The Spire

Ben Lepper ’25

Chief Sports Editor

This past weekend, the Holy Cross Women’s Hockey team played two straight games at the Hart Center against two tough Hockey East foes – the Providence Friars on Friday and the #11 UConn Huskies on Saturday.

Providence, the alma mater of head coach Katie Lachapelle, entered the Hart Center knowing that they had never lost to the Crusaders in their entire 18-matchup history. However, they also entered knowing that getting win #19 wouldn’t be easy. Friars head coach Matt Kelly said in an interview a day before the game that he had never seen so much parity in Hockey East, as each and every team is a legitimately good team this season. So, they couldn’t imagine writing off the 10th place Crusaders, as it seems like everyone is able to recognize that they are much better than their record says they are.

The game started off with Providence essentially setting up shop in the Crusaders’ offensive zone. They had chance after chance at scoring, but miscommunications, whiffs, and overall sloppy play kept them off the scoresheet. Eventually, junior Madison Michals, a forward who has transitioned to defense due to injuries, capitalized on one of these mistakes, clearing a puck out of the zone and eventually setting up her own goal. After the first period, the Crusaders led, 1-0.

The game then transitioned into a defensive slugfest. Providence and Holy Cross both tried their hardest to score, but couldn’t get past each team’s defense. Credit must be given to goalies Hope Walinski and Madison Beck, who both played phenomenal games. There would be no scoring until midway through the third, when Friar captain Lauren DeBlois scored on a shot from the blue line, tying the game. Nobody would be able to score before the end of regulation.

In overtime, the Crusaders faced serious adversity after giving up a penalty in the first minute. However, the defense kept the game alive, blocking every shot sent their way in a textbook display of 4-on-3. In total, the Friars had over 60 shots, and still only managed to get one past the stout Crusader defense. After the game, coach Lachapelle would say that the defense “really dialed in” and that the game was a showcase of “the kind of hockey we like to play.”

Neither team could score in overtime, officially marking the game as a tie, which brought Providence’s winning streak to an end. Both teams would then compete in the (semi-meaningless) shootout for an extra point in Hockey East, and the Crusaders would come in the clutch. Millie Sirum and Bryn Saarela both scored, while Beck stopped every shot coming her way, leading to what felt like a victory for a Crusaders team who have been facing boatloads of adversity lately. They entered this game with only 17 skaters compared to the usual 19, only three centers, and several players put into positions they weren’t quite used to. And yet, they played more than the full 60 minutes, and defeated the team that coach Lachapelle described as “lurking for our program.”

The next night was Senior Night, in which all six of Holy Cross’ graduating seniors were celebrated: captains Lilly Feeney and Bryn Saarela, goaltender Madison Beck, forward Millie Sirum, defenseman Vaia Graves, and defenseman Grace Johnson, whose season ended prematurely due to a lower-body injury. The team also recognized field hockey’s own Sarah Potter, who joined the team mid-season as an emergency backup goaltender due to injuries. And, in a very touching ceremony, the team played the national anthems of every senior’s home country, including the Norwegian national anthem for Sirum.

Unfortunately for the Crusaders, the injuries and fatigue would glare their ugly heads during Saturday’s game. While Sirum would score, the Huskies high-powered offense was just too much for the Crusaders, and UConn would win 5-1. The Crusaders did hang tough with one of the best teams in the country for a bit, but entirely ran out of juice. Luckily, they will have plenty of time to rest up before their next contests.

The Crusaders have two more weekends of play left before they do battle in the Hockey East tournament, where anything is possible. They will have just played UNH at the Hart Center the day before this article will be published, and will face off against Maine in a back-to-back homestand next weekend.