Phillips, Abramson Now Eligible for UVM Hockey Team

University of Vermont hockey coach Kevin Sneddon couldn't be receiving a better early Christmas present than he is this week with the additions of defensemen Trey Phillips and Ori Abramson to the active roster. With the first semester over both players are now eligible to compete in games. They could make their UVM debuts as early as Friday night as the Catamounts begin a home-and-home series with St. Lawrence at the Gutterson Field House.

Phillips is a veteran of the Canmore Eagles in the AJHL. A '93, Phillips has played both offense and defense during his junior career, but he is expected to play solely on the blue line at UVM. He's expected to step in and receive plenty of playing time right off the bat.

Abramson, a Toronto, Ontario native, has had a long and arduous journey to playing college hockey. The '93 has played in the OJHL, EJHL and USPHL as well as brief stops at Providence College and BU before leaving those schools without playing a game. Abramson, who spent last season with the Jersey Hitmen, is a puck-moving defender with good vision and size.

The Catamounts, 11-3-1 overall and 7-3-1 in Hockey East, sit just one point out of first place and are the highest ranked league team in the all important Pairwise Rankings. UVM has a two-week break following this weekend's series with St. Lawrence before hosting the annual Catamount Cup with Air Force, Massachusetts and Providence.

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Jeff Cox covers college, junior and high school hockey, NCAA recruiting and NHL Draft prospects. Follow him on Twitter @JeffCoxSports.