Catamounts wrap up 2025 with a 5-4 loss against the Warriors
Catamounts wrap up 2025 with a 5-4 loss against the Warriors
Catamounts wrap up 2025 with a 5-4 loss against the Warriors
The University of Vermont men’s ice hockey team picked up its highest single-game scoring total, but was unable to turn that in to win.
The Catamounts were unable to close out 2025 with a win, falling in a 5-4 loss against Hockey East foe Merrimack College Warriors.
“It’s never OK to lose,” Wiedler said. “There were definitely things I liked. We scored four goals. That’s a positive. Proud of the effort on the ice, but we have to clean up the details inside of it.”
Vermont started off the contest with a quick goal by Jonah Aegerter at the 1:13 mark, giving his squad the early 1-0 advantage. Merrimack then followed that up with four straight unanswered goals from four different goal scorers in the first and second periods to give themselves a 4-1 advantage.
The Catamounts tried to battle back with a goal from Massimo Lombardi, cutting the deficit down to 4-2 about seven minutes into the second period. Mark Hiller would respond with Merrimack’s fifth goal of the game, but first-year forward Matteo Michels would tally back-to-back goals to keep Vermont within one goal at 5-4 in the third period. Wiedler was proud of Michels’ effort and happy to see him earn his first and second career college goals in the same game.
“This kid is a chance machine,” Wiedler said. “He can fly, he’s starting to figure it out. He’s been a guy that has just been creating chance after chance and not finishing the breakaway. I’m happy for the kid because he puts in the work and he’s only going to grow and get bigger and stronger for us.”
Despite Vermont winning the shot battle 37-22, Max Lundgren stood on his head for Merrimack and only allowed four goals from the Catamount offense. Wiedler was still proud of his team’s effort to battle back and keep the game close, sensing some maturity and growth in his team. They were shut out by Army West Point 3-0 on Saturday, Dec. 13, before they started their holiday break.
“I have to give the guys that were on the ice and on the bench credit for what they did,” he said. “They didn’t go into hero mode, they didn’t try to do it by themselves, they really stayed together as a team and picked each other up. Tonight showed there is a feel that this team could make noise.”
Vermont will try to get its first win in its latest homestand on Saturday, Jan. 3, against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute right back at Gutterson Fieldhouse. Puck drop for this contest is at 7 p.m.
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