WOMEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
Vermont (7-8-5, 4-6-4 HEAW) hosts Providence (9-7-2, 6-5-0 HEAW) for a pair of Hockey East contests this weekend at Gutterson Fieldhouse. The Catamounts and the Friars square off on Saturday (Jan. 4) for Military Appreciation Night, presented by Milton CAT. Puck drop is slated for 4 p.m. The conference foes then close out the season series on Sunday (Jan. 5) at 2 p.m.

RELATED LINKS
CatamounTV Weekly Media
Saturday (Jan. 4) – Tickets | Watch | Live Stats | Game Notes
Sunday (Jan. 5) – Tickets | Watch | Live Stats

MILITARY APPRECIATION NIGHT
Saturday's contest is Military Appreciation Night, presented by Milton CAT. Military members, veterans, and their families can receive free tickets by bringing their military issued ID to the box office. There will also be a station where fans can write letters of gratitude to those who are currently serving.
 
SCOUTING THE FRIARS
Providence returns to game action for the first time since it beat UConn 2-1 in overtime on December 6. The Friars are 9-7-2 (6-5-0 HEAW) and have won four of their last five games. Senior blueliner Whitney Dove leads Providence in assists (11) and points (16). Sara Hjalmarrson has a team-high eight goals and closely follows Dove with 15 points. Maureen Murphy led PC in scoring last year with 43 points in 37 games and has 11 points in 11 games this season. Clare Minnerath has seen the majority of time in net for the Friars this season. The Providence netminder has posted a .907 save percentage and a 2.07 goals against average in 15 games played.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Saturday marks the 53rd all-time meeting between Vermont and Providence. The Cats have a 3-6-1 mark in the last 10 contests against the Friars. PC took a 3-2 victory in the first game of the season series (Nov. 17) at Schneider Arena. Sara Hjalmarsson scored the game-winner with 16 seconds left in regulation. UVM's last victory over Providence came on the road last season in a 5-4 overtime thriller. Ali O'Leary sealed the victory in the extra frame to defeat the seventh-ranked Friars.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Vermont returned from break for a one-game trip to third-ranked Northeastern on Monday (Dec. 30). The Cats tied the game up at 2-2 in the third period, but the Huskies answered with a pair of goals, including an empty-netter, for a 4-2 victory. Corinne McCool and Maude Poulin-Labelle registered the two goals for UVM. Poulin-Labelle also assisted on McCool's goal. Ève-Audrey Picard tallied two assists for the second consecutive game.
 
SHOOTER'S DON'T SHOOT
The Catamounts allow the fewest shots on goal per game (21.9) in Hockey East. Vermont is currently fourth in shots on goal against per game in the country. Only Wisconsin (17.2), Saint Anselm (18.4), and Yale (21.0) allow fewer shots than the Green & Gold. UVM has yielded only 20 shots or less in seven games this season and has a 4-1-2 mark in those contests.
 
NEARLY 90
Ève-Audrey Picard is just one point shy of recording 90 points in her career. The senior currently has 41 goals and 48 assists in 114 games played. She can become the fourth Catamount in program history to reach the 90-point milestone.

The Windjammer and Upper Deck Pub is the presenting sponsor of the 2019-20 women's hockey season