Photo Credit: Courtney Adams

MEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
The seventh-ranked University of Vermont men’s hockey team (2-1-0, 1-0-0 HEA) returns to action on Friday at 7 p.m. at Merrimack. Friday’s game can be heard live on the flagship station for UVM hockey on WVMT-AM 620 and on the Internet on SportsJuice.com beginning at 6:30 p.m. Video streaming of the game will be available on a pay-per-view basis through B2 Networks by logging on to www.merrimackathletics.com.

FAST FACTS
• Vermont won its second straight game over a ranked opponent on Sunday with a 4-1 victory against No. 12 Boston College in front of a sellout crowd at Gutterson Fieldhouse. Chris McCarthy, Brian Roloff, Wahsontiio Stacey and Colin Vock each had goals in the win. Sophomore Rob Madore made 22 saves and the Catamounts went 8-for-8 on the penalty kill.

• Freshman Chris McCarthy was named the Hockey East Rookie of the Week after scoring a goal and recording an assist in Sunday’s win against the Eagles. McCarthy also had a plus-1 rating and a team leading three shots on goal. Rob Madore and Colin Vock were also named to the Hockey East Top Performers list this week.

• Nine different players have already scored goals for the Catamounts this season. Through the first two weeks of the year Vermont ranks second in the nation in scoring with 4.67 goals per game. UVM has scored at least four goals in three straight games for the first time since Nov. 17 through Nov. 25, 2007.

• Vermont’s last five games at Lawler Arena against Merrimack have been decided by one goal or ended in a tie. The Catamounts are 2-1-2 in those contests. Last season Vermont dropped a 3-2 decision at Merrimack on Feb. 13 before responding with a 4-3 win the following night.

LAST TIME OUT
Vermont went 8-for-8 on the penalty kill and blocked 18 shots in a 4-1 win over No. 12 Boston College on Sunday. The Catamounts improved to 4-0-2 in their six games at home against the Eagles. Chris McCarthy, Brian Roloff, Wahsontiio Stacey and Colin Vock each had goals in the win. Sophomore Rob Madore made 22 saves.

POLL POSITION | USA Today/USA Hockey Poll | USCHO.com Poll | INCH PWR Rankings
Vermont is ranked seventh in the USCHO.com/CBS College Sports Poll and the USA Today/USA Hockey Poll this week. The Catamounts have been ranked in the USCHO.com Poll for 31 straight weeks. Vermont is also receiving one first-place vote in both polls. Vermont is ranked third in the latest Inside College Hockey Power Rakings.

AGAINST RANKED TEAMS
Vermont is 20-16-6 against ranked opponents since the start of the 2007-08 season. The Catamounts are 2-1-0 against ranked teams this season.

OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
Vermont lost its leading scorer from a year ago in Hobey Baker finalist Viktor Stålberg, who ranked fifth in the nation in goals with 24 while posting a team-high 46 points. Last year’s captains Dean Strong, Peter Lenes and Corey Carlson also departed with a combined 272 career points. So far the Catamounts have been able to replace that offense as nine different players have already scored goals this season and Vermont ranks second in the country in scoring with 4.67 goals per game.

PK PUNCH
Vermont went 8-for-8 on the penalty kill against Boston College and has stopped 11 straight power plays by its opponents. Last season the Catamounts were an uncharacteristic 42nd in the country on the penalty kill. In its first three seasons in Hockey East Vermont ranked in the top-14 nationally on the penalty kill. Vermont was 14th in the country in 2007-08, third in the country in 2006-07 and eighth in 2005-06.

D-CORE
Vermont is one of only two teams in Hockey East this season to return all six of its starting defensemen and all of its goaltenders.

SCOUTING MERRIMACK | Merrimack Website
Merrimack is 2-2-0 on the season after defeating Holy Cross and Army at home last weekend … The Warriors started the season with a 5-2 loss and a 3-2 loss at No. 2 North Dakota … Freshman Stephane Da Costa was named the Hockey East Player of the Week after scoring five goals in Merrimack’s 6-3 win over Army last Saturday … Junior Joe Cucci has a team leading five assists … Junior Chris Barton is second on the team in goals with four and he has a team leading 17 shots … Barton is also the team’s active leader in career points with 46 … Senior goalie Andrew Braithwaite has a 2.77 goals against average and a .908 save percentage in 46 career games … sophomore Joe Cannata has a 2.40 GAA and a .917 save percentage in 25 contests … Cannata was taken in the sixth round of the 2009 NHL Draft by the Vancouver Canucks … Head coach Mark Dennehy is in his fifth season and has a 32-91-17 record.

SERIES STUFF
Vermont is 10-5-4 all-time against Merrimack. The Catamounts are 3-1-3 all-time on the road against the Warriors. Last season Vermont split a two-game series at Merrimack with a 3-2 loss and a 4-3 win. Vermont is 7-2-3 against Merrimack since joining Hockey East.

VERMONT’S LEADERS AGAINST MC
Brian Roloff: 8GP – 2G-4A-6P
Colin Vock: 7GP – 1G-4A-5P
Brayden Irwin: 9GP – 1G-2A-3P
Kevan Miller: 6GP – 0G-3A-3P
Mike Spillane: 3GP – 2-0-1, 1.62 GAA, .932 save%

2009-10 HOCKEY EAST PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL

Vermont was picked to finish fourth in the 2009-10 Hockey East Preseason Coaches’ Poll released on Sept. 30 at Hockey East Media Day at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass. It’s the highest Hockey East preseason ranking for the Catamounts since joining the league.

Defending national champion Boston University was selected first in the 2009-10 Hockey East Preseason Coaches’ Poll with six first-place votes and a total of 84 points. UMass-Lowell was picked second and earned two first-place votes and 79 points. Boston College was selected third with 76 points while Vermont and New Hampshire were tied for fourth with 59 points apiece. Northeastern (57 points), Massachusetts (47 points), Maine (32 points), Providence (24 points) and Merrimack (23 points) rounded out the 10-team preseason poll.

2009-10 Hockey East Preseason Coaches’ Poll

First-Place Votes in Parenthesis

1. Boston University (6) - 84

2. UMass-Lowell (2) - 79

3. Boston College (2) - 76

4. Vermont - 59

4. New Hampshire - 59
6. Northeastern - 57

7. Massachusetts - 47

8. Maine - 32

9. Providence - 24

10. Merrimack - 23

CATAMOUNTS IN THE NHL
Six former Catamounts began the 2009-10 season in the National Hockey League including Viktor Stålberg, who was a Hobey Baker finalist last season with Vermont. Stålberg earned a spot on the Toronto Maple Leafs and has been playing on the team’s top line. Stålberg joined Torrey Mitchell ‘07 (San Jose), Martin St. Louis ‘97 (Tampa Bay), Patrick Sharp ‘02 (Chicago), Jaime Sifers ‘06 (Minnesota) and Tim Thomas ‘97 (Boston) in the NHL.

NHL AWARDS
Vermont is the only college hockey program in the country that is home to the NHL's Hart, Pearson and Vezina trophies. Tim Thomas '97 won the Vezina trophy with the Boston Bruins last season and Martin St. Louis '97 collected the Hart and Pearson trophies in 2003-04 on his way to leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup.

TWO-SPORT MILO
Junior Justin Milo spent the summer playing professional baseball with the New York Yankees organization. Milo was a 37th round draft pick by the Yankees in the 2009 MLB draft and spent the majority of the summer playing for the Staten Island Yankees in the New York-Penn League. Milo hit .257 with a home run and 12 RBIs in 25 games in helping Staten Island win the NYP League championship. Vermont’s most prominent hockey/professional baseball player is Kirk McCaskill ’83, who spent 14 seasons in the major leagues with the California Angels and Chicago White Sox. McCaskill was a Hobey Baker finalist for the Catamounts in 1982. Milo is currently out indefinitely with a foot injury.

SWEDISH CONNECTION
The Catamounts have three freshmen on their roster with ties to Sweden. Tobias Nilsson-Roos and Sebastian Stålberg both grew up in Sweden while Anders Franzon spent the 2007-08 season playing for Vastera in the Swedish Superelite Junior League. Sebastian Stålberg is the younger brother of Viktor Stålberg, who was a Hobey Baker finalist with the Catamounts in 2008-09. Viktor Stålberg signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs following last season and earned a spot on Toronto’s roster for the start of the 2009-10 NHL season.

CLUTCH CATAMOUNTS
Vermont is 22-12 in one-goal games dating back to the start of the 2007-08 season following a 5-4 loss Denver in the season opener on Oct. 9. Since the 2004-05 season the Catamounts are 43-29 in one-goal games under head coach Kevin Sneddon.

ROAD WARRIORS
Vermont went 12-6-1 away from Gutterson Fieldhouse last season and started this season with a split on the road against top-ranked Denver.

SCORE FOUR
Vermont is unbeaten in 52 of its last 54 games when scoring at least four goals following a 4-1 victory against No. 12 Boston College on Oct. 18. The only losses in that stretch for the Catamounts are a 6-5 overtime defeat to No. 9 New Hampshire on March 7, 2009 at Gutterson Fieldhouse and a 5-4 loss to Denver at Magness Arena on Oct. 9, 2009.

TOUGH TICKET
The Catamounts have sold out 95 of their last 103 home games and had a streak of 65 straight sellouts at one point during that stretch. Overall, Vermont has sold out 270 of the last 357 games at Gutterson Fieldhouse dating back to November of 1987.

HOME COOKING
Vermont is 364-259-45 all-time at Gutterson Fieldhouse. The Catamounts are 57-39-19 (.578) at home under head coach Kevin Sneddon. Last year the Catamounts went 10-6-4 at home and are off to a 1-0 start at home this season.

OUT OF THE GATE
Vermont is 51-15-13 in its last 79 games when scoring first after a 5-4 loss to No. 1 Denver in the season opener.

CLOSERS
Vermont is 79-5-11 in its last 95 games when leading after two periods during the Kevin Sneddon era. The Catamounts are 29-2-3 since the start of the 2007-08 season when leading after 40 minutes. This season Vermont is 2-1 when leading after two periods.

CATAMOUNT DRAFT PICKS

Vermont has four players on its roster that have been drafted by a NHL franchise. Junior Kyle Medvec was a fourth-round selection (102 overall) by Minnesota in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Sophomore Matt Marshall was a fifth-round pick by Tampa Bay in the 2007 draft (150 overall) while sophomore Drew MacKenzie was selected in the seventh-round (209 overall) by Buffalo. Freshman David Pacan was a sixth-round pick (177 overall) by Chicago in the 2009 draft.

NEWCOMERS

The Catamounts add six newcomers to the roster in the 2009-10. Vermont welcomes five freshmen forwards: Ben Albertson (Williston, Vt.), Chris McCarthy (Collegeville, Pa.), Tobias Nilsson-Roos (Malmo, Sweden), David Pacan (Ottawa, Ont.) and Sebastian Stålberg (Gothenburg, Sweden). Anders Franzon (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) is the lone freshman defenseman.

WHO’S NEXT

Vermont continues Hockey East play next Friday (Oct. 30) at Maine at 7 p.m.

2009-10 MEN’S HOCKEY TV SCHEDULE
(Dates, times and networks, subject to change)
Fri., Oct. 9 – at Denver – 9:30pm (EST) – Fox Sports Rocky Mountain
Sun., Oct. 18 – vs. Boston College – 5:00pm – ESPNU
Fri., Oct. 30 – at Maine – 7:00pm – WABI-TV
Sun., Dec. 6 – vs. New Hampshire – 3:00pm – ESPNU
Sun., Jan. 24 – at Massachusetts – 4:00pm – ESPNU
Sat., Feb. 6 – at Providence – 7:00pm – Cox Sports
Fri., Feb. 19 – at New Hampshire – 7:30pm – NESN
Fri., Feb. 26 – vs. Boston University – 7:30pm – NESN
Sun., Feb. 28 – vs. Boston University – 3:00pm – ESPNU

WEBCASTING VIA B2 NETWORKS | B2 Networks
Watch all home Vermont men's hockey games live on the Internet via B2 Networks. View each game on a pay-per-view basis for $7.00 each or buy a season package for $75. Log onto www.UVMathletics.com for more information.

RADIO
All University of Vermont men’s hockey games will once again be broadcast live on WVMT AM-620. All men’s hockey games can also be heard on the Internet via SportsJuice.com by logging on the www.UVMathletics.com.

KEVIN SNEDDON COACHES’ SHOW | WVMT Website
The Kevin Sneddon Coaches’ Show airs on WVMT AM-620 on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. throughout the season. The show can also be heard on the Internet at newstalk620wvmt.com.

CATAMOUNTS ALL-ACCESS | Click Here
Visit the Catamounts All-Access page at UVMathletics.com for information on how to get results of your favorite Catamount teams minutes after the conclusion of the game via a text message on your cell phone via eScores. The feature is available to anyone with a cell phone, regardless of cell phone service provider.

Also, stay up-to-date with the Catamounts. Sign up for the Vermont Men's Hockey eNews, offered free of charge by the Athletic Communications Office. Receive all the latest news and notes, as well as complete game summaries for every contest via your personal e-mail account.

Catamounts All-Access also includes links to UVM's other social networking sites like Flickr and YouTube, Vermont's television schedule, live stats, live audio streaming and wallpaper for your computer.

FOLLOW THE CATAMOUNTS ON TWITTER | Click Here
Fans can follow the Catamounts on Twitter. The department has a general Twitter account @UVMAthletics and the men's hockey team also has a Twitter account @UVM_M_Hockey. Follow @UVMAthletics for general news on the department and/or follow @UVM_M_Hockey for more in-depth coverage of the team, including in-game updates throughout the season.

PHOTO STORE | Click Here
Catamount faithful can purchase athletic pictures at www.UVMathletics.com via the Vermont Photo Store. Pictures make great gifts for holidays, home wall art, or office decorations. Powered by Replay Photos, the website will feature pictures of all 18 sports, including game action photos from the 2009-10 season.

GET YOUR GEAR | Click Here
The UVM athletic department, in conjunction with TeamFanShop, has launched its first-ever merchandise and apparel store through the school's official athletic site at UVMathletics.com. The new online store includes hats, polo shirts, shorts, t-shirts, gifts and much more from several leading manufacturers.