MEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
After a weekend off the Catamounts continue the 2022-23 regular season Saturday night as they welcome Holy Cross to Gutterson Fieldhouse on Alumni Weekend. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m. on Saturday and the voice of the Catamounts, Adam LaFleur, will broadcast the action live on WVMT (FM 96.3 / AM 620) and the Varsity Network App, which you can download here. Friday's action will also be streamed live on ESPN+ with Brian McLaughlin on the call.
 
Friday is Little Caesars Night and free pizza and giveaways will be announced throughout the night for students in attendance. At the conclusion of the game three lucky students will win a game-used 2021-2022 Rally Against Cancer jersey.

RELATED LINKS
Live Video: ESPN+ | International Streaming ($)
Listen Live on the Varsity Network App
Live Stats
Tickets
 
MÜNZENBERGER PUTTING UP POINTS TO START CAMPAIGN
Sophomore defenseman and Edmonton Oilers draft pick Luca Münzenberger had three points in his first two games this season to lead the Catamounts in scoring. He had two assists at Matthews Arena in Vermont's first contest against Northeastern.
 
MÄÄTTÄ DOMINANT AT THE DOT
Sophomore forward Joel Määttä is 48th in the NCAA with a 62.1%-win rate at the faceoff circle for the Catamounts. His 54 won draws is tied for 13th best in the NCAA. As a team, the Catamounts have won 57.5% of their faceoffs which is fifth-best in the NCAA.
 
SIZE MATTERS
The Catamounts as a team have an average height of 6'1.6" which makes them the tallest team in college hockey. Boston University (6'0.9") is the only other team in Hockey East in the top-10. Vermont is also fourth in the NCAA in average weight at 191.0 pounds.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS
Holy Cross picked up its first win of the season Tuesday night traveling to AIC and picking up a 7-3 over the defending Atlantic Hockey champions. Sophomore forward Liam McLinskey recorded his first career goal in the win and added two more for his first hat trick.
 
The Crusaders are now 1-4-0 this season. Holy Cross opened the campaign with a two-game road trip at No. 7 North Dakota. The Crusaders fell 6-0 and 4-1 out west. After that season opening weekend Holy Cross fell 3-2 and 5-1 against Sacred Heart at home.
 
Junior forward Jack Ricketts leads the team in scoring with two goals and three assists for five points. All three Crusaders goaltenders have started a game this season. Junior Jason Grande picked up the win Tuesday at AIC.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Vermont is 2-1-1 in four all-time matchups with Holy Cross. The first three contests were played at Gutterson Fieldhouse. In 1978 UVM defeated the Crusaders 8-3, in 2000 they prevailed 10-2 and in the last meeting the teams tied 1-1 in 2007. Last season the Crusaders defeated UVM 4-3 at Hart Center Rink in Worcester on January 4. Robbie Stucker had a goal and an assist for Vermont.
 
In the December 2, 2000 meeting Ryan Cox '02 tied the program record for shorthanded goals in a game with two. He scored twice in the same shift shorthanded.
 
CATAMOUNTS 2022-23 LEADERSHIP GROUP
Head Coach Todd Woodcroft named senior forward Jacques Bouquot the 63rd captain in program history earlier in September. Bouquot will be joined by alternate captains Joel Määttä, Carter Long, William Zapernick and William Lemay.
 
TRANSFERS LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT
After the impactful transfers of Philip Lagunov (2021-22) and Tristan Mullin (2020-21) over the last two seasons UVM is again looking to add experience to the roster. Oskar Autio (Goalie – Penn State), Eric Gotz (Defenseman – Michigan Tech) and Finn Evans (Forward – Princeton) all made their Catamounts debut last weekend against UConn.
 
VERMONT CONNECTION SHINES AT 2022 WORLD JUNIORS
Joel Määttä became the first Catamount in program history to medal at the highest level of the World Juniors in August. He earned a silver medal with Finland, with three goals and an assist in seven games. Head Coach Todd Woodcroft earned a bronze medal as an assistant coach with Sweden. Ralfs Bergmanis (Latvia) and Luca Münzenberger (Germany) also competed at the 2022 IIHF World Juniors. Assistant Coach Scott Moser served in the same role for Slovakia as well.
 
RECORD NUMBER OF CATAMOUNTS ATTEND NHL ROOKIE CAMPS
Vermont had a program-record 11 student-athletes (committed or enrolled) participate at NHL Development Camps this summer. Joel Määttä who was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the seventh round of the 2022 NHL Draft attended Oilers camp with his UVM teammate Luca Münzenberger. Locally Porter Schachle and Gabe Carriere were invitees to the Boston Bruins development camp.
 
DRAFT CAPITAL
The Catamounts enter the new season with six NHL Draft picks on the roster. 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.), Timofei Spitserov (San Jose, 2020 7th Rd.) and Joel Määttä (Edmonton, 2022 7th Rd.) are sure to bring added NHL attention to the program this season.
 
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.
 
TRANSFORMATIONAL FACILITIES UPGRADE
This season is the Catamounts first year in their brand-new facilities in Gutterson Fieldhouse. Vermont will be using a newly built theater style video room, locker room and lounge and Athletic Medicine space this fall. UVM Athletics paired with AMI Graphics to complete the spaces. Watch the locker room reveal here.
 
NEW SEASON, NEW JERSEYS
This season the Vermont men's and women's hockey teams are wearing new jerseys by Gemini Athletic Wear. Replica versions of the new men's road green jerseys are available now through the UVM Bookstore - https://go.uvm.edu/newgreen.
 
Handy Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the 2022-23 men's hockey season