Vermont delays start of men’s, women’s hockey seasons to Dec. 18 due to increase in state’s COVID-19 cases

Vermont announced Sunday evening that it will delay the start of competition in men’s and women’s hockey and basketball until December 18.

“After discussions with President Garimella and the Vermont Department of Health, it became clear that delaying the start of our seasons was the most responsible course of action,” said UVM director of athletics Jeff Schulman in a statement. “Our state is obviously seeing a significant increase in COVID-19 cases and it’s important that our programs are operating in a manner that is consistent with guidance from state officials. I certainly feel for our student-athletes, coaches and staff who have been following strict protocols in preparing for a return to competition.

“Moving forward, we will make every effort to play out our competitive schedules while always prioritizing the health and well-being of our student-athletes, as well as that of our campus and community.”

The Catamounts men’s team was slated to host UConn Nov. 20-21, while the women’s team was scheduled to open its season on the road against UConn Nov. 20-21.