The Spire

Ben Lepper ‘25

Chief Sports Editor

I’ve been keeping a close eye on the Women’s Hockey team lately. Something wasn’t quite right over the past several years; it’s been a tough transition from D3 to D1, and even though the caliber of players coming to the program had improved, the play hadn’t. A combined 19 wins through head coach Katie Lachapelle’s first four seasons exemplified that. And yet, this season, her Crusaders have been one of the most fun teams to watch on campus. 

So, what happened? They stayed the course, and it’s worked in their favor.

It’s clear that Holy Cross weren’t worried about Lachapelle, as she’s been signed to a contract extension, and at the moment, it appears as if their decision paid off. The youth has developed into an exciting core of players that will wreak havoc in the Hart for years to come – sophomores Alexis Perry, Alexia Moreau, and Lane Lewis are all off to blistering starts. Team defense has been outstanding as a whole, with sophomores Casey Borgiel and Taylor Cantelon hitting their stride. And, when looking at the first-years, the future’s even brighter: Reaghan Chadwick, Lulu Rourke, Manny Gendron, and Emily Crovo have all seen significant playing time, with Chadwick being one of the team’s leading scorers.

The upperclassmen have continued to develop, too. Senior Millie Sirum rounds out a terrifying first line, juniors Emilie Fortunato and Carmen Elliott provide sturdy defense, and captains Bryn Saarela and Lilly Feeney have this group of girls working as a well-oiled machine. But the most impressive upperclassman at the moment is senior goalie Madison Beck, who transforms into a brick wall every time she enters the crease. A save percentage of .944 through six games is, quite simply, absurd.

I don’t have time to name each and every player on this team and explain how they’ve improved coming into this year, but you can just see it on the ice: every single player is better this year than they were last year. Obviously, this wouldn’t matter if they weren’t getting results on the scoreboard. Luckily, they are.

Through 8 games, the Crusaders are a very good 2-5-1. For context, three of those losses were in overtime, and the other two were competitive, close contests against #13 Northeastern and Boston College. That one tie came against Boston College as well, but they were awarded two points thanks to Carmen Elliott’s winning goal in the shootout. (Still not sure why they didn’t just award them a win for that game, but alright.)

Both of their wins have come in overtime, from goals by Millie Sirum against Brown and Alexis Perry against Northeastern. This is a team that plays their opponents tough. They’ve needed more than 60 minutes in 6 of their 8 games this year, and considering they play in the murderer’s row known as Hockey East, that’s quite impressive considering where they were a year ago.

But, of course, in hockey, the stats only mean so much. Often, what is important is the eye test. If a team looks the part on the ice, then they probably are. I can say, with 100% certainty, that this team passes the eye test with flying colors. They’ve hung with the top of Hockey East and kept pace with every single opponent they’ve played. They are light years ahead of how they looked just a season ago. And, most importantly, they are a fun team. In the world of sports, there is nothing more fun to watch than a competitive hockey game, and each and every game that Lachapelle’s girls play is a hard-fought battle up until the final whistle.

So, this is a call to everyone. Go watch this team. Go support them. The breakout is here, after all this time. We’re all witnessing the start of something extremely special with both hockey teams, and while the Men’s team may claim more of the headlines, this Women’s team should not be slept on by anybody. They’ll be back in action at the Hart center against Vermont on Friday, November 3rd. Those stands better be packed.