MEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
The Vermont (3-7-3) men's hockey team is back in action this weekend as they welcome LIU (7-5-1) to Gutterson Fieldhouse for the first time. The Catamounts and Sharks will faceoff at 7 p.m. Friday night and 6 p.m. on Saturday night. The games will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Rob Ryan on the call. The contests will also be broadcast on WVMT with the voice of the Catamounts Adam Lafleur in the Handy Toyota Broadcast Booth. 
 
On Friday the first 350 fans will receive a replica jersey courtesy of M&T Bank. In addition, Dunkin gift cards will be given out to students in attendance.
 
Saturday is Vermont Construction Company Night. Vermont Construction Company (VCC) will be running two giveaways at their table in the Gutterson lobby for fans to enter to win. Fans can submit their name for a chance to win a brand-new Blackstone AND a free new roof courtesy of VCC. Drawing for the free roof will be spring 2025. VCC will also be offering one lucky fan the chance to win a four pack of ski passes to Smugglers' Notch Resort.
 
RELATED LINKS
Buy Tickets
Watch Live – ESPN+: Friday | Saturday
Listen Live
Live Stats
International Steaming
 
FIRST YEARS PRODUCING EARLY ON FOR UVM

• The Catamounts top two scorers are first years.
• Max Strand (2 Gl, 8 Ast) leads the team in scoring and Colin Kessler (4 Gl, 5 Ast) is second on the team.
• 29 of Vermont's 85 points, 34.1%, have come from first years.

SPECIAL TEAMS HELPING LEAD WAY

• The Catamounts are ranked second in the NCAA with a 91.4% penalty kill this season.
• UVM has successfully killed off 32 of their opponents 35 opportunities with the extra man.
• The Catamounts have also scored seven power play goals in their last eight games.

MANGBO SHUTTING THE DOOR

• Sophomore goaltender Axel Mangbo is one of two goalies (Jacob Fowler – BC) with two shutouts in league play this season.
• He shutout UMass on Nov. 9 (26 saves) and UConn on Nov. 2 (30 saves).
• He was named HEA Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 4 and HEA Co-Goaltender of the Week on Nov. 11.
• He made a career-high 38 saves in the Catamounts last win over No. 20 UMass on Nov. 24.

SCOUTING THE SHARKS

• Long Island is 7-5-1 this season and enters the weekend after a sweep of Yale by scores of 3-0 and 3-2 at home.
• The Sharks are 0-2-0 against Hockey East teams this season. They fell 6-1 at New Hampshire on Nov. 9 and 4-3 in overtime at No. 10 Providence on Nov. 23.
• Long Island boasts the third best power play in the NCAA converting at 31.1%. Their 14 power play goals are also tied for third-most in the NCAA.
• First year forward Onni Leppänen was named NCAA Division I Independent Hockey Rookie of the Month after helping lead the Sharks to a 4-1-1 record in November.
• Leppänen had four goals and four assists for eight points in five games in November.
• The Sharks' leading scorer is sophomore forward Carter Rapalje, a Burlington, Vermont native. He has five goals and five assists for 10 points.
• Vermont is 2-0-0 all-time against the Sharks having swept a weekend series at LIU Dec. 16-17 last year.
• Timofei Spitserov and Will Zapernick each had a goal and an assist in that weekend set.

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 13 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