Goalie commits to UVM hockey

A 6-foot-3 goaltender from Hugo, Minn., via Fairbanks, Alaska, will join the University of Vermont men’s hockey team in September, according to his Twitter account.

Patrick “Packy” Munson, 19, sent out his message Monday, stating, “Extremely blessed to announce my commitment to The University of Vermont. Thank you to all my coaches, teammates and family! #GoCatamounts”.

Munson is expected give UVM the goaltending depth it lost when junior Brody Hoffman elected to forego his final year of eligibility and signed with the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League once Vermont’s 2014-15 season ended. The Catamounts posted a 22-win season and reached the semifinals of the Hockey East tournament but missed qualifying for theNCAAs.

The addition of Munson will give coach Kevin Sneddon three goalies for the 2015-16 season. Co-starter Mike Santaguida returns as well as backup Patrick Feeley; both are juniors. Santaguida has split the starting goaltender duties with Hoffman the past two years. Feeley has appeared only in exhibitions during his two seasons.

The Catamounts also have another goaltender committed in Stefanos Lekkas, who will continue to work on his development with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL next year.

Munson has played for the Fairbanks Ice Dogs (NAHL) for the past two seasons. This year, he posted a record of 24 wins, 8 losses and 2 overtime losses with a goals-against average of 2.43 and a save percentage of .910. A year ago, he was 13-4 with a 2.18GAA and a .912 save percentage.

Prior to joining Fairbanks, Muson played for the Centennial Cougars, leading the team to its first Minnesota Class 2A high school playoff appearance in nine years.

Munson will join seven fellow freshmen in UVM’s Class of’19, including forwards Drew Best, Liam Coughlin, Tyler Gernhofer, Conor O’Neill and Craig Puffer as well as defensemen Jacob Kearley and Mike Lee.

Sneddon cannot comment on a recruit until the student-athlete has signed an NCAA letter-of-intent and been accepted by the university.

Correspondent Ted Ryan covers UVM hockey for The Burlington Free Press. Contact him at TedRyanVT@aol.com and follow him on Twitter at @TedRyanVT.