WOMEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
After a 6-0 exhibition win on Sunday the 13th-ranked Catamounts begin the 2023-24 regular season this weekend as they host No. 9 Clarkson in a two-game set from Gutterson Fieldhouse.
 
Game one goes Friday at 6 p.m. and is the Home Opener presented by TD Bank. The first 100 fans on Friday will receive a free TD Bank/UVM cobranded shirt. On Saturday night, the teams' will close the series at 7 p.m. Fans are invited to have Carnival Snacks with the Cats on Saturday, there will be cotton candy and mini donuts. Fans with a men's exhibition ticket for Saturday will receive a free women's ticket for the Saturday night showdown. All the action will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Brian McLaughlin on the call.
 
RELATED LINKS
CatamounTV Weekly Press Conference: Plumer | Mlýnková
Live Stats | Tickets
ESPN+ - Friday | Saturday
International Streaming ($)
 
HOME IS A GOOD PLACE TO START
Under Head Coach Jim Plumer the Catamounts are 5-3-3 in home openers at Gutterson Fieldhouse. Vermont's most recent win in a home opener was last season as they defeated RIT 5-2. Evelyne Blais-Savoie led the way for UVM last year with two goals.
 
In the program's Division I history the Catamounts are 8-9-5 in home openers. Vermont is 6-4-1 in season openers under Coach Plumer.

VERMONT SELECTED SECOND IN HOCKEY EAST PRESEASON POLL
The Catamounts also matched their highest ever ranking in the Hockey East Coaches' Preseason Poll. After finishing in second last season with a conference mark of 16-8-3 UVM was selected by the coaches to place second again this year. The reigning six-time defending champion Northeastern was picked first.
 
CATAMOUNTS LEADERSHIP GROUP
Head Coach Jim Plumer has selected five student-athletes to lead the Catamounts during the 2023-24 campaign. 2023 World Championship bronze medalist Natálie Mlýnková will serve as captain for Vermont. The Catamounts will have four alternates this season with Hailey Burns, Sara Levesque, Maddy Skelton and Alaina Tanski. Skelton served as an alternate captain last season as well.
 
CZECH CAPTAIN IS BACK FOR MORE
Senior captain Natálie Mlýnková is the top returning scorer in Hockey East this season. She set new career highs in goals (23), assists (19) and points (42) last year.
 
OFFENSIVE TOUCH KEY TO HISTORIC CAMPAIGNS
Vermont scored over 100 goals in each of the last two years for the first time in program history on their way to back-to-back second place finishes in Hockey East with a program record of 22 wins in each campaign. Vermont returns 56.1% of its scoring from a year ago.
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Clarkson is 4-0-0 on the campaign after sweeping two series at home against Hockey East teams in Boston College and Merrimack. The Golden Knights averaged 3.75 goals in the contests and posted three shutouts. Clarkson senior Michelle Pasiechnyk earned two of those shutouts and currently holds a .964 save percentage. She was third in the NCAA with nine shutouts last season.
 
Senior forward Anne Cherkowski leads the Knights in scoring with three goals this season. Clarkson's 15 goals this year has impressively come from 10 different skaters. Graduate forward Dominique Petrie leads the NCAA with six assists.

SERIES HISTORY
Vermont is 2-19-3 all-time against the Golden Knights. Their last meeting came on November 11, 2017 a 4-0 loss for Vermont at home. The 2017-18 Golden Knights squad won their third national title in five seasons that year. 
 
HISTORIC UPSETS OVER CLARKSON
Although the Catamounts have only defeated Clarkson twice in program history both were monumental milestones for the program. On October 17, 2009 Vermont earned its first-ever win over a ranked opponent defeating No. 4 Clarkson 4-1 at Gutterson Fieldhouse. Kailey Nash '12 netted the game-winner for Vermont.
 
On November 10, 2017 (the night before their last series meeting) Vermont defeated No. 3 Clarkson 3-2 after Taylor Willard '18 notched a game-winner with 68 seconds left in regulation. The win was the Catamounts first-ever over a top-three opponent.
 
The Windjammer Inn and Conference Center is the presenting sponsor of the UVM women's hockey program