WOMEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
The Vermont Catamounts host the Quinnipiac Bobcats for a two-game series Friday and Saturday at Gutterson Fieldhouse.
 
The weekend series marks the ninth and 10th all-time meetings between the two programs. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. the following day.
 
RELATED LINKS
WATCH | LIVE STATS | Game Notes (pdf.)

SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
Quinnipiac enters its fifth game of the season with an 0-4-0 mark in their four non-conference games. They recently hosted Maine for a two-game series but dropped both games despite extending the game to overtime in the series-opening game. Freshman Lexie Adzija (1 goal, 2 assists) and Sarah-Eve Coutu-Godbout (3 assists) lead the team with three points. Adzija's point totals helped her earn ECAC Rookie of the Week Honor's to open the season. Captain Melissa Samoskevich paces the Quinnipiac goal scorers with two marks through the first four games. Abbie Ives (2.44 GAA, .898 SV%) and Allison Small (3.05 GAA, .898 SV%) have split time in net, with Ives having a slight statistical advantage over Small. Quinnipiac was 16-17-3 (12-9-1 ECAC) last season with a 7-11-1 mark on the road and were ousted by St. Lawrence in two games of the ECAC Quarterfinals.
 
SERIES HISTORY
This weekend marks the ninth and 10th all-time meetings between the Catamounts and Quinnipiac. Vermont has a 2-5-1 series record against the Bobcats, which dates back to Dec. 30, 2001. The Cats are 1-2-2 in the four previous meetings at Gutterson Fieldhouse with the last home win coming in 2004. Quinnipiac has taken four of the last five meetings as Vermont is winless against the Bobcats since 2008. Kyleigh Palmer tallied two goals for Vermont to secure the win over Quinnipiac in her lone season as a Catamount. The two programs squared off last season at TD Bank Sports Center where Quinnipac won both games. Val Caldwell and Sammy Kolowrat were the UVM goal scorers against the Bobcats. 
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Catamounts return to action following a 4-2 loss in the season opener to Hockey East foe UConn Saturday (Oct. 6). The game was scoreless until the final four minutes of the second period when UConn's Jaime Fox opened the scoring on the power play. Saana Valkama responded 1:53 later with her 50th career point on a wrist shot that whistled past the glove of the Huskies' goaltender. UVM took the lead in the third period on a shorthanded goal by Lilly Holmes, the first tally of her career. UConn responded with two power-play goals and an empty netter to close out the game in the final 10 minutes of regulation. Melissa Black stopped 32 shots for the Catamounts.
 
TOP PERFORMERS A WEEK AGO
Six Catamounts registered a point in last week's contest against UConn. Saana Valkama became the 11th player in program history to hit 50 career points with her second period goal. Lilly Holmes' first career goal was the first shorthanded goal by the Catamounts since Ève-Audrey Picard netted one at Northeastern last season (Jan. 27). Melissa Black matched her second-best mark from last season with her 32-save performance against UConn. The senior goaltender stopped 13 shots on the power play to earn third star of the game. On defense, Taylor Flaherty posted a team-high plus-2 rating in the regular season opener.
 
INTERNATIONAL CATS
The Vermont Catamounts women's hockey team calls five different countries home. Thirteen Americans and six Canadians make up a large chunk of the roster. Senior captain Sammy Kolowrat and Blanka Škodová are Czech Republic natives. Sini Karjalainen and Saana Valkama hail from the Scandinavian country Finland. Theresa Schafzahl is the first Austrian to ever suit up for the Vermont Catamounts.
 
CATS IN THE PROS
Vermont women's hockey has six alumni playing professionally in North America. Amanda Pelkey '15 continues her career in the NWHL for the third year with the Boston Pride. The all-time leading scorer in program history is fresh off a gold medal with Team USA in the Pyongchang Olympic Games. Pelkey is joined in Boston by former teammate Madison Litchfield '17. The Catamount duo spent two seasons together posting a 33-33-6 record at UVM, which included the program's first trip to the Hockey East Semifinals. Another former teammate Brittany Zuback '15 enters her second season in the pros with the CWHL's Toronto Furies. Taylor Willard '18 was selected 23rd overall in the CWHL draft by the Montreal Canadiennes and looks to make her debut when the season opens Saturday. Willard is joined by Mackenzie MacNeil '18 and Gina Repaci '16 as 2018 draft picks in the CWHL by the Toronto Furies and Markham Thunder, respectively.

NEXT UP
The Catamounts follow the weekend series with their first road trip of the season when they visit UNH Friday (Oct. 19) for a 7 p.m. conference matchup. 
 
The Windjammer and Upper Deck Pub is the presenting sponsor of the 2018-19 women's hockey season