WOMEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
After a weekend sweep of Providence, the now 11th ranked Catamounts will travel to face the Friars Friday night in the Hockey East Game of the Week on NESN. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. and the broadcast will also air live on ESPN+. On Saturday Vermont will head to Storrs to close its regular season series with #15 UConn at 2 p.m. This weekend is UConn's opening weekend for its new on-campus arena the Toscano Family Ice Forum. Saturday's contest will be the second-ever game in the new building. For fans in Canada Saturday's game will be available on the TSN app and TSN.ca.
 
RELATED LINKS
CatamounTV Weekly Press Conference: Coach Plumer | McPherson
Friday at #13 Providence: Live Stats | ESPN+
Saturday at #15 UConn: ESPN+ | Live Stats
International Streaming ($)
 
JOIN THE UVM ALUMNI ASSOCIATION HARTFORD AFFINITY GROUP SATURDAY
Alumni and families are welcome to join the UVM Alumni Association Harford Affinity group for a pregame gathering in Storrs, CT then head to watch the UVM vs. UConn game. Enjoy classic pub far and UVM fan gear on us. For more information and to register for the free event please visit
https://www.alumni.uvm.edu/s/1690/alumni/index.aspx?sid=1690&pgid=3974&gid=2&cid=9824&ecid=9824&post_id=0
 
McPHERSON SETS ALL-TIME WINS RECORD
With UVM's sweep of Providence last weekend junior goaltender Jessie McPherson became the program's all-time leader in wins with 33 surpassing Madison Litchfield (2013-17). McPherson is tied for fourth in the NCAA this season with 14 wins. She has maintained a 1.89 goals-against average which is 16th in the NCAA.
 
ACCOLADES COMING IN FOR McPHERSON
On Monday, McPherson was named Hockey East's Stop It Goaltending Goaltender of the Week after stopping 41 of the 42 shots she faced against Providence last weekend. On Wednesday, she was one of 27 goaltenders named to the Women's Hockey Commissioners Association "Watch List" for the 2023 National Women's Goalie of the Year award.
 
BEECHER HAS HERSELF A WEEKEND
First year forward Lara Beecher scored three goals against the Friars last weekend to bring her season total to seven. She has the second-most goals amongst first years in Hockey East. On Friday night, she scored both goals for Vermont in their 2-0 win over the Friars. Three of her goals this season have been game-winners.
 
LONG CHANGE, LONG PERIOD
The Catamounts have been most effective this season during the second period, when both teams have the long change. UVM has outscored its opponents 26-11 in the second and outshot teams 239-138.
 
OFFENSE AND DEFENSE AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS
With 3.2 goals-per game the Catamounts offense ranks 12th in the NCAA. Vermont has scored five or more goals six times in 23 games this season. Vermont is giving up just 1.8 goals per game which is tied for 10th best in the NCAA.
 
SCOUTING THE FRIARS
The Friars carry an 16-7-1 mark after the weekend sweep in Burlington. The Friars are in third place in Hockey East just one point back of the Catamounts. They are 12-4-0 this season at Schneider Arena. Before dropping its last home contest to Quinnipiac on December 9 they had won six in a row at home.
 
Swedish Olympian and graduate student Sara Hjalmarsson leads the Friars in goals, assists and points with 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 24 games this season. She also has four game-winning goals this year. Last season she had two goals and one assist in two games against Vermont.
 
Graduate goaltender Sandra Abstreiter has started all 24 games this season for Providence. She has made 40 or more saves four times this season for the Friars. Her .939 save percentage is second best in Hockey East.

SERIES HISTORY
Friday night will be the 61st all-time meeting between the two teams. Providence leads the series with a record of 34-22-4. In the Hockey East Quarterfinals last season UVM topped the Friars 4-1 led by two goals and an assist from Theresa Schafzahl on February 26, 2022.
 
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
Sitting at 13-8-2 this season UConn will host Merrimack Friday night in its first action since shutting out Brown 3-0 on New Year's Eve. Saturday's matchup with Vermont will be just their third competitive game in the last 42 days.
 
Junior forward Jada Habisch leads UConn in scoring with seven goals this season. Five of her goals have come in Hockey East play but she was held off the scoresheet against Vermont in October. Senior forward Coryn Tormala is the leading point-getter with 13 points on five goals and eight assists.
 
UConn is currently tied for fifth place in Hockey East with 24 points in 16 games, same as Maine. The Huskies are six points back of Boston College and the final coveted home quarterfinal slot.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Vermont and UConn will square off for the 54th time in series history Saturday The Catamounts are 15-31-7 overall against the Huskies. Last season the Huskies ended Vermont's season with a 3-1 win in the Hockey East Semifinals at the Gut. In their last 12 matchups Vermont is undefeated when it scores three or more goals against UConn.
 
JOIN US FOR UVM HOCKEY ALUMNAE WEEKEND JANUARY 20-21
Women's Hockey Alumnae are invited back to campus to reconnect with teammates and the current program!  Please visit go.uvm.edu/wihalum to register today!

Friday, January 20
6 p.m. - Pack the Gut presented by the Windjammer - Vermont v. Holy Cross

Saturday, January 21
11:45 a.m. - Alumnae Game (if enough interest)
12:45 p.m. - Family Skate
1:45 p.m. - Alumnae Reception
4 p.m. - Vermont v. Northeastern
 
PACK THE GUT PRESENTED BY WINDJAMMER JANUARY 20
Fans, save the date for this seasons Pack the Gut Challenge presented by the Windjammer on Friday, January 20, vs. Holy Cross at 6 p.m. Admission is only $2 and free for kids 12 and younger and free for UVM students. Help us break the women's Hockey East regular season attendance record which was set in 2017 with a total of 2,136 fans in attendance.
 
CZECH-MATES EARN BRONZE
Vermont forwards Tynka Pátková & Natálie Mlýnková earned bronze medals at the 2022 IIHF Women's World Championships in Denmark in September. Czechia defeated Switzerland 4-2 in the bronze medal game behind two goals from Mlýnková. It was Czechia's first-ever medal on the women's side. Former Catamount Blanka Škodová 
was also a member of the team.
 
There were three other current Catamounts in the tournament patrolling the blueline. First year Krista Parkkonen (Finland) made her World Championships debut while Sofie Skott (Denmark) and Sini Karjalainen (Finland) competed in their second World Championship at the senior level.
 
The Windjammer Inn and Conference Center is the presenting sponsor of the UVM women's hockey program