Women’s hockey faced UConn in its annual “Pack the Gut” game on Jan. 25, drawing larger-than-usual crowds. However, fans noticed lower attendance compared to regular season men’s hockey games.

The game brought 2,212 spectators to the Gutterson Fieldhouse, according to UVM Athletics. This was markedly higher than regular season averages but less than the record, 2,705 fans, set at last season’s Pack the Gut game.

Chittenden-South Burlington Youth Hockey players and parents were among those excited to cheer the Cats on, including Cassandra Townshend, who works with the UVM Center on Disability and Community Inclusion.

“Especially being a DI program and being able to support women, it’s amazing, and providing a great role model for our local girls who are interested in the sport,” said Townshend.

Despite being unable to match an early goal by UConn, the Cats never let up. They persistently created scoring opportunities and maintained their composure despite trailing 1-0, like the role models Townshend believes them to be.

Laurie Allen, a Burlington native and longtime UVM sports fan, was appreciative of the turnout at Pack the Gut but still had aspirations for the team’s future on her mind. 

“The boys seem to get a lot of attention, but it’s nice to see fans come out for the girls. I think they need a lot more support than they’re getting,” she said.

First-year Colleen Lynch shared Allen’s sentiment about the disparity between the men’s and women’s hockey teams’ attendance. 

“It’s definitely less and there’s a lot less students,” Lynch said about the attendance at the women’s games compared to the men’s. 

Observations by fans like Allen and Lynch are backed by data from U.S. College Hockey Online, which reports 2,580 spectators at UVM men’s hockey games on average this season. 

So far in the 2024-2025 season, UVM women’s hockey games have drawn a much smaller 628 fans on average, over 4 times less than the men’s side.  

Townshend noted how big an impact students’ presence makes at games, describing a more spirited environment at Gutterson during Pack the Gut than a UVM women’s hockey game she attended over winter break. 

“It’s fabulous seeing the students here and supporting their colleagues and peers,” she said.

With just three regular season home games remaining, fans still have a chance to watch women’s hockey try to improve their 6-20-2 record before heading to the Hockey East playoffs. After three games on the road, the Catamounts will return home on Feb. 8 for a 6 p.m. matchup against Boston College.