Vermont's Midseason Boost

Catamounts Add Pair of Talented Backliners for Second Half

by Joe Meloni/Senior Writer

Vermont coach Kevin Sneddon doesn't have many negative things to say about his roster at this point.

He doesn't think his Catamounts have played their best hockey through 15 games, but he's pleased with what he's seen. An 11-3-1 will do that. He knows some more goals will need to come, especially away from home, but it's been a positive start.

Even still, coaches are always open to talented new players. With that, Sneddon and the Catamounts will welcome defensemen Trey Phillips and Ori Abramson to their roster for the second semester.

"It's just great for our depth, and we have a lot of it," Sneddon said.

Both players are eligible starting with Friday's game against St. Lawrence in Burlington, Vt. Saturday, UVM finishes the home-and-home pair with the Catamounts in Canton, N.Y.

Phillips, a dynamic, two-way defenseman, spent parts of the last five seasons with the AJHL's Canmore Eagles. His enrollment was delayed for various reasons after attending multiple high schools over the years. According to Sneddon, he is expected to see game action this weekend. He's been on campus all year and practiced with the team. He will have three more years of eligibility remaining.

"He's been able to do everything with us except play and travel," Sneddon said. "He's excited to get into the lineup. He'll see some time this weekend. I'm not prepared to say he'll get into both games just yet, but he'll play."

Abramson projects as a more traditional, big-bodied defenseman. Sneddon said he will not report until the players return to campus for winter break. Abramson briefly spent time at Providence in 2012 before leaving to due an illness. Additionally, he committed to Boston University earlier this year before deciding upon Vermont. As a result, he hadn't enrolled at UVM in time for the fall semester. Like Phillips, Sneddon expects he'll have three years of eligibility remaining after this season.

"Abramson won't be with us until the players come back from the break," Sneddon said. "We haven't worked with him much. He's only been on campus really to do his physical and to figure out his living situation. We have an idea of how we want to use. We love his game."

While both are considered potentially strong players at the NCAA level, Sneddon's defensive corps has performed very well this season. Michael Paliotta and Alexx Privitera have seen major minutes as UVM's top pairing. Nick Luukko and Yvan Pattyn feature on the right side of the second and third pairings respectively. Chris Muscoby, Rob Hamilton and Mitch Ferguson have all performed well when in the lineup.

"A lot of our defensemen have had great seasons for us," Sneddon said. "Muscoby and Hamilton and some other guys have done a great job. With Trey and Ori, obviously, we're excited to get them in, but they're not just going to be handed playing time. They'll earn it like everyone else."

Paliotta's emergence into one of college hockey's best defensemen has helped the rest of the Catamounts' group fall into place. Additionally, it's given Sneddon a true No. 1 to play against an opponent's best forwards.

"In the 22 years I've been doing this, I can say Paliotta is one of the most improved players I've seen," Sneddon said. "He came in as big, physical player. He needed some time to figure out the physical aspect of the game and what his game needed to be. He's been great for us. I think he's one of the defensemen in the country."

The Catamounts' goaltending tandem of junior Brody Hoffman and sophomore Mike Santaguida has been strong as well.

For the year, UVM is third nationally with 1.67 goals allowed per game. In terms of shot suppression, the unit has been just as good, yielding just 25.7 per game.

Even with a pair of talented players newly available to him, Sneddon isn't prepared to say either will be in a specific role permanently.