Injury Bug Hits Vermont With Trip to North Dakota on Horizon

The University of Vermont hockey team will be without its third leading scorer from last season for the entire 2013-14 campaign. Junior Kyle Reynolds will be out the remainder of the season after suffering a severe knee injury in Saturday's exhibition victory over the University of Ottawa. Reynolds, a Sylvan Lake, Alberta native, had nine goals and 11 assists last year.

Last year's leading scorer Chris McCarthy was injured on the same play in that game, but that's considered less serious. The Catamounts were already undermanned heading into the exhibition weekend with minor injuries keeping sophomore goaltender Brody Hoffman and junior forward Jake Fallon out of the lineup.

According to Ted Ryan of the Burlington Free Press, Hoffman is out this weekend while Fallon's status is questionable. Fallon, a junior who transferred from Michigan, was in a protective boot for much of September with a left foot ailment. Freshman Michael Santaguida is expected to get the start between the pipes.

Vermont heads to Grand Forks to face North Dakota for a pair this weekend. Kevin Sneddon's Catamounts were picked to finish 9th in Hockey East by the coaches and the media in separate preseason polls.

Jeff Cox covers college and junior hockey, NCAA recruiting, NHL Draft prospects and the AHL for SBNation. Follow him on twitter @JeffCoxSBNation.