After a dominant home exhibition match against McGill, the men’s hockey team officially kicked off the regular season with a two-game road trip to New York against familiar foes at St. Lawrence and Clarkson.
The Catamounts were looking to win their season opener for the first time since the 2021-2022 season.
The Catamounts came out fast-paced and aggressive. During the last of their three first-period power plays, the Catamounts were able to capitalize on a goal by junior forward Simon Jellus for the game’s first score.
Looking to extend their 1-0 lead, UVM came out firing in the second. Senior forward Will Zapernick fired a pass to the middle, where Jellus got a shot off and scored for the second time.
Under a minute later, after a dump into St. Lawrence territory, grad student forward Chris Theodore extended the lead to 3-0 and put the pressure on the Saints going into the third.
St. Lawrence got on the board during a five-minute power play, but it was the sole goal for the Saints in what was a rough offensive performance. The star of the game was the Catamount defense, which saw coordinated play en route to head coach Steve Wiedler’s first career win with the program.
Twenty-four hours later, the Catamounts were back on the ice, this time against Clarkson University.
The first period was a slow offensive series for UVM, only firing off four shots. Clarkson was able to get on the board following an extended possession in Catamount territory after a stick break hindered the Catamount defense.
Junior forward Isak Walther scored the equalizer halfway through the second, but the tie did not last long as Clarkson retook the lead following a turnover and fastbreak that ended in a two-shot possession and a goal.
Despite being down a goal in the third, the Catamounts remained composed. Down to their last five minutes, they found the back of the net thanks to a one-on-one break by sophomore forward Massimo Lombardi.
The late goal secured another five minutes of hockey as the two squads headed to overtime.
Even with a late shift in momentum in favor of UVM, a costly Catamount turnover led to a three-on-two break for Clarkson that ended in a Golden Knight goal, ending any chance at a comeback win.
Despite the loss, Wiedler was impressed with the composure while playing from behind.
“When our players faced that challenge of being down on the road to a good team they fought back. For that, I’m proud of our program tonight,” Wiedler said.
The attention now shifts to the conference play opener, where they take on No. 13 Providence, a program they have not beaten since 2019, on Oct. 27.
