MEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
Vermont (0-2-1) is back in action this weekend at Gutterson Fieldhouse hosting No. 12 Providence (2-1-0) in a two-game Hockey East series. It will be the Hockey East opener for both clubs. Friday night the teams will faceoff at 7 p.m. followed by a 6 p.m. start on Saturday. Both games will air live on ESPN+ with Rob Ryan on the call. As always, the games will also be broadcast on WVMT with the voice of the Catamounts Adam Lafleur in the Handy Toyota Broadcast Booth. 
 
Friday night is the Catamounts' annual Rally Around Mental Health Game presented by Redstone. Saturday is Handy Toyota Night at the Gut. At both games check out the Gutterson lobby for exciting giveaways.
 
RELATED LINKS
Buy Tickets
CatamounTV Weekly Press Conference: Coach Wiedler | Zapernick
Watch Live
International Steaming
Live Stats
 
SPECIAL TEAMS HELPING LEAD WAY
The Catamounts are ranked 13th in the NCAA and fourth in Hockey East with a 93.3% penalty kill this season. UVM has successfully killed off 14 of their opponents 15 opportunities with the extra man. The only power play goal given up this year has been a five-on-three opportunity.
 
NEWCOMERS MAKING THEIR PRESENCE FELT
Four of the Catamounts seven goals this season have come from first years – Colin Kessler (2), Michael La Starza and Max Strand. Kessler is tied for the team lead in points at three with Sebastian Törnqvist (3 assists). Törnqvist is also new in the green and gold, having transferred from UMass.
 
JELLUS BRINGS IT AGAINST THE FRIARS
Senior forward Simon Jellus is the active UVM leader in scoring against Providence. He has four goals in seven career games against the Friars. Last season he scored twice against the Friars, he was the first Catamount to score twice against PC in a season since
Derek Lodermeier '20 during the 2017-18 campaign.
 
SCOUTING THE FRIARS

• The Friars completed a two-game sweep at home of Arizona State last weekend. PC topped ASU 4-1 on Friday night and 2-1 on Saturday night.
• Sophomore forward Tanner Adams posted his first career hat trick Friday. It was the Friars first three-goal effort since Nov. 4, 2022
• In their season opener on October 12, they fell 5-2 at then No. 6 North Dakota.
• Providence's goaltending tandem of Zachary Borgiel and Philip Svedeback were named Hockey East Stop It Co-Goaltenders of the Week on Monday. They collectively allowed just two goals on 60 shots last weekend.
• Providence leads the all-time series between the two teams at 36-28-12. Friday will be the 77th all-time meeting between the two teams.
• The Catamounts last regulation win in the series came on February 1, 2019 in a 3-1 decision at Schneider Arena. Conor O'Neil '19 scored the game-winner for Vermont with 3:31 to play. The Friars were ranked ninth in the country at the time.
• Vermont defeated PC in a shootout on October 28 last season in the team's last meeting. Officially the game was a 2-2 tie, but Simon Jellus won the extra league point for the Catamounts with the only successful attempt of the shootout.

CATAMOUNTS LEADERSHIP GROUP
Vermont men's hockey head coach Steve Wiedler announced his team's leadership group for the 2024-25 campaign, Will Zapernick and Joel Määttä will serve as captains while Jens Richards will be an alternate.
 
ALWAYS READY TO GO
Among players returning this season to Catamount Country, two players played in all 35 games during the 2023-24 season Will Zapernick and Timofei Spitserov. They both have skated in all three games this year as well.
 
For news and updates about the Vermont men's hockey program, follow @UVMmhockey on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and visit UVMathletics.com.
 
Handy Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the UVM men's hockey program