VERMONT WOMEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
The University of Vermont women's hockey team opens the 2014-15 regular season with a trip to the Midwest to face Bemidji State on Friday night and No. 7 North Dakota Saturday. Both games are set for faceoff at 8:07 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT
In their only exhibition tune-up the Catamounts fell 4-0 to McGill last Friday. Madison Litchfield (14 Saves) started in net for Vermont before freshman Molly Depew (7 Saves) played the third period. The defending Canadian national champions scored twice against each netminder in the second and third period. Amanda Pelkey led all Vermont skaters with four shots.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Bemidji State: The Beavers enter the game against Vermont after the program's first 2-0-0 start after sweeping Robert Morris on the road last weekend. On Friday Bemidji blitzed the Colonials 5-2 before coming from behind to sweep the series in a 3-1 decision Saturday.
 
Junior forwards Kaitlyn Tougas and Stephanie Anderson are leading the Beavers in scoring after the first weekend. Tougas had a goal and two assists against Robert Morris and Anderson registered two goals including the game-winner Friday.
 
Junior defenseman Ivana Bilic was named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week after leading the Beavers sweep at Robert Morris. She recorded two assists and a +4 plus/minus rating.
 
Bemidji State was picked seventh by the coaches in the preseason WCHA poll.
 
Vermont is 0-3-1 in four all-time meetings with the Beavers. Bemidji defeated Vermont 3-2 on December 30, 2007 in the teams last meeting.
 
For Vermont it will be their first game at the Sanford Center, which opened in 2010.
 
No. 7 North Dakota: UND opened the season Saturday night with a 9-1 win over the Toronto Jr. Aeros. Junior forward Leah Jensen led the way for North Dakota with a four-point evening.
 
North Dakota is coming off its fourth consecutive 20-win season, UND was 20-12-4 last year.
 
North Dakota, although currently ranked seventh nationally, was picked fourth in the WCHA coaches preseason poll.
 
UND forwards Meghan Dufault, Becca Kohler and defenseman Halli Krzyzaniak missed last weeks exhibition tilt as they were invited to skate at Canada's National Women's Team Fall Festival.
 
Vermont is 1-9-2 all-time against North Dakota. Vermont's win in the series came in a 2-1 decision on January 7, 2003.
 
The teams last met in October of 2011, UND swept a two-game series at home by scores of 9-1 and 4-1. Those games were Vermont's last experience against a WCHA opponent. Amanda Pelkey is the only remaining Catamount to have registered a point in the teams last meeting.
 
TEAM LEADERS
Seniors Sarah Campbell, Klara Myren, and Amanda Pelkey will serve as co-captains for the University of Vermont women's hockey team this season.

CATAMOUNTS SELECTED FOURTH IN HOCKEY EAST PRESEASON POLL
Boston University, the three-time defending WHEA Tournament Champions, was selected to win the 2015 Hockey East Title, in the 13th season of play. The Terriers received four first-place votes and 53 points overall. Boston College was selected second with four first-place votes and 51 points overall. Northeastern was third with 44 points followed by Vermont (40 points), Providence (29 points), Connecticut (24 points), Maine (22 points) and New Hampshire (17 points).
 
NEW FACES
Vermont will add seven newcomers to the squad this season freshmen Molly Depew (Marblehead, Mass.), Amanda Drobot (Churchville, Pa.), Mackenzie MacNeil (Richmond Hill, Ontario), Kourtney Menches (Greer, South Carolina), Katherine Pate (Saco, Maine), Bella Webster (Bensenville, Ill.), and Taylor Willard (Naperville, Ill.).
 
RETURNING OFFENSE
Vermont returns 89-percent of its total offense from last season. The returning 15 letterwinners accounted for 83-of-93 goals for Vermont in 2013-14.
 
NEW BENCHMARKS AT VERMONT
The Catamounts established several program records last season including winning 18 games to finish fourth overall in Hockey East. Vermont also won it's first ever Division I playoff game defeating Maine 3-2 in triple overtime to advance to the Hockey East Semifinals.
 
ZUBACK AND PELKEY REWRITE THE RECORD BOOK
Senior forwards Amanda Pelkey and Brittany Zuback set several new single season records last year. Pelkey's 21 goals and 40 points were new team marks as well as Zuback's 23 assists. Pelkey (74) and Zuback (67) are also the all-time Vermont leaders in points.
 
ALL ACROSS THE MAP
The Catamounts have players from 11 different states (Alaska, California, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Vermont), one Canadian province (Ontario) and one other country (Sweden). Vermont has five players from Ontario more than any other state or province.

TEAM POSTER DAY OCTOBER 12 PRESENTED BY THE UPS STORE DOWNTOWN
The Catamounts next home game on Sunday, October 12 vs. RPI will be "Team Poster Day" with postgame autographs courtesy of the UPS Store Downtown.
 
2ND ANNUAL PACK THE GUT CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY THE WINDJAMMER
The Vermont women's hockey team will host the second annual "Pack the Gut Challenge Presented by The Windjammer" on Friday October 24 as they face Union College.
 
The goal this season is to break last year's single game Hockey East attendance record of 2,028 fans and support the local Meals on Wheels organization. Admission is only $2.