MEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
The Catamounts return to action Friday night at 7 p.m. as they host RPI at Gutterson Fieldhouse. The contest is a part of a split weekend series with the Engineers. On Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. the two teams will face off in Troy at Houston Field House. Both contests will air live on ESPN+. Ryan Zimmerman will have the call on Friday night. The voice of the Catamounts, Adam LaFleur, will broadcast both games live on WVMT (FM 96.3 / AM 620) and the Varsity Network App.
 
RELATED LINKS
Listen Live on the Varsity Network App
Live Stats
Live Video: ESPN+ | International Streaming ($)
Tickets
 
BLACK FRIDAY BOGO OFFER
For Black Friday, the Catamounts are offering an exclusive BOGO ticket promotion for fans at the door. If you buy a walk-up ticket (reserved or GA) you are eligible to receive another for free, just mention "Black Friday BOGO" at the ticket window. The Gutterson Ticket Office opens at 6 p.m. Friday for the game.
 
AUTIO MATCHES CAREER-HIGH AT PROVIDENCE
Oskar Autio had his best performance as a Catamount last Saturday at No. 9 Providence. He matched a career-high making 41 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss. It was the second time this season a UVM goalie has made 40+ saves. On October 29, Gabe Carriere made 42 saves in another overtime contest at Colgate.
 
CATAMOUNTS ON BLACK FRIDAY
Friday will be Vermont's 26th game on Black Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving. The Catamounts are 9-15-1 all-time on Black Friday. Over the last 10 years UVM has a 3-1-0 mark on the unofficial holiday including a 4-2 win over UMass in Belfast, Northern Ireland at the Belpot in 2016. At Gutterson Fieldhouse the Catamounts are 3-7-1 on Black Friday.
 
SCOUTING RPI
The Engineers are 6-6-1 in the 2022-23 campaign, but are winless (0-4-0) on the road thus far. Vermont is RPI's only Hockey East opponent this season. Their last action was a two-game series with Alaska Fairbanks. On Friday night, the Nanooks won 3-1 and then on Saturday it was a 3-3 tie, with RPI winning the exhibition shootout. RPI is averaging 2.4 goals per-game this season and has the 13th best penalty kill in the NCAA with an 85.3% conversion rate.
 
Senior forward Ryan Mahshie has a team-high five goals for the Engineers. He had two assists on 12/30/21 against the Catamounts. Junior forward Jakob Lee leads the team with 10 points on the campaign. The Merrimack College transfer has never registered a point against Vermont. Sophomore goaltender Jack Watson has started all 13 games for the Engineers while maintaining a 2.48 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage. He earned his second career win with 29 saves against Vermont last December.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Vermont is 32-35-7 in 74 all-time meetings against the Engineers. The former ECAC rivals have played just six times since UVM joined Hockey East in the fall of 2005. Vermont has won five of the last eight meetings in the series but it is RPI who has won the last three, including two one-goal decisions last season. Vermont has played only seven teams (Boston University, Boston College, Clarkson, Dartmouth, UMass, New Hampshire, St. Lawrence) more in program history than RPI.
 
In their last meeting on December 30, 2021 the Engineers defeated Vermont 2-1. Most notably though was the fact UVM didn't take a single penalty. It was the first time since at least 2003-04 that Vermont didn't commit a single infraction in a contest.
 
RPI REUNION FOR MOSER
Sunday afternoon will be Vermont Assistant Coach Scott Moser's first game back at Houston Field House. Prior to his time at Vermont Moser spent the two seasons in the same role at RPI. In Moser's first season at RPI, the Tonawanda, N.Y., native helped the Engineers to one of their best seasons as they went 17-15-2. Their 13-8-1 ECAC Hockey record was good enough for a fourth-place finish.
 
SPORTSNET FEATURES THE CATAMOUNTS INTERNATIONAL APPROACH TO RECRUITING
Sportsnet's Ryan Dixon wrote a feature article on "How a quiet revolution in NCAA men's hockey recruiting is playing out at the University of Vermont. The college game is growing in every sense, and while nothing comes easy in this ultra-competitive world, Woodcroft and his staff are working around the clock — and the globe — to get his team moving up the ranks."
Click here to read the full piece.
 
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.
 
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 Münzenberger (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