MEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
The Vermont (4-15-2, 3-8-2) men's hockey team welcomes the Alaska Nanooks (6-15-1) to Gutterson Fieldhouse for the first time this weekend. It will also be the first-ever games between the two programs. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Both games will be available for free on CollegeSportsLive.com and the voice of the Catamounts, Adam LaFleur, will broadcast the action live on WVMT (FM 96.3 / AM 620).
Friday's contest will also air as a part of "Hockey Night in Vermont" in a new partnership with WCAX. The game will be available on WYCI in the Burlington area. WYCI is available on the following channels Comcast – 712, Burlington Telecom - 284, Dish Network - 34, DirecTV 40, and Spectrum – 706/1230.
RELATED LINKS
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CatamounTV Preview: Coach Woodcroft | Stucker
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Live Video: Friday | Saturday
GREEN OUT THE GUT SATURDAY
Saturday is Green Out the Gut presented by Casella. The first 500 fans will receive a green UVM winter hat courtesy of Casella.
HOCKEY CARDS PRESENTED BY BAYSTATE FINANCIAL AVAILABLE FRIDAY
Baystate Financial will be tabling in the Gutterson Fieldhouse lobby Friday night and will have UVM men's hockey cards to hand out. In addition, they will be raffling off a $100 Windjammer gift card.
TOBY DUCOLON '88 TO BE HONORED FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE GUT
Toby Ducolon was a four-year player at UVM and was named the team MVP in 1988 as UVM made its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The St. Albans, Vermont native was also the first Vermonter ever drafted in the NHL.
Friday night we'll honor his post-playing career in a pregame ceremony. For the last 32 years he has served as BFA's head boys hockey coach in St. Albans. He has won over 400 games at BFA, nine division one state titles, including the last two, and made 23 semifinal appearances.
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.
IT ALL STARTS AT THE DOT
Vermont is 10th in the NCAA and third in Hockey East winning 53.1% of their faceoffs. First year
Simon Jellus has won 59.9% of his draws and graduate transfer
Philip Lagunov has won 52.4% of his draws, winning 216 this season. Lagunov's 216 wins place him 37th in the NCAA this season.
FAST STARTS KEY FOR THE CATAMOUNTS
Vermont has scored 16 of its 34 goals this season in the first period. It is also the Catamounts best period defensively, they are averaging just 8.9 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 173 penalty minutes is sixth fewest in the NCAA this season. In nine games this season UVM has committed six minutes or less of penalties, including both games last weekend at Boston University. 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 23.5% of the Catamounts goals this season.
Andrew Lucas (2),
Robbie Stucker (3) and
Joe Leahy (2) have all scored multiple goals for the Catamounts. Stucker and Lucas are tied as the top-scoring defenseman on the team with 10 points on the season.
SCOUTING THE NANOOKS
This is Alaska's first season as an independent following the disbandment of the WCHA. 17 of their players are first years. The Nanooks roster features student-athletes from seven countries, including six from Latvia and 11 from Canada. Alaska is just 2-11-1 this season on the road, but like the Catamounts picked up one of those wins at Alfond Arena facing Maine. Alaska split a weekend series with the Black Bears, their only other Hockey East opponent, defeating Maine 6-2 on Jan. 7 before falling 4-2 the next night.
In their last game action, they topped No. 8 Minnesota on the road 3-2 on January 15. The Nanooks scored two second period goals to earn their first win over the Golden Gophers since 2005. First year forward Brady Risk is the Nanooks leading scorer. He has a team-high eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points this year. He notched his first career hat trick and added an assist in Alaska's win at Maine.
IN-STATE BRAGGING RIGHTS ON THE LINE FOR SCHACHLE
First year forward
Porter Schachle will have some added motivation this weekend as the sole Alaskan on the UVM roster. Schachle is from Wasilla which is 317 miles south of Fairbanks and the Alaska campus. First year goaltender Austin Ryman is the only Alaskan on the Nanooks roster. The Fairbanks native has not seen any game action yet 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
