sophomore goaltender has nine wins this year and has made 501 saves, fourth most in Hockey East this season. He was recently selected by the United States for the 2022 Olympic team.
SERIES HISTORY
Vermont is 23-54-10 all-time against the Terriers including a 14-28-6 mark on the road. The Catamounts last win in the series was December 9, 2016.
GOING BACK AGAINST FORMER CATAMOUNT KAUFMAN
Graduate BU forward
Max Kaufman will face UVM for the third and fourth time this weekend since playing 94 games as a Catamount from 2017-20. He was an alternate captain as a junior. In his time with Vermont he posted 15 goals and 20 assists. This season he has five goals and two assists for the Terriers in 21 games this season.
MÄÄTTÄ AND MÜNZENBERGER EXCEL AT THE 2022 WORLD JUNIORS
Vermont first years Joel Määttä (Finland) and Luca Münzenberger (Germany) represented the Catamounts well at the 2022 World Junior Championships before they were canceled.
In two games Määttä had a goal and two assists for Finland including the game-winner on December 26 against Germany and his UVM teammate Münzenberger. He averaged 15:18 of ice-time for the 2-0-0 Finns. Määttä was third in the tournament in faceoff percentage winning 74.2 percent of his draws. He won 23 of the 31 faceoffs he took.
Münzenberger had the only goal for the Germans in their matchup with the Finns and was named the Player of the Game for Germany on December 26. He was fourth amongst all skaters in the tournament averaging 23:31 minutes per game during the Germans two contests, which included overtime against Czechia. Münzenberger had an assist in the Germans 2-1 OT win over Czechia.
DRAFT CAPITAL
The Catamounts enter the new season with five NHL Draft picks on the roster. It is the first time in the 2000s UVM has had more than three players drafted on the roster at one time.
Robbie Stucker (Columbus, 2017 7th Rd.),
Andrei Buyalsky (Colorado, 2021 3rd Rd.), Luca Mu¨nzenberger (Edmonton, 2021 3rd Rd.),
Isak Walther (Nashville, 2019 6th Rd.) and
Timofei Spitserov (San Jose, 2020 7th Rd.) are sure to bring NHL attention to the program this season.
NEW FACES AT THE GUT
Second year Head Coach
Todd Woodcroft will field a significantly different team this year in Catamount Country. UVM's newcomers include 10 first years, two juniors, one senior and a grad transfer.
GUT HOCKEY GOES INTERNATIONAL
The Vermont roster is comprised of student-athletes from nine different countries. There is at least one player from Finland, Latvia, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Germany, Kazakhstan, Canada and the United States. UVM features five players from Ontario the most of any province or state. Vermont's eight players from outside North America is tied for the second most of any Division I program with Lake Superior State. Only Alaska has more with 14.
Handy Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the 2021-22 men's hockey season
