MEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
Winners of three of their last four the Catamounts will welcome Providence to Gutterson Fieldhouse for a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Sunday's game is Vermont's annual Fan Appreciation Day presented by Handy Toyota. Fans and students at the game will be entered to win various prizes throughout the afternoon including the Handy Toyota Ultimate Vermont Hockey Prize Pack. Sunday is also the teams' Poster Day presented by UVM Print and Mail. Following the game, the team will be signing autographs in the Gutterson Fieldhouse lobby.
 
As a part of Fan Appreciation Day Coach Woodcroft is offering an exclusive buy one, get one free offer on reserved game tickets. Use the code "gut23" at checkout to take advantage of the BOGO offer.
 
Sunday's contest will air live on ESPN+ with Rob Ryan on the call. The voice of the Catamounts, Adam LaFleur, will broadcast the action from the Handy Toyota Broadcast Booth on WVMT (FM 96.3 / AM 620). As always, the contest will also be available as always on the Varsity Network App.
 
RELATED LINKS
Buy Tickets
CatamounTV Weekly Press Conference: Coach Woodcroft | Autio
Full Details on Fan Appreciation Day Prizes
Listen Live on the Varsity Network App
Live Stats
Live Video: ESPN+ | International Streaming ($)
 
STUCKER NAMED DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Graduate defenseman Robbie Stucker was named Hockey East Army ROTC Defender of the Week Monday by the league office. Stucker scored the winner 43 seconds into overtime last Saturday against Merrimack. Stucker has three goals the seven assists this season for 10 points for Vermont.
 
BUYALSKY & WALTHER BRINGING THE HEAT
Nashville Predators draft pick Isak Walther and Colorado Avalanche draft pick Andrei Buyalsky are both on four-game point streaks for the Catamounts. Walther has three goals and an assist over the last four games and Buyalsky has one goal and five assists over that stretch. Walther has the team lead in points (14) and shares the team lead in goals (6) while Buyalsky is the team leader in assists with 10.
 
AND THE OSKAR GOES TO….
Penn State transfer Oskar Autio has been outstanding for the Catamounts in his last two starts, both wins. He has stopped 55 of the 58 shots he faced earning wins against #15 Merrimack and Boston College.
 
STANDINGS WATCH
After a couple of big weekends the Catamounts are right into the thick of the Hockey East playoff race. Places 6-8 in the standings will host an Opening Round game on Wednesday, March 8. With various games on Friday and Saturday the Catamounts now sit in 11th place with 13 points, one behind UNH, two behind UMass and five points behind Maine in eighth place for the coveted final home playoff spot.
 
POWER PLAY CLICKING IN CATAMOUNT COUNTRY
In its last 14 games Vermont's power play has scored 14 times. Over that stretch UVM is 14-for-61, good for 22.9%. Two weeks ago, in their second tilt at Boston College the Catamounts scored three power play goals in a game for the first time since October 29, 2021. Vermont is undefeated this season when scoring two or more goals on the power play this season. Last weekend against Merrimack UVM was 1-for-5 on the PP in both contests.
 
CATAMOUNTS ARE FAST STARTERS
Vermont's best period this season has been the opening 20. The Catamounts are outscoring its opponents 22-10 in the first period. UVM has scored first in 14 of their games this season. 46.8% of Vermont's offense has been generated in the opening stanza.
 
SCOUTING PROVIDENCE
After a 3-2 home loss to UMass Friday night the Friars are on their first five-game losing streak in Head Coach Nate Leaman's tenure. Providence last dropped five and then six straight games January 19-February 5, 2010 in the second to last season under Tim Army. The February 5, 2010 tilt was a 5-1 PC home loss to Vermont behind a three-point performance from Sebastian Stalberg. For Coach Leaman it's his first five-game losing streak since the 2004-05 campaign with Union.
 
During the Friars current losing streak they have been held off the scoresheet twice in 3-0 decisions by Maine and Merrimack but the other three games have been one-goal decisions. In the three one-goal losses the game-winning goal has come in the final ten minutes of the third period or overtime.
 
Senior forward Parker Ford leads the team in scoring with 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points this season. He had a goal and an assist in PC's 4-0 win over the Catamounts on November 18.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Providence leads the all-time series between the two teams at 34-28-11. UVM is 15-17-3 at home against the Friars. Sunday will be the 74th all-time meeting between the two teams. Last season the Friars eliminated Vermont in the Hockey East Opening Round with a 2-1 victory at Schneider Arena. Providence has won seven straight against the Catamounts.
                                                                                           
CAPTAIN NAMED HOBEY BAKER AWARD NOMINEE
Senior forward and Catamounts captain Jacques Bouquot was named Vermont's Hobey Baker Award nominee last week. Bouquot is Vermont's leading scorer this season with five goals and eight assists for 13 points this year. In the last 10 games, he has five goals and three assists. Fans can vote for Bouquot by clicking here.
 
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.
 
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 Munzenberger (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.
 
NOMINATE A HERO OF THE GUT PRESENTED BY MILTON CAT
Do you know of a Hometown Hero who has gone above and beyond in the community and would like to nominate and honor them as a Hero of the Gut? We are looking to highlight active or retired military members as well as other Heroes of our community such as police officers, firefighters, EMTs, teachers, doctors and nurses just to name a few at our Men's and Women's Hockey games.

We invite anyone to submit their Hometown Hero to be our Hero of The Gut. Recipients will receive tickets to their choice of a UVM Men's or Women's Hockey game, exclusive bench access pre-game, in-venue recognition (optional) and a token of appreciation.

Hero of the Gut is presented by Milton Cat. Nominate today at https://go.uvm.edu/hotg22.
 
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