FINAL SCORE: Vermont 20, Merrimack 7
BURLINGTON, Vt. – Vermont (8-1, 1-0 AE) registered its program-best sixth-straight win, defeating Merrimack (0-6, 0-0 NEC) 20-7 on Wednesday afternoon at Virtue Field. With the victory, the Catamounts achieve their best nine-game start in program history.
 
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Box Score
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"I thought we got off to a fast start," head coach Sarah Dalton Graddock said. "It is important for us to maintain that level of play throughout the second quarter. I'm proud of how our team responded for the second half on both ends of the field."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• UVM's offense clicked from the start of the game with Ava Vasile scoring twice in the first two minutes. Kendall Traveis netted her first collegiate goal with 9:32 left in the opening frame to put Vermont up 3-0, but Merrimack countered with a goal minutes later. The Catamounts added two more goals before a Warriors' goal in the final seconds for a 5-2 lead after the first quarter.
• Merrimack's late first quarter goal sparked a 4-0 run that knotted the game at 5-5 with 11:46 left in the second half. McKenzie Ballard broke the deadlock 3:22 later on her sixth tally of the season. Maris Large and Riley Halloran added goals to bring the UVM lead back up to three. The Catamounts' lead would expand to five goals, with Vermont owning an 11-6 halftime lead.
• UVM held Merrimack scoreless in the third quarter and added six goals to their total. Taylor Mullen recorded two goals and one assist in the third frame. Ballard also tallied three points with one goal and two assists.
• Catherine Mahanna snapped the Merrimack scoring drought with a free-position goal 2:25 into the fourth quarter. The Catamounts countered with goals from Kristiana Strtak, Erin Kloostra, and Lily Trainor to reach the 20-goal plateau.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Mullen led the UVM attack for the third-straight game with a six-point outing. The senior registered extended her hat-trick streak to three games with a trio of goals against the Warriors.
• Vasile, Kloostra, and Halloran also recorded hat tricks, with three goals each. Vasile and Halloran also had one assist each.
• Ballard tallied a season-high four points on two goals and two assists. The junior also registered three shots on goal for the Catamounts.
• Sophie McLaughlin (5 saves) and Jackie Shipp (4 saves) split time in goal for Vermont.
• Fourteen different Catamounts registered points in the afternoon victory.
• Vermont's six-game winning streak matches the program record, which was set in 1984.

UP NEXT
The Catamounts head south to Long Island on Saturday (Mar. 26) for an America East matchup with preseason favorite Stony Brook. The opening draw is set for 1 p.m. at Lavalle Stadium and will broadcast live on ESPN+.