Timmy Gleason ‘28
Staff Writer
As the snow subsides and melts due to the increasingly warmer weather, Holy Cross swings its attention onto the spring sports. Baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, and golf are all kicking off their seasons while indoor track, swimming and diving, basketball, and hockey are in the midst and crux of their respective seasons. We will be taking a look specifically at both the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams and how they have fared so early into their 2025-26 campaigns.
The Holy Cross Men’s Lacrosse Team welcomed the Providence Friars (2-1 overall) on the last day of January in the Indoor Practice Facility due to inclement weather conditions. The contest was back-and-forth in the first period, highlighted by the tie score of 5-5. However, the Crusaders were ultimately defeated by the Friars team with a final score of 10-15.
The Crusaders played their next two games away from Mount St. James, one in Farmingdale, New York against Hofstra and the other more local, in North Andover, Massachusetts, against Merrimack.
Holy Cross took on Hofstra University (1-2 overall) almost a week following their opening game and turned out to be victors in double overtime, 9-8. Junior Ryan Botek scored the winner as he was assisted by fellow Junior classmate Sam McDonald.
The Purple-and-White continued their undefeated record on the road when they dominantly took down Merrimack College (1-2 overall), 14-8. A monumental third and fourth period assisted the Crusaders in conquering the Warriors as they scored five consecutive goals to take them out of reach.
Freshman Attackman Aedan Cassidy led the team with five points, a hat trick and two assists, and Senior Attackman/Midfielder Will Messineo backed him up with four points, contributing two goals and two assists. The Crusaders’ latest game was a defeat to Sacred Heart University (3-0 overall) at home on Father K Field.
The Holy Cross Women’s Lacrosse Team began their 2026 season versus another Massachusetts squad, the University of Massachusetts–Amherst (2-1 overall). The Crusaders traveled to Amherst, and were defeated by the Minuteman by a score of 8-17.
The Crusaders followed up that road game with two more home competitions, one against the University of Albany (1-1 overall) and one versus Stonehill College (0-2 overall). The Great Danes of New York bested the Purple-and-White in a tight affair, with more than the majority of the game’s goals being scored in just the first period (seven) and none in the third.
The Holy Cross Women’s Lacrosse Team took the Skyhawks down with ease, winning by 10. The Crusaders scored six goals in both the first and second periods to catapult them to a dub, while Stonehill was held to just five points at the half.
Sophomore Forward Hadley Cepiel netted six goals and two assists for eight total points, including the very first and last goal of the game. Right behind her was Junior Midfielder Annabel Brennan with five points, which was divided into four goals and one assist.
Senior Forward Tory Rider and Junior Midfielder Jenn Price both chipped in with two goals apiece. Junior Forward Kate Avitable led the way on the playmaking side with four assists, three of which came in the first half, when the Crusaders did most of their damage.
The Holy Cross Women’s Lacrosse team played its next game on February 19th in Providence, Rhode Island against Brown University (0-1) at 5:30 p.m. This game was played after articles for the print edition were already formatted.
The Men’s team plays its next game tomorrow, February 21st, at Father K Field against Le Moyne College (0-2 overall) at 1 p.m. On Tuesday, February 24th, the Men’s team heads to Lowell to take on the University of Massachusetts– Lowell River Hawks (1-1 overall) at 4 p.m.
After their Rhode Island trip, the Women’s Holy Cross Lacrosse Team matches up with the Bryant University Bulldogs (1-1 overall) at home in Worcester on Friday, February 27th at 5:30 p.m.
The first Patriot League game will involve the Men’s Holy Cross Lacrosse Team as it takes the trip up to West Point, New York for a date with the #11 nationally ranked Army West Point Black Knights (3-0 overall) on Saturday, February 28th, at 12 p.m.
Featured image courtesy of Holy Cross Athletics
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