MEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
The Vermont (12-13-3) men's hockey team continues Hockey East play this weekend as they travel to Chestnut Hill to face #1 Boston College (23-5-1) in a two-game set at Conte Forum. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Friday's contest is the Hockey East Game of the Week and it will air live on NESN. Both games will also be available on ESPN+. As always, the games will also be broadcast live on WVMT with the voice of the Catamounts Adam Lafleur in the Handy Toyota Broadcast Booth. 
 
UVM ATHLETICS PREGAME RECEPTION FRIDAY NIGHT
Please join us on Friday, February 23 from 5-6:30 p.m. at Cityside Tavern (1960 Beacon Street, Brighton, Mass.) and then head over the men's hockey game at Boston College! Light apps will be provided and there will be a cash bar.

Game Tickets are not included in event registration - purchase discounted tickets for Friday or Saturday here.
 
RELATED LINKS
Buy Tickets
802 Jersey Auction (closes Friday, 7 p.m.)
CatamounTV Weekly Press Conference: Coach Wiedler
Watch Live on ESPN+: Friday | Saturday
International Broadcast ($)
Listen Live: WVMT
Live Stats
 
INTERIM TAG DROPPED, COACH WIEDLER SIGNS 4-YEAR EXTENSION | FULL RELEASE
On Tuesday afternoon, UVM Athletics announced a four-year extension for Head Coach Steve Wiedler. Wiedler took over the program on an interim basis on July 18, 2023 and has led the Catamounts this season to a 12-13-3 record including three wins over ranked opponents and a current Pairwise ranking of 27th in the country. The Catamounts are on pace for their best-offensive season since 2016-17, averaging 2.75 goals per game. Their team save percentage of .908 is tied for 18th best in the NCAA, and fifth best in Hockey East. Vermont enters play this weekend tied for seventh place in Hockey East. 
 
RICHARDS HAVING HIMSELF A YEAR IN 2024
Since returning from injury on January 6 the Catamounts sophomore forward Jens Richards has been on a scoring tear. Over the last 11 games he has posted six goals and five assists for 11 points. Overall Richards leads the team in scoring with ten goals and eight assists for 18 points, all three categories are career-highs for the Detroit Lakes, Minnesota native.
 
BUCHELER LEADING THE BACKLINE
Graduate defenseman and Northeastern transfer Jérémie Bucheler has six goals and 10 assists for 16 points. The 16 points have set a new career-high for Bucheler in a single season.
 
MIOTTO FILLING UP THE NET WHEN IT MATTERS
Graduate forward Ryan Miotto is second on the team with eight goals this season. He also has a team-high three game-winning goals. He posted the game-winner against UMass (12/1), Union (12/9) and St. Thomas (12/29) all in home games. Vermont is 5-2-0 in games he scores in this season. His 12 points (8 Gl, 4 Ast) are third-best on the team.
 
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Boston College enters the weekend as the first unanimous number one team in the country in the USCHO.com Poll since 2017. The Eagles are led by a prolific offensive attack, they have scored three or more goals in 19 games in a row. They've also scored five goals in five of their last six games. Boston College is 12-2-0 this season at home and hasn't lost in Conte Forum since a 5-3 setback to Northeastern on December 1.
 
Four of the top eight scorers in the NCAA wear the maroon and gold. First year forward and New York Rangers first round draft pick Gabe Perreault leads the NCAA in scoring with 48 points this season on 14 goals and 34 assists. His rookie line mates Will Smith (46 Pts) and Ryan Leonard (41 Pts) make-up the most prolific line in college hockey right now.
 
First year goaltender Jacob Fowler has made the majority of starts for BC this season posting a 22-5-1 record with goals-against average of 2.25 and a save percentage of .923. His save percentage is tied for seventh best in the NCAA and is the top mark in Hockey East.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Vermont and Boston College will be meeting for the 78th and 79th time this weekend in Chestnut Hill. BC holds a 51-18-8 lead in the all-time series. Last season was the Catamounts best two-game regular season weekend in program history at Boston College as they earned five league points with a shootout win (1-1 Tie) and 3-2 win over the 18th ranked Eagles. It was the just the second time UVM has been undefeated at BC in a two-game set, in 2017 UVM left Kelley Rink with two ties. UVM Captain Will Zapernick had two goals and an assist in UVM's 3-2win last season. For his efforts, he was named Hockey East Co-Player of the Week.
 
CATAMOUNTS AND THE TOP RANKED TEAM
In the last 20 years the Catamounts have played the top-ranked team in the country 15 times posting a record of 2-12-1. Vermont topped #1 Minnesota Duluth 3-2 on October 29, 2004 and #1 Denver October 10, 2009 on the road. In January, the Catamounts lost 5-1 and 5-2 to then #1 Boston University at Gutterson Fieldhouse. It is the only time this season Vermont has been swept in a two-game series. In the last 20 years UVM is 2-6-1 against the top-ranked team on the road or a neutral site.
 
CATAMOUNTS LIKE TO GET AHEAD
Nine of the Catamounts 12 wins this season have come when they have scored first. Vermont is 8-1-0 this season when leading after the first period and 11-1-0 when leading after the second period.
 
GAME TIME CHANGE FOR MARCH 2 AGAINST MAINE
Vermont's Senior Day game presented by UVM Health Advantage against #9 Maine on Saturday, March 2 has been officially changed to a 7 p.m. start. It was originally scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
 
DRAFT CAPITAL
The Catamounts enter the new season with six NHL Draft picks on the roster. Eli Barnett (San Jose, 2022 7th Rd.), Andrei Buyalsky (Colorado, 2021 3rd Rd.), Luca Münzenberger (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 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. There are eight student-athletes from Ontario alone, including five newcomers this year.

Handy Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the UVM men's hockey program