Thomas Healy ’28
Staff Writer
The Holy Cross Men’s Ice Hockey team has won seven consecutive games. The shift to Atlantic Hockey conference play has boded well for the Crusaders thus far, finding themselves at the top of the division with 23 points. The team is coming off a sweep of Air Force out in Colorado this past weekend, scoring seven goals in two games against the Falcons.
Junior Goalie Connor MacKenzie stole the show in the leadoff game against Air Force, minding the net with 33 saves with 14 coming in the third period. MacKenzie has been outstanding ever since receiving the starting nod during the Army series. He’s started five of the last seven games, boasting a .921 save percentage and averaging 2.17 goals against–the best numbers of any Saders’ goalie.
It’s a promising story to follow as the team’s 2024-25 campaign reverberates through the walls of the Hart Center. Program recordsetter and 2025 Atlantic Hockey Goalie of the Year Thomas Gale left big skates to fill as he walked across the DCU Center stage in May.
Filling the role of any crucial player is tedious. But a Mike Richter award semifinalist in Thomas Gale? It’s arguably the most important position in hockey and contains a mental element that cultivates a leadership role–even for the guys who don’t wear the Captain’s “C” on their chest. As Canadiens’ legend Jacques Plante remarked, “only a goalie can appreciate what a goalie goes through.”
For Holy Cross, the platoon of Connor MacKenzie, Louden Hogg, and Danick Leroux in front of the net is telling of a team searching for consistency as conference play heats up. With the emergence of MacKenzie as perhaps the everyday starter, the team can focus on balancing out other parts of the roster.
On the offensive side, Junior Jack Stockfish continues to be a steady producer with seven goals on the season–good for third in the AHA. Stockfish could be on his way to his first AHA All-League nod as he leads the Crusader offense.
He certainly has been turning heads nationally, as he was selected to the 2025 U.S. Collegiate Selects team. The Selects team is made up of the top college hockey players in the nation including NHL-drafted players. They will compete in the Spengler Cup from Dec. 26 through Dec. 31 in Switzerland.
Stockfish was the only AHA skater to be selected to the squad of 25. Anytime a Crusader athlete competes on the world stage it’s a noteworthy achievement– and to be competing with the best in all of college hockey is a testament to the excellence of Stockfish and the hockey program at Holy Cross.
Head coach Bill Riga has transformed the program into a conference powerhouse after years of disappointment under the former head coach. Riga has obviously found a philosophy that attracts, producing top class talent from within and luring in players from other programs. To see Stockfish exceed expectations and be handpicked to a team of this caliber is a massive win for Holy Cross hockey.
The Crusaders squared off against Alaska-Anchorage at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20 at the Hart Center and will play in a Sunday matinee on Nov. 23 at 2 p.m.
As we look beyond this weekend, the team will head to Hamden, Conn. to play a Thanksgiving Eve matchup against the #6 ranked Quinnipiac Bobcats. The Crusaders faced the Bobcats on home ice just three weeks ago in a 4-1 loss, although the team showed considerable fight down the stretch.
As the fog starts to settle and we can begin to see what this team can accomplish, it’s imperative we try not to compare the team too much to last year’s squad. While expectations are necessary, they do not provide a team with the right mindset. Having a comparative framework can be beneficial, but only to an extent.
Coach Riga is one of the best hockey minds in the NCAA–he is the reason for that line of students that extended around the Hart Center before the AHA Championship game last season. This year’s team has the potential to not only produce the same culture and fervor, but return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2006.
Featured image courtesy of Holy Cross Athletics
Copy edited by Molly Croft ’29
Leave a Reply