Ben Lepper ’25
Editor-In-Chief
If you haven’t caught a hockey game at the Hart Center yet this year, you are missing out. So far, the 2024-2025 season has been a good one for both Holy Cross Ice Hockey programs.
To start with the men, they began the season a little rocky. After a season-opening loss at #3 Boston University, the team took a while to find its footing. Good wins against UConn and Army were followed up by tough losses against Niagara and Sacred Heart, as well as an absolutely heartbreaking match versus #20/19 UMass Lowell.
Luckily, they’ve finally found their stride. The Crusaders are winners of three straight and currently sitting in fourth in the Atlantic Hockey America standings with 18 points and a 6-4-1 record. This past weekend, they pulled off their most impressive feat of the season: two back-to-back wins against Sacred Heart in which they outscored the Pioneers 10-2.
In their 11/29 matchup, a 6-1 drubbing, several players put up two or more points: Timothy Heinke scored twice and added an assist, Ty Gagno and Liam McLinskey both scored and assisted, and Lachlan Getz, Owen Kim, and Mack Oliphant recorded two assists. The domination continued into the next day, where the Crusaders won again, 4-1. The weekend yielded Atlantic Hockey America weekly honors for three Crusaders: Owen Kim was named Rookie of the Week, Will Elias’ two goal weekend netted him Defenseman of the Week honors, and Thomas Gale, to the surprise of likely nobody, was named the Atlantic Hockey Goaltender of the Week after recording 30+ saves in both games.
It’s been a strong season on the analytical side for the Crusaders. Liam McLinskey leads the team in goals and points (with 10 and 6), while Mack Oliphant leads the team in assists with 12. Transfers Timothy Heinke and Michael Abgrall have been revelations; both have recorded 10 points in the season so far. And, between the pipes, Thomas Gale has started every game and has a .919 save percentage.
The Crusaders will look to continue their strong play this weekend against AHA foe AIC. This will be the last time that the Crusaders face AIC in Atlantic Hockey regular season play, as they will shockingly drop down to Division 2 next season. That, combined with the fact that AIC knocked Holy Cross out of the AHA playoffs last season, will certainly set the stage for a competitive, entertaining weekend of hockey. Both games will be played in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Dec. 6 and Dec. 7, and puck drop for both games will be at 1 PM.
Switching gears to the women, expectations for the season were high after the Crusaders won their first Hockey East playoff game in program history. It’s safe to say that they’re meeting them this year, as this is the strongest the Holy Cross Women’s Hockey team has looked in four years. They currently sit in ninth with 8 points and a 2-6-1 record, but are right behind Maine, Vermont, and Providence. They are certainly playing better than their record indicates, and have not been convincingly beaten by a Hockey East opponent since a 5-1 loss to Boston College on Oct. 12.
This past weekend was very up-and-down for them; on Saturday, they defeated Assumption 6-0, a game that saw junior Charlotte Sonntag record the program’s first hat trick since their move to Hockey East. The feat netted her Crusader of the Week honors. Then, on Sunday, they were defeated by Brown 4-1.
This season, sophomore Emily Crovo is leading the team in points, goals, and assists. The scoring has been mostly spread out amongst the entire roster; every player on the team who has appeared in 10 or more games has recorded at least one point. Defensively, senior Emma Min has been leading the charge with 41 blocked shots. And, in net, both Abby Hornung and Brooke Loranger have been outstanding: Hornung has a .943 save percentage while Loranger has a .912.
The Crusaders will take on Boston College at the Hart Center on Friday, Dec. 6, and will then travel to Merrimack on Saturday, Dec. 7 before their winter break begins. Make sure to come out and support!
Featured image courtesy of Holy Cross Athletics
Copy Edited by Sophia Mariani ’26
Web Edited by Zexuan Qu ’28
Leave a Reply