Michigan
Vermont
Michigan Set for Opening-Weekend Doubleheader at Yost
10/2/2018 6:58:00 PM | Ice Hockey
THIS WEEK
Saturday, Oct. 6 -- vs. Vermont (Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena), 7:30 p.m.
Live Stats | Parking Alert
Sunday, Oct. 7 -- vs. Waterloo (Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena), 4 p.m.
Live Stats
• Complete Game Notes (PDF)Â
• Wolverine Weekend
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team opens up its 2018-19 season with a pair of home games this weekend (Oct. 6-7) at Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena. The Wolverines will face Vermont on Saturday (Oct. 6) at 7:30 p.m. and will follow it with a 4 p.m. exhibition contest on Sunday (Oct. 7) against Waterloo.
Promotions
On Saturday, Michigan will honor its 1964 NCAA national championship team. One of the greatest squads in program history, the '64 Wolverines went 24-4, including a 12-2 mark in WCHA play. U-M defeated Denver, 6-3, to claim the program's seventh NCAA Championship.
Sunday, the Wolverines will host their annual "Skate with the Wolverines" following the contest, where fans are welcome to skate with the team and get autographs from their favorite players. Skate rentals are available, or fans can bring their own skates and leave them behind the skate counter.
The Vermont Series
Michigan and Vermont will meet for the fourth time in program history since the series began in 2016. The Wolverines are 2-1-0 all-time against the Catamounts. U-M swept Vermont last year over two contests in Ann Arbor by scores of 4-1 and 3-2, respectively.
Scouting the Catamounts
Finishing with a 10-20-7 overall record (6-12-6 Hockey East) last season, the Catamounts look to improve this season with young talent being added to the 2018-19 roster. Vermont was selected to finish 10th in the 11-team Big East preseason poll (Oct. 1). Under the leadership of head coach Kevin Sneddon, six freshmen join the team (four forwards, two defensemen). Freshmen John DeRoche, Joe Cipollone and Dallas Comeau will be the top newcomers up front. Cipollone had 13 points in 60 games last season with the USHL's Tri-City Storm, while Comeau had 69 points in 60 regular-season games with the AJHL's Grand Prairie Storm, and DeRoche was ranked second in the NCDC last season with 62 points in 50 games with the Jr. Rangers. The two new freshman defensemen will join an experienced blueline as Jake Massie, Owen Grant and Christian Evers return. Overall, Vermont has six freshmen, 12 sophomores, seven juniors, and two seniors on the roster this season.
In net, Vermont returns junior Stefanos Lekkas, who started 35 of 37 games last season. Lekkas sported a 2.84 goals-against average along with a .914 save percentage while registering a 10-19-6 record in 2017-18.
The Waterloo Series
Sunday's exhibition game against the University of Waterloo will be the third such matchup between the teams. They last met in 2013, with Waterloo coming way with a 2-1 win. The programs first met in 1996 with Michigan winning, 8-2, in its lone regular-season contest with Waterloo. Overall, the Wolverines are 3-1-0 all-time against the Warriors, with a 2-1-0 record in exhibition play.
Waterloo finishes its preseason with a 2-2-0 record and will begin regular-season play this week against Ryerson University and the University of Western Ontario before heading to Ann Arbor.
Up Ahead
The Maize and Blue will host the United States National Team Development Program U-18 Team at Yost Ice Arena for its annual exhibition matchup on Friday, Oct. 12, at 7:30 p.m. The Series returns to Ann Arbor after the Wolverines traveled to Plymouth, Michigan, last year to claim a 7-3 victory. Michigan will welcome back the 1998 NCAA National Championship team as it will celebrating its 20th anniversary of raising the ninth championship banner in program history to the rafters.
