BURLINGTON, Vt. – Max Strand scored with 2:20 left in regulation to tie the game and Colin Kessler won it in overtime for Vermont 61 seconds into the extra session as they topped Stonehill 3-2 Friday night in non-conference action from historic Gutterson Fieldhouse.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score
CatamounTV Highlights
Postgame: Kessler with Sierra Prue
Reel: Kessler GWG
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"That would have been a very easy game for our guys to quit," said Head Coach Steve Wiedler. "They didn't. They responded the right way. We have to clean up our discipline. I thought both 5v3 calls were in fact penalties. The five-minute major is a penalty that can't happen, we have to keep our hands down in that situation. But when the odds were stacked against us our guys rose up, I'm proud of our locker room, and leadership group. Back to work tomorrow."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Stonehill opened the scoring Friday with a power play goal notched with 3:31 left in the first period. Evan Orr fired a shot from the point and the rebound after Aiden Wright made the initial stop bounced off a Vermont defender and in.
• Ethan Burroughs tied the game for Vermont with his second goal of the season at the 10:24 mark of the second period. Cédrick Guindon forced a turnover in the neutral zone and tapped the puck to open ice. Burroughs skated into the Stonehill zone on a two-on-two rush as he cut into the slot and he fired a shot off the far post and in to make it 1-1.
• The Skyhawks regained the lead on the power play with 9:02 to play in the third period. Vermont was about to successfully kill off an extended five-on-three and the ensuing opportunity as Duncan Ramsay went to clear the puck in front of Wright. A Stonehill defender hooked his arm and took him out of the play and Orr capitalized one-timing the loose puck home to make it 2-1.
• With 2:47 to play in regulation the Catamounts pulled their goalie for the extra-attacker. Vermont capitalized seconds later off a neutral zone faceoff. Strand won the puck back to Sebastian Törnqvist and he quickly fed the puck to Jens Richards on the far boards. Richards entered the zone and cut down the wing. Strand headed straight for the net and Jens hit him with a perfect pass that he one-timed home for his fourth goal of the season. It was the Catamounts first goal with an extra attacker this season.
• In overtime Massimo Lombardi was in on the forecheck and caused a Skyhawks turnover at the blueline. Kessler poked the puck free and broke in alone on Connor Androlewicz. Kessler faked a shot and roofed his third career game-winning goal.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• With his game-winning goal tonight Colin Kessler leads the Catamounts in scoring with three goals and 13 assists for 16 points this season. In his last eight games he has three goals and five assists for Vermont.
• Thomas Sinclair won a game-high 13 faceoffs Friday night.
• Aiden Wright made 15 saves between the pipes for the Catamounts Friday, the fewest he's had in a win this season.
• 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 3-2 decision, Community Bank N.A. will donate $150 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
Saturday's matchup between the two teams is slated for 7:30 p.m. and it is Community Bank – Special Olympics Vermont Night. They will be giving out branded keychains. Saturday is also Senior Night presented by Alumni Association. The team will honor their seven graduating student-athletes in a pregame ceremony that will begin at 7:20 p.m.
 
Rob Ryan will have the call 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.