BURLINGTON, Vt. – Vermont women’s hockey is back in action on Friday (Jan. 17) as the squad prepares to challenge #12 Boston College on the road in Chestnut Hill, MA at the Conte Forum, marking the first encounter between the two programs this season. The match on Friday is scheduled for a 2 p.m. puck drop and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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CatamounTV Weekly Press Conference: Coach Plumer | Bent
BENT HOCKEY EAST DEFENDER OF THE WEEK
Graduate defender Kyla Bent earned the title of Hockey East Defender of the Week following a game-winning goal against BU, securing Vermont’s first victory over the Terriers since 2022, while maintaining a plus-three rating during the weekend series against Boston University. Bent is the second Catamount this season to be honored as Defender of the Week (Jane Gervais is the other).
VERMONT OUTLOOK
- The Catamounts are coming off a home weekend series against now #14 ranked Boston University, splitting the matches after a 2-1 loss in the first game and claiming a 3-2 victory in the second game, marking their second win against a ranked opponent this season (1-0 win over #7 St. Lawrence on Oct. 18, 2024).
- During the weekend series against BU, Bent, Grace Nelles, Oona Havana, and Lara Beecher all contributed by scoring, with five other Catamounts recording at least one assist. Beecher achieved her 50th career point on Saturday (Jan. 11) against Boston University.
- Senior goaltender Sydney Correa made her second start of the season versus BU on Saturday (Jan. 11), achieving a .909 save percentage and stopping 20 out of 22 shots faced.
- Vermont ranks among five Hockey East schools with at least five defenders scoring one or more goals this season, with Bent, Natalie Zarcone, Ashley Kokavec, Hailey Eikos, and Josie Hemp all having netted at least one goal. UNH, Holy Cross, Boston College, and Merrimack are the other four Hockey East schools.
- UVM has shown strength in the faceoff circle this season, ranking 14th nationally in faceoff win percentage with a 52.0% success rate, which is third in Hockey East. Evelyne Blais-Savoie has taken the lead in these wins for UVM, individually ranking seventh in the Nation and first in Hockey East with 276 total wins this season.
- UVM is the sole Hockey East school that has two centers ranked within the conference’s top 10 for most faceoffs won this season. Blais-Savoie sits at the top with 276 while Rose-Marie Brochu is tied for 10th place with 184 faceoff victories.
- UVM is one of five Hockey East schools to have two or more defenders with six or more assists so far this season (Bent and Kokavec). Providence, Northeastern, BU, and Merrimack make up the other four Hockey East schools.
- Beecher leads the team with 11 points, consisting of four goals and a team-high seven assists. She also tops the team in shot attempts, totaling 71 so far this season.
- Beecher’s 71 shots rank as the fifth highest in the Hockey East conference this season.
- Blais-Savoie leads the team in scoring, having netted five goals so far this season alongside three assists.
- Kokavec stands alone in sixth place in Hockey East for most points as a defenseman with nine points from three goals and six assists. Her nine points are the highest among all UVM defenders.
- Kokavec has registered 53 shots this season, which is the second highest shot total by a defenseman in Hockey East (Providence’s Brooke Becker has the highest at 59).
- Vermont is among three Hockey East schools with two defenders scoring three or more goals (Eikos and Kokavec). Providence and New Hampshire are the other two schools.
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
- Boston College holds a record of 14-7-1 overall this season and 11-4-1 in Hockey East play, presently in second place in the conference.
- The Eagles are 2-2-1 in their last five contests, with their most recent match resulting in a 4-2 loss to Northeastern in the initial round of The Beanpot Tournament. Before that game, BC secured back-to-back shutout wins, beating Maine 5-0 and UNH 4-0. They have accumulated three total shutout victories this season.
- BC’s matchup with Vermont on Friday (Jan. 17) will mark the team’s fourth home game out of their last five matches. The Eagles have an 8-3-1 home record and a 6-3-0 record in away games.
- Boston College relies on sophomore forward Sammy Taber, who leads Hockey East in total points with 25, having scored 10 goals and provided 15 assists. Taber has recorded 11 points in her last eight games, including four multi-point games during that span.
- BC is one of two Hockey East teams with two players scoring 10 or more goals this season. Taber has 10, while fellow sophomore forward Julia Pellerin boasts a team and league-high 11 goals.
- The Catamounts have a historical record of 8-51-6 against Boston College, with their most recent victory occurring last season (November 11, 2023) when Vermont triumphed 3-2 at Gutterson Fieldhouse.
- In their last 10 encounters between the Catamounts and the Eagles, Vermont maintains a record of 5-2-3.
To stay updated with news and developments regarding the Vermont women’s hockey program, follow @UVMwhockey on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and visit UVMathletics.com.
The Windjammer Inn and Conference Center is the primary sponsor of the UVM women’s hockey program