VERMONT WOMEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOKThe University of Vermont women's hockey team (8-21-2, 6-13-2 HEA) hosts No. 1 Boston College (31-0-0, 21-0-0 HEA) in its regular season home finale Sunday afternoon at Gutterson Fieldhouse. The Catamounts will faceoff with the undefeated Eagles at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Sunday is "Valentine's Day at the Gut" and Rally will be walking around with valentines and chocolate for fans in attendance. There will also be Valentine's Day themed on-ice contests during the intermissions.
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Sunday vs. #1 Boston College – Live Video (free) | Live Stats WILLARD COLLECTS WEEKLY AWARDSAfter scoring back-to-back third period game-winning goals in Vermont's weekend sweep at New Hampshire sophomore forward
Taylor Willard was named the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week and UVM's TD Bank Student-Athlete of the Week.
WILLARD FEATURED ON INSIDE HOCKEY EAST PODCASTFollowing her standout weekend
Taylor Willard was featured in the weekly Inside Hockey East Podcast. Men's hockey junior Mario Puskarich was also featured in the podcast.
Click here to listen to the podcast.
COLANG LEADING THE WAYSenior forward
Dayna Colang is leading the Catamounts in scoring for the second straight season. This year she has 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points in 31 games. In her career at Vermont she now has 95 total points which ranks third all-time behind
Brittany Zuback (97) and
Amanda Pelkey (105). In all eight of the Catamounts wins this season she has registered at least a point. Colang has at least a point in 12 of Vermont's last 13 games.
THIRD PERIODS ARE THE CATAMOUNTS BEST IN LEAGUEIn Hockey East play this season Vermont has scored 51.1% of its goals in the third period. The Catamounts 22 third period tallies are the fourth most of any team in league play behind No. 5 Northeastern (33), No. 1 Boston College (31) and Boston University (24). When tied or ahead this season after the second period Vermont is 6-2-1.
SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS IN LEAGUE PLAYVermont's power play and penalty kill efforts have been impactful in Hockey East contests. The Catamounts power play is 14-for-70 in league play good for 20%, which is third in Hockey East behind No. 1 Boston College and No. 5 Northeastern. 14 of Vermont's 15 power play goals have come in league play. Vermont's penalty kill efforts in league play have been successful 86.6% of the time, which is also third in the league behind BC and Northeastern.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT#1 Boston College: The undefeated Eagles are on a program record 31-game winning streak after defeating No. 5 Northeastern 5-3 Friday afternoon. With at least a point on Sunday the Eagles will clinch the Hockey East regular season title.
Senior forward and former U.S. Olympian Alex Carpenter leads the Eagles in scoring with 37 goals and 34 assists for 71 points this season. This season against Vermont Carpenter has four goals and an assist for five points.
Entering Friday Sophomore goaltender Katie Burt was 25-0-0 this season with a league-best .947 save-percentage and a 1.11 goals-against average. Fellow classmate Gabriella Switaj last played in net for BC against Vermont on January 23, she picked up her fifth win of the year with 17 saves.
Vermont is 0-11-1 against the Eagles under Coach Plumer, it is the only Hockey East opponent the Catamounts have not beaten in his tenure at UVM. The Catamounts last win against Boston College came on November 7, 2009 in a 5-1 win at Kelley Rink.
In January the Eagles swept a two-game series against Vermont at Kelley Rink by scores of 6-2 and 6-1.
VERMONT AGAINST THE TOP RANKED TEAMPrior to Sunday Vermont has only faced the No. 1 ranked team in the country seven times in program history. The Catamounts are 0-7-0 against the No. 1 team in program history having lost to New Hampshire on February 25/26, 2006 and BC five times in the last two seasons.
COLANG SET TO ESTABLISH NEW UVM RECORD FOR GAMES PLAYEDDayna Colang has skated in 134 of the 136 games for Vermont over the last four years. The program record of 137 career games is held by
Brittany Zuback (2011-15). The Catamounts have three more regular season games. If Colang dresses in all three she would tie Zuback. If Vermont makes the Hockey East tournament, the Catamounts would be guaranteed at least two more games.
KAYLA KRUK JOINS WOMEN'S HOCKEY THROUGH TEAM IMPACTThe women's hockey team officially drafted seven-year-old Shelburne, Vt. native Kayla Kruk through Team IMPACT. Kayla celebrated her draft day with the Catamounts last Saturday in a ceremony facilitated by the 501(c)(3) non-profit, Team IMPACT, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of team.
Click here to read more about Kayla and Team IMPACT.
TEAM LEADERSSenior
Gina Repaci and junior
Sarah Kelly will serve as co-captains for the University of Vermont women's hockey team this season.
ALL ACROSS THE MAPThe Catamounts have players from 10 different states (Alaska, California, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Vermont), two Canadian provinces (Alberta and Ontario) and two other countries (Czech Republic and Finland). Vermont has four players from Ontario more than any other state or province.
CATAMOUNTS PACK THE GUT ONCE AGAINOn Friday January 29 the Catamounts hosted Connecticut in front of 1,662 fans as a part of the third annual Pack The Gut Challenge Presented by the Windjammer. The 1,662 fans were the second-most in UVM program history and the made-up the third largest regular season crowd in Hockey East history.
The 2015-16 Vermont women's hockey campaign is brought to you by the Windjammer Restaurant and Inn.
