BURLINGTON, Vt. – Vermont women's hockey prepares to open its 2026-27 regular season on Friday (Oct. 2) and Saturday (Oct. 3) welcoming No. 7 Minnesota Duluth to Gutterson Fieldhouse for a two-game non-conference series. Friday's puck drop is scheduled for 11 a.m. and will be Vermont's second annual Catamount Classroom Game presented by Community Bank. Saturday's puck drop is slated for 1 p.m. and will be Vermont's TD Home Opener. All the action will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
RELATED LINKS
Live Stats
Watch: ESPN+ | Friday | Saturday
Tickets
International Streaming ($)
2026-27 Roster | 2026-27 Schedule
 
PROMOTIONS
TD Home Opener: The first 500 fans in attendance can receive a free co-branded t-shirt, courtesy of TD. TD will be tabling in the Gutterson main lobby. 
 
VERMONT OUTLOOK

• Vermont was selected sixth in the 2026-27 Hockey East Preseason Coaches' Poll, receiving 54 total points in the poll.
• Head Coach Jim Plumer has selected four student-athletes to lead the Catamounts during the 2026-27 campaign. Natalie Zarcone and Rose-Marie Brochu will serve as captains for Vermont while Brooke George and Stella Retrum will be Vermont's alternate this season. Zarcone and Brochu served as alternates last season as well.
• The Catamounts return a handful of familiar faces including two members of the 2025-26 Hockey East All-Conference Third Team squad, Retrum and Josie Hemp. Retrum finished her first season with the Catamounts with 12 goals, 16 assists and 28 total points, leading Vermont in points. Hemp finished her second season with 7 goals, 8 assists and 15 points as the team's leading defender in goals. Forward Brochu finished her third season with 7 goals, 18 assists and 25 points, good for second highest points on the team while leading the entire Hockey East in faceoff wins (405). Forward Kaylee Lewis finished her third season with 11 goals, 12 assists and 23 points, career high numbers in every category.
• Vermont welcomes Minnesota Duluth to Gutterson Fieldhouse for just the second time in program history. The last time the Bulldogs played in Burlington was in November of 2017, seeing Vermont narrowly fall 2-1 in that contest. Overall the Catamounts are seeking their first win over Minnesota Duluth, holding a 0-3 record overall in the three total meetings.
• The Catamounts are seeking their first season opening win since 2022-23 when Vermont swept RIT in a weekend series from Gutterson Fieldhouse. UVM came out on top in both contests, winning each game by a score of 5-2.

 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS

• Minnesota Duluth was selected to finish fourth in the 2026-27 WCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll after being one of four WCHA teams to qualify for the 2026 NCAA Tournament last season.
• Junior forward Caitlin Kraemer and senior goaltender Eve Gascon were each selected on the 2026-27 Preseason All-WCHA Team.
• The Bulldogs enter the weekend set at Gutterson with a 2-0-0 record, most recently sweeping Mercyhurst at home in their season opening series.
• Gascon is the most recent recipient of WCHA Goaltender of the Week honors after notching two shutouts to open the season, stopping all 44 shots Mercyhurst sent her way over the two games played. Kraemer also got off to a hot start to begin the 2026-27 campaign, recording four points on three goals and one assist over the two games against Mercyhurst.

 
Women's Hockey Alumnae are invited back November 6-7 to Gutterson and Burlington for an Alumnae Weekend around Pack the Gut, including two games, an alumnae game and family skate and an alumnae gathering at What Ales You!  Please register at go.uvm.edu/wihalum.
 
 
For news and updates about the Vermont women's hockey program, follow @UVMwhockey on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and visit UVMathletics.com.
 
The Windjammer Inn and Conference Center is the presenting sponsor of the UVM women's hockey program