MEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
Riding a six-game Hockey East point streak Vermont (2-4-3) is back in action at Gutterson Fieldhouse this weekend as they host No. 15 UMass Lowell (6-2-0) for a pair of league matchups. The two clubs will faceoff at 7 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday night. Both games will air live on ESPN+ with Rob Ryan on the call and 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 annual Can for Coffee Food Drive presented by Keurig Dr Pepper. Fans who donate cans of food will receive a box of Keurig K-Cup Pods and be entered to win a free coffee brewer. Saturday is our UVM Employee Appreciation Game. UVM staff and faculty will receive a free reserved ticket when they present their CATcard.
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MANGBO NAMED HEA GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
- Sophomore goaltender Axel Mangbo received a Hockey East Weekly award for the second straight week Monday as he earned Hockey East Goaltender of the Week.
- In three starts this season sophomore Alex Mangbo has two shutouts. Mangbo is the only goaltender in Hockey East with two shutouts in league play this season.
- Nationally Mangbo is one of eight goaltenders with two shutouts this season.
FIRST YEARS PRODUCING EARLY ON FOR UVM
- Three of the Catamounts top-five scorers are first years.
- Max Strand (1 Gl, 7 Ast) and Colin Kessler (4 Gl, 4 Ast) are tied for the team lead with eight points. Blake Steenerson has two goals and three assists for five points.
- 26 of Vermont's 69 points, 38%, have come from first years.
SPECIAL TEAMS HELPING LEAD WAY
- The Catamounts are ranked seventh in the NCAA and second in Hockey East with a 92.3% penalty kill this season.
- UVM has successfully killed off 24 of their opponents 26 opportunities with the extra man.
- Vermont has also scored a power play goal in each of its last four contests, UVM is 2-1-1 over that stretch. The Catamounts have scored five power play goals in the last four games.
SCOUTING THE RIVER HAWKS
- Last season the River Hawks were 8-24-4 and finished 11th in Hockey East, this season they have come roaring out of the gates to a 6-2-0 start that includes a 5-3 win at No. 9 Boston University last weekend.
- Senior forward and captain Owen Cole leads the River Hawks in scoring this season with four goals, he picked up the game-winner against Colgate on October 19. His nine points are tied for the team lead with graduate defenseman Ben Meehan.
- The River Hawks boast the best power play in the NCAA, converting at 45.8% (11 for 24). 35.4% of the UML offense has come on the man advantage this season.
- The River Hawks 12.1% shooting percentage is currently the best in Hockey East.
- The Catamounts are 16-40-10 all-time against the River Hawks and 10-20-5 at home when facing UMass Lowell.
- The River Hawks are 12-0-3 in the last 15 meetings with the Catamounts. Vermont's last win in the series came on January 20, 2018 in a 6-3 UVM triumph at Gutterson Fieldhouse.
- Last season UMass Lowell defeated the Catamounts 2-1 on December 3 at the Gut. UVM bested the River Hawks in back-to-back shootouts (1-1, 3-3 ties officially) at the Tsongas Center February 9-10 to complete a four-point weekend on the road.
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. Zapernick has also played in all nine contests this season.
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
