Box Score FINAL SCORE: No. 12 Vermont 4, Merrimack 2
NORTH ANDOVER, Ma. – The 12th-ranked Catamounts outlasted Merrimack Friday afternoon in their Hockey East opener defeating the Warriors 4-2 at Lawler Rink. Three Vermont skaters scored to lift UVM to 2-2-1 on the campaign while the Warriors fell to 4-3-1.
 
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COACH'S QUOTE
"A very tough battle with a strong Merrimack team," Head Coach Jim Plumer said. "This young team is very much still a work in progress but we are doing a lot of good things along the way. Credit to our special teams for coming up big today and for Evelyne Blais-Savoie for her two-goal game. I know we are going to get heavy pressure from Merrimack tomorrow and we are going to have to be better than we were today."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Krista Parkkonen ignited the scoring for the Catamounts, netting her inaugural career goal 9:52 into the first period. Just ten seconds into a Vermont power play, Natalie Mlynkova set up Parkkonen with a point-to-point pass. Parkkonen unleashed a slap shot into the back of the net to give Vermont the early lead. Evelyne Blais-Savoie recorded the secondary assist.
• Vermont increased their lead to two 9:20 into the second period. Blais-Savoie gained control of the puck in Vermont's defensive zone and skated end-to-end through the Merrimack defense. After crossing the blue line, she fired a wrist shot from the left slot that deflected off the right post and in. Hailey Eikos received an assist on the play as well.
• The Warriors responded at the 16:23 mark of the second period. Tara Blackburn orchestrated a two-on-one rush for Merrimack, dishing the puck back to Natalie Nemes, who netted the goal from the right slot. Ally Qualley was also credited with an assist on the tally.
• Merrimack scored the equalizing goal less than a minute later. Peyton Evans centered a pass from the right face-off circle through the Catamount defense to Allison Reeb. Reeb tucked home the tying goal with Qualley notching her second assist of the game on the play.
• Vermont regained a 3-2 lead with one minute remaining in the second period. On one knee, Rose-Marie Brochu tapped the puck to Kaylee Lewis, who then connected with a streaking Sara Levesque. Levesque unleashed a shot from the high slot into the top left corner for her first goal of the season.
• Blais-Savoie tallied her second tally of the game on an empty-netter with 36 seconds to play.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Sara Levesque notched her second career game-winning tally with her late second period goal. Her first career game-winner came Oct. 1, 2022 against RIT.
• Levesque accounted for a game-high seven of Vermont's twelve blocked shots.
• This afternoon was Evelyne Blais-Savoie's fourth career two-goal game.
• Jessie McPherson made six saves in the final period to hold off the Warriors.
• With the win, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to King Street Center as part of the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative. Since its inauguration in 2017, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group has donated over $80,000 to local non-profits through the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative.  

UP NEXT
Vermont will close out its weekend set at Merrimack as they return to action tomorrow afternoon for a 4 p.m. faceoff from J. Thom Lawler Rink. All the action will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
The Windjammer Inn and Conference Center is the presenting sponsor of the UVM women's hockey program