Tornadic would be the operative adjective for the Vermont Catamounts’ startling 4-1 triumph over Clarkson at the Gutterson Fieldhouse Saturday. They did their damage in rapid, furious, and fleeting fashion all within the second period, though the aftermath was unmistakable.
After all, the visiting Golden Knights, vying for a sweep on the heels of Friday’s 4-0 win, were one of but six Division-I programs to have cracked open their schedules and still have yet to absorb defeat. Their preceding ways of handling Boston College, Connecticut, and Providence (3-0-1 record, 13-4 goal differential) allowed them to pole-vault in the polls from out of the Top 10 to No. 7 and then to No. 4.
And, regardless of their open sentiments in the aftermath of yet another season opening sweep of Union last week, Vermont still has an abundance to prove as they continue to hype their burgeoning youth movement.
They did just that in a few vital respects Saturday. Eight out of 16 active skaters –three defenders included- put in an appearance on the scoresheet, giving the Catamounts 13 different point-getters over their first four regular season outings. And the power play answered its call when asked, converting twice on seven opportunities after only clicking on two of a cumulative 20 chances in the previous three games.
All the more impressive given that a few injuries amounted to one offensive and one defensive cavity in the game time line chart.
“I just can’t put into words how impressed I am with the effort and determination we played with,” Catamount coach Tim Bothwell said on the program’s website. “Clarkson is a very good team and they were out for bear the first 10 minutes of the game. It’s definitely a win we don’t want the girls to forget about though, it just showed the toughness the girls have to come from behind against Clarkson.”
For the two sandwiching stanzas, it was all on goaltender Kristen Olychuk to fend off the Knights’ strike force, which ran up a 13-3 edge in the first period shooting gallery (plus a goal via Melissa Waldie) and then a 10-3 imbalance in the third.
But in the middle frame, it was as though the traditional swap in attacking zones instilled a sharpening stimulant to the home team, which outshot Clarkson, 11-4, in that time frame.
Additionally, Vermont seduced Clarkson to take eight second period penalties, one of which fizzled before it was even issued. Translation: defender Saleah Morrison slugged home an equalizer on a delayed call with 7:13 gone.
Nine minutes and three power plays later, starting sophomore winger Kailey Nash nudged the Cats ahead, 2-1.
By night’s end, with an assist on Emily Walsh’s tally just before intermission, Nash was in the multi-point club, opposite Erin Barley-Maloney (two assists), and was credited with her second game-winning goal in as many weeks. A positional convert from the blue line at training camp, Nash already has as many points on the year (4) as she did through 33 appearances last season.
Naturally, there are always caveats to extract when it’s still such a wee stage of the season. For instance, stuffing the net in bunches can be gratifyingly effective if and when you can pull it off, but Vermont cannot bank on that happening on a routine basis. They will need to look into inflating and scattering Saturday’s second period wealth for it to last them a full 60-minute enterprise. And they will need more regular, diverse contributions, especially under the SOG heading.
On the other hand, they at least have a can’t-hurt certificate of capability, which is always nicer to receive sooner rather than later.
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