One more victory and the UVM women’s hockey team should secure its first home game for the Hockey East playoffs.
The Catamounts (13-13-4, 9-7-1) will seek that win at New Hampshire this weekend when they face the Wildcats (9-18-2; 4-11-2) in 2 p.m. games on Saturday and Sunday.
With two weeks remaining in the regular season, UVM sits fourth in the standings, one point behind Northeastern and six points ahead of Connecticut.
While securing home ice is the objective, coach Jim Plumer said, “The best scenario is to have two really good weekends and get momentum going into the playoffs.”
Once in postseason, Plumer said, there is no ideal matchup for the quarterfinal round. He pointed out that all the teams currently below UVM in the standings have outstanding goalies with the exception of Providence, which might otherwise be the best of those teams.
“We just want to win the games in front of us,” said Plumer.
The Wildcats have had a challenging season with a mid-year coaching change and a number of injuries. UNH, which has lost six straight, has played several games recently with only four defensemen.
“On the other hand, they’re a dangerous team. They beat BC at BC earlier this season, They’re at home, we’re going to play on an Olympic sheet of ice and we haven’t done that since October,” Plumer said.
With regard to the larger ice surface, Plumer said, “We’re a good skating team, we’re quick and we’re a pretty good forechecking team so I think the open ice could actually work to our benefit.”
UVM goaltender Roxanne Douville has excelled in recent games. “She’s been much more consistent the last five or six games than at any other point of the season. She’s playing well, she’s playing with confidence and that gives us confidence,” Plumer said.
The return of defenseman Gina Repaci should bolster the Catamount lineup. “She’s an offensive force,” said Plumer, pointing to Repaci’s skating skills as well as the opportunity for UVM to move Dayna Colang back to center from defense, where she played in last week’s win over Maine.
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Santaguida in goal: In the long-running duel to see which goalie would be No. 1 for the UVM men’s team, freshman Mike Santaguida has emerged as the starter for the Catamounts … for now.
He played both games against UNH, allowing one even strength goal in two games and three overall. His performance should give him the start against BC on Friday over sophomore Brody Hoffman pending any surprises in practice.
“(Santaguida) was sharper in practice over the last little while and I have no problem saying that with Hoff sitting here,” UVM coach Kevin Sneddon said this week.
“I talked to Hoff about it. He’s trying to get his confidence back. He kind of went back-and-forth a little bit. He had two Fridays that weren’t very good,” Sneddon said. “Terry (Lovelette, goalie coach) has been working with him to get his confidence back.
“We felt like Mike hadn’t lost any confidence; if anything, he was going the opposite direction,” Sneddon said.
At the same time, Sneddon said, he wanted to break a trend of UVM not playing quite as well or winning on Fridays.
Santaguida’s anointment as the starter carries no guarantees he will keep the position.
“That wouldn’t be fair to Hoff. Hoff’s played some great hockey for us. As Terry said, you win, you’re in at this point of the year,” Sneddon said. “Santa did a really good job (at UNH) and most likely has earned the start Friday night and then we’ll see where we’re at.”
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Offense at defense: UVM has sought to get more offense from its defensemen this year and it’s worked to a degree. Next year’s recruiting class might really give the blueline corps a injection of offense.
Alexx Privitera, a junior transfer from Boston University, has seven goals and 32 points in 38 games with the Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL). Trey Phillips of the Canmore Eagles (AJHL) has collected 23 goals and 53 points in 52 games. Mitch Ferguson of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL) has scored four goals and 34 points in 47 games. Phillips and Ferguson will be freshmen.
Indications are all three have very good skills which, added to Mike Paliotta (assuming he returns for his senior season) and Rob Hamilton should give the Catamounts more options for offensive support next season.
As for incoming forwards, recent statistics are: Anthony Petruzzelli, Brooks Bandits (AJHL), 52 games, 24-22-46; Travis Blanleil, Penticton Vees (BCHL), 49 games, 8-20-28; Robert Darrar, Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL), 37 games, 10-17-27; Kevin Irwin, Green Bay Gamblers (USHL), 39 games, 15-9-24; Jarrid Privitera, Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL), 39 games, 8-19-27; Tyler Gernhofer, Amarillo Bulls (NAHL), 41 games, 23-17-37.
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Big game in Northfield: The Norwich University men’s hockey team has won 15 consecutive ECAC East regular-season championships, which of course includes all the years since NESCAC ended its scheduling affiliation with the East and struck out on its own.
Now the Cadets need a big game plus a little help if they want to keep that streak intact.
With only this week’s two games remaining in the regular season, Norwich trails Babson by three points. However, the Cadets (15-5-3; 11-3-2 East) play host to the Beavers (19-3-1; 13-2-1) Friday night and can slash the deficit to one with one game left.
That’s where the Cadets definitely need help, though they must also contend with UMass-Boston in their finale. While that game is going on at Kreitzberg Arena, Norwich fans — if NU wins Friday — will have a vested interest in the goings-on at Cairns Arena, where Babson will wrap up the regular season against St. Michael’s College.
If Norwich wins Friday and Saturday, the Cadets need the Knights to at least tie the Beavers. That would leave NU and Babson deadlocked for first and Norwich would own the tiebreaker; the Cadets have already won 1-0 at Babson and head-to-head is the first tie-breaker. An SMC win coupled with a Norwich sweep would give the Cadets the title outright.
As for St. Michael’s, the Knights (6-16-1; 3-13-1) would like to prepare for the Northeast-10 tournament with a strong weekend against UMass-Boston and Babson.
Meanwhile, the Castleton men (11-10-3, 7-7-3) are locked into fifth place in the East with only a Saturday game against Skidmore remaining while Middlebury (8-10-2, 6-7-1 NESCAC) has a home-and-home series with Williams. The Panthers conclude their regular season next week at home against Amherst and Hamilton.
For the state’s D-2/3 women’s teams, Middlebury (16-2-3; 11-0-3 NESCAC) has two league games against Williams and a non-conference showdown with Norwich (19-3-0; 14-0-0 ECAC East) remaining. The Cadets play host to New England College and Castleton (13-8-2; 8-4-2 East) this weekend. The Panthers are No. 2 nationally and the Cadets are ranked No. 4.
The Spartans on Friday play at St. Michael’s (2-17-3; 1-11-2), which wraps up play Saturday against NEC.
Middlebury and Norwich are each No. 1 in their respective conferences and both have clinched their top seeds. The Spartans are currently the No. 3 seed in the East.
Contact Free Press correspondent Ted Ryan at TedRyanVT@aol.com and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TedRyanVT
