WOMEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
After their weekend set with BU, Vermont remains on the road as they travel to Connecticut to face 11
th-ranked UConn for the first time this season. Friday's game is slated for a 6 p.m. start from Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum. Saturday's puck drop is set for 3 p.m. in Storrs, CT. Catch both games' action live on ESPN+.
RELATED LINKS
Friday: Live Stats | Live Video (ESPN+)
Saturday: Live Stats | Live Video (ESPN+)
CatamounTV Weekly Press Conference: Coach Plumer
International Streaming ($)
STARTING WITH POSSESSION
The Catamounts have continued to dominate the faceoff circle this season, ranking third in the Nation in faceoff percentage with a 57.5% success rate. Last season, Vermont's 54.7% faceoff win percentage also ranked first in the conference. Natálie Mlýnková is at the forefront of these wins for UVM with 213 on the season while
Evelyne Blais-Savoie follows close behind with 211 faceoff wins on the year.
CATS ATOP HOCKEY EAST
Sophomore
Krista Parkkonen sits at the top of defenseman in Hockey East in point production (15). Parkkonen leads all defenders in assists (12) and is tied for third in goals (3). Natálie Mlýnková is tied for the third spot in goals (12) for the entire conference while also being tied for fourth in points (23).
PRECISION PUCKS
With a shooting percentage of 10.3%, Vermont is second among Hockey East teams and 10th in all of Division I. The Cats have maximized their opportunities, scoring 59 goals on just 575 shots.
DEFENSIVE STOPPERS
Vermont ranks first in blocked shots within Hockey East, tallying an impressive total of 362. This places them tied for third nationwide in this category.
Sara Levesque holds the fourth spot in Division I with an outstanding 54 blocks for the season, while
Krista Parkkonen secures the ninth spot nationally with 48 blocked shots this year.
ATTENDANCE RECORD RESET
Vermont broke the Hockey East home attendance record for the second straight year on November 10, smashing the previous record of 2,210. A whopping 2,705 fans attended Saturday's Pack the Gut Challenge game presented by the Windjammer against 15th ranked Boston College.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
Connecticut enters the weekend ranking first in the Hockey East standings. On the season, the Huskies have produced a 16-6-2 (13-3-1 HEA) record, landing them two points ahead of the second ranked team.
Jada Habisch is the top goal scorer and point producer for the Huskies with 12 goals and 20 points on the season. Coryn Tamala has notched 15 assists on the year, ranking her first on the team and third among Hockey East players. Connecticut has six total players in the double-digit point threshold as well. Juniors Megan Warrener and Tia Chan have split time in goal this season. Warrener boasts a 10-0-1 record along with a .959 save percentage while only allowing 0.83 goals per contest. Chan has also had a strong performance in net allowing 1.37 goals per game and holds a .937 save percentage this year.
SERIES HISTORY
Vermont is 15-32-7 all-time against UConn but holds a 5-4-1 record in the last 10 meetings. In their last 12 matchups the Catamounts are undefeated when scoring three or more goals against the Huskies. UConn defeated UVM in their most recent contest 4-1 with Alaina Tanksi scoring lone goal of the game for the Cats.
CATAMOUNTS LEADERSHIP GROUP
Head Coach
Jim Plumer has selected five student-athletes to lead the Catamounts during the 2023-24 campaign. 2023 World Championship bronze medalist Mlýnková will serve as captain for Vermont. The Catamounts will have four alternates this season with
Hailey Burns,
Sara Levesque,
Maddy Skelton and
Alaina Tanski. Skelton served as an alternate captain last season as well.
CZECH CAPTAIN IS BACK FOR MORE
Senior captain Mlýnková is the top returning scorer in Hockey East this season. She set new career highs in goals (23), assists (19) and points (42) last year.
OFFENSIVE TOUCH KEY TO HISTORIC CAMPAIGNS
Vermont scored over 100 goals in each of the last two years for the first time in program history on their way to back-to-back second place finishes in Hockey East with a program record of 22 wins in each campaign. Vermont returns 56.1% of its scoring from a year ago.
The Windjammer Inn and Conference Center is the presenting sponsor of the UVM women's hockey program
