BURLINGTON, Vt. – Jens Richards scored twice in the third period, including the game-winner, to lift Vermont to a 5-3 win over No. 16 Northeastern completing the weekend sweep on Green Out the Gut presented by Casella from historic Gutterson Fieldhouse.

RELATED LINKS
Box Score
CatamounTV Highlights
Postgame: Coach Wiedler
Video: One-on-One Richards with Sierra Prue
Video: Moments of Celebration
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Catamounts came out flying on Saturday night outshooting the Huskies 7-0 in the opening 3:18 of game action. Northeastern's Quentin Sigurdson, making his fourth start of the year, turned them all aside to keep it scoreless.
• Vermont capitalized with the opening goal at the 9:43 mark of the first period. Jack Malinski passed the puck to Sebastian Törnqvist and he took the puck from one end to the other before firing a shot on net. Sigurdson padded it aside, but the rebound came right to Max Strand who pounded it home for his third goal of the season.
• The Huskies equalized 7:30 into the second period with tic-tac-toe passing in the Vermont zone. Dylan Hryckowian cut out from the corner and fed a pass to Vinny Borgesi at the top of the slot. Borgesi one-touched a pass in front to Matthew Perkins who tapped it home for his second goal of the season.
• Vermont regained the lead on the power play midway through the second period. Cédrick Guindon passed out to Jax Wismer at the blueline. Wismer danced along the line before firing a wrist shot towards Sigurdson. Jonah Aegerter was right in front and redirected it home for his team-leading fifth goal of the season.
• Northeastern clapped back with their second goal of the game with 64 seconds left in the second period. In the midst of a mad scramble in front of UVM's Aiden Wright Northeastern's Tyler Fukakusa made a quick pass to Amine Hajibi and he put it home for his fifth goal of the year.
• Philip Törnqvist put the Catamounts back in front 5:50 into the third period. Colin Kessler cycled the puck down low before firing back to Wismer on the point. Jax quickly whipped a pass over to Törnqvist and he one-timed a bomb pass Sigurdson to make it 3-2.
• Kessler led the push for an insurance marker minutes later to make it 4-2. Kessler cut to the top of the slot with a NU defender trailing and fired a shot towards the net that Jens Richards got a piece of to redirect it home. Blake Steenerson earned the secondary assist on the tally that came with 11:32 to play in regulation.
• With 4:04 to play in regulation Hryckowian one-timed a shot from the point that found the back of the net through traffic to make it 4-3.
• Richards put the game out of reach with an empty-net tally with 12 seconds left in regulation. Philip Törnqvist and Thomas Sinclair assisted on Richards' fifth goal of the year.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• After the weekend's action the Catamounts are tied for seventh place in Hockey East with 15 points. They are one point behind Maine and Northeastern who are tied in fifth.
• Tonight's five goals are the most by the Catamounts in a single game this season.
• This weekend was the Catamounts first sweep of a ranked Hockey East team since February of 2020.
• Jens Richards scored twice in the third period for the Catamounts, it was the third multi-goal game of his career, all have been in Hockey East play.
• Colin Kessler had two assists tonight, he leads the Catamounts in scoring with 13 points this season, all helpers.
• With tonight's Win, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to the Ronald McDonald House through the Cat's Win, Community Win's initiative. Vermont Mutual has donated over $6 Million Dollars since launching their Charitable Giving Fund in 2014.
• With this evening's 5-3 decision, Community Bank N.A. will donate $250 to Special Olympics Vermont. Community Bank, N.A. donates $50 per goal to Special Olympics Vermont for every goal the men's and women's team scores this season. 

UP NEXT
The Catamounts hit the road next weekend for a two-game series at No. 10 UConn. Vermont will face the Huskies in Storrs at the Toscano Family Ice Forum at 7 p.m. on Friday, January 16 and again on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. Both contests will air on ESPN+, while an international feed is available ($) via Stretch Internet. Owen Gund will have the radio call on the Varsity Network and WVMT.
 
RALLY BEFORE THE RINK – FEB. 6 AT BOSTON COLLEGE
Join the Catamounts in Chestnut Hill for a pregame gathering at Cityside Tavern (1960 Beacon St., Brighton, Mass.) on Friday, February 6 from 5-6:30 p.m. before UVM faces Boston College at Conte Forum. RSVP today at go.uvm.edu/mihatbc. A UVM specific ticket block is available at gofevo.com/event/Universityvermont5.

For news and updates about the Vermont men's hockey program, follow @UVMmhockey on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and visit UVMathletics.com.