Holy Cross Crusaders men's ice hockey

Last updated
Holy Cross Crusaders men's ice hockey
Hockey current event.svg Current season
Holy Cross Athletics logo.svg
University College of the Holy Cross
Conference AHA
NCAA Division I Division
Head coach Bill Riga
4th season, 50589 (.466)
Assistant coaches
  • Castan Sommer
  • Drew Michals
  • Connor Mauro
Arena Hart Center
Worcester, Massachusetts
ColorsRoyal purple [1]
 
NCAA Tournament appearances
2004, 2006
Conference Tournament championships
1999, 2004, 2006
Conference regular season championships
2003–04, 2005-06
Current uniform
AHA-Uniform-CHC.png

The Holy Cross Crusaders men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents the College of the Holy Cross. The Crusaders are a member of the Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA). They play at the Hart Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. [2]

Contents

History

Holy Cross men's ice hockey began in 1966 and a year later it joined ECAC 2. The Crusaders played in the second tier of college ice hockey for ten years before they played their first playoff game, but once they made it they didn't go very far. Over a six year period Holy Cross wen 2–5 in the conference postseason and never really got close to an NCAA tournament berth. When Division II ice hockey was abandoned in 1984 Holy Cross dropped down to Division III and was placed in ECAC East when ECAC 2 split. They made the ECAC tournament three out of four years under Peter Van Buskirk but couldn't manage a win. The team went through a down period under Bill Bellerose for six seasons but started winning again when Paul Pearl became head coach in 1994. After recording their best season in fifteen years Holy Cross promoted its program to Division I and joined the MAAC in 1998–99. [3]

In their first year of D–I play Holy Cross won its first Conference Tournament, winning the inaugural MAAC Championship. Unfortunately, because the NCAA did not offer the MAAC an automatic bid at that time the Crusaders did not make the NCAA tournament. The next season Holy Cross dropped to seventh in the conference and lost 24 games over the course of the season (a program worst). After missing out on the conference tournament the next season Holy Cross returned to the playoffs for the final two years of the MAAC's existence before joining with all former MAAC programs in founding Atlantic Hockey.

Similar to their start with the MAAC, Holy Cross produced a great season, winning 22 games, and were able to win their first conference title. They then swept through the Atlantic Hockey playoffs and captured their second tournament championship, though this time they received a berth into the NCAA tournament for the first time. Though their national championship experience was brief the Crusaders continued to play well and returned to the Championship in 2006 after winning both conference crowns. The met #2 overall seeded Minnesota in the first round and pushed the heavily favored Golden Gophers into overtime where Tyler McGregor scored 53 seconds in, winning what is usually noted as the biggest upset in tournament history. [4]

Holy Cross would decline after their miraculous 2006 season, posting losing records for four consecutive years, but the program began to recover in the second decade of the 20th century. Paul Pearl resigned in 2014 and was replaced by David Berard who saw middling regular season results.

In the 2022-2023 regular season Holy Cross won their first Atlantic Hockey playoff round since the 2006 season against American International College. They would later upset Rochester Institute of Technology in the semifinals of the tournament but lose in the championship to Canisius. [5]


Season-by-season results

Source: [6]

Postseason

NCAA tournament results

The Crusaders have appeared in the NCAA tournament two times. Their combined record is 1–2.

YearSeedRoundOpponentResults
2004 #4West Regional semifinal#1 North DakotaL 3-0
2006 #4West Regional semifinal
West Regional Final
#1 Minnesota
#2 North Dakota
W 4-3 (OT)
L 5-2

Coaches

Bill Riga Holy Cross hockey coach Bill Riga.jpg
Bill Riga

As of completion of 2023–24 season

TenureCoachYearsRecordPct.
2021–Present Bill Riga 350–58–9.466
2014–2021 David Berard 784–116–34.432
1994–1996, 1997–2014 Paul Pearl 19297–293–69.503
1988–1994 Bill Bellerose 661–99–3.383
1979–1988, 1996–1997 Peter Van Buskirk 10167–146–8.533
1976–1979 Mike Addesa 349–31–1.611
1966–1976 Bill Kane 10122–104–2.539
Totals7 coaches58 seasons830–847–126.495

Awards and honors

NCAA

Individual Awards

Division I All-Americans

AHCA Second Team All-Americans

MAAC

Individual awards

Tournament Most Valuable Player

All-Conference teams

First Team All-MAAC

Second Team All-MAAC

MAAC All-Rookie Team

Atlantic Hockey

Individual awards

All-Conference teams

First Team All-Atlantic Hockey

Second Team All-Atlantic Hockey

Third Team All-Atlantic Hockey

Atlantic Hockey All-Rookie Team

Statistical leaders

Source: [7]

Career points leaders

PlayerYearsGPGAPtsPIM
Joe Lunny 1982–1986103116219
Jerry DeLeo 1982–1986101117218
Larry Murphy 1966–197011988207
Matt Muniz 1982–198687120207
Glenn Graves 1973–197775122197
Gerry Curley 1977–19819398191
Bill Butler 1966–19699189180
Bill Bellerose 1973–19777181152
James Sixsmith 2003–200714248104152
John Powell 1977–1981147

Career goaltending leaders

GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average

Minimum 30 games

PlayerYearsGPMinWLTGASOSV%GAA
Jason Grande 2022–202442241325133872.9202.16
Tony Quesada 2002–20061056034613382517.9152.50
Paul Berrafato 2014–2018114667746471928111.9112.51
Matt Ginn 2011–201512977595955133248.9172.51
Scott Simpson 1995–199938196021102822.9032.51

Statistics current through the end of the 2023–24 season.

Holy Cross Varsity Club Hall of Fame

The following is a list of people associated with the Holy Cross men's ice hockey program who were elected into the Holy Cross Varsity Club Hall of Fame (induction date in parentheses). [8]

Current roster

As of September 14, 2023. [9]

No. S/P/CPlayerClassPosHeightWeightDoBHometownPrevious teamNHL rights
1 Flag of Wyoming.svg Louden HoggSophomore G 5' 11" (1.8 m)160 lb (73 kg)2002-10-18 Cheyenne, Wyoming Fargo  ( USHL )
2 Flag of New York.svg Jack Robilotti ( A )Senior D 6' 3" (1.91 m)195 lb (88 kg)2001-07-18 New York, New York Fargo  ( USHL )
3 Flag of British Columbia.svg Brody GagnoFreshman D 6' 1" (1.85 m)190 lb (86 kg)2002-07-29 South Surrey, British Columbia Surrey  ( BCHL )
4 Flag of Massachusetts.svg Jake Higgins ( A )Senior D 6' 2" (1.88 m)205 lb (93 kg)2001-06-09 Hingham, Massachusetts Deerfield  ( USHS–MA )
5 Flag of Minnesota.svg Will TroutwineFreshman D 6' 3" (1.91 m)215 lb (98 kg)2002-06-23 Eveleth, Minnesota Janesville  ( NAHL )
8 Flag of Massachusetts.svg Charlie SpenceSophomore D 6' 0" (1.83 m)185 lb (84 kg)2002-03-18 Medfield, Massachusetts Boston Jr. Bruins  (NCDC)
10 Flag of New York.svg Liam McLinskeyJunior F 6' 3" (1.91 m)165 lb (75 kg)2001-02-20 Pearl River, New York Quinnipiac  ( ECAC )
12 Flag of Florida.svg Matt GuerraSenior F 5' 8" (1.73 m)165 lb (75 kg)1999-05-21 Orlando, Florida Robert Morris  ( AHA )
13 Flag of Massachusetts.svg Will EliasFreshman D 6' 0" (1.83 m)180 lb (82 kg)2003-01-28 Weston, Massachusetts Cowichan Valley  ( BCHL )
14 Flag of Manitoba.svg Matt ShatskyJunior D 6' 0" (1.83 m)180 lb (82 kg)2001-04-29 Winnipeg, Manitoba Sherwood Park  ( AJHL )
15 Flag of Ontario.svg Jack Ricketts ( C )Senior F 6' 1" (1.85 m)195 lb (88 kg)1999-09-08 Oakville, Ontario Oakville  ( OJHL )
17 Flag of Nevada.svg Matt DeBoerSophomore F 6' 0" (1.83 m)185 lb (84 kg)2002-09-02 Las Vegas, Nevada Green Bay  ( USHL )
18 Flag of British Columbia.svg Ty GagnoFreshman F 6' 2" (1.88 m)185 lb (84 kg)2003-10-01 Langley, British Columbia Prince George  ( BCHL )
19 Flag of Ontario.svg Jack StockfishFreshman F 6' 4" (1.93 m)215 lb (98 kg)2002-09-30 North Bay, Ontario Prince George  ( BCHL )
20 Flag of North Carolina.svg Devin PhillipsSophomore F 5' 9" (1.75 m)170 lb (77 kg)2001-07-12 Raleigh, North Carolina Brooks  ( AJHL )
21 Flag of New York.svg Alec CiceroSenior F 5' 10" (1.78 m)180 lb (82 kg)2001-03-09 Williamsville, New York Buffalo  ( OJHL )
22 Flag of Ontario.svg Lucas ThorneSenior F 6' 0" (1.83 m)185 lb (84 kg)1999-03-05 Dunnville, Ontario Bonnyville  ( AJHL )
24 Flag of New Jersey.svg John GelattJunior F 5' 11" (1.8 m)195 lb (88 kg)2001-04-29 Middletown, New Jersey Johnstown  ( NAHL )
27 Flag of Illinois.svg Mack OliphantSophomore D 6' 3" (1.91 m)195 lb (88 kg)2002-12-28 Northbrook, Illinois Johnstown  ( NAHL )
28 Flag of Quebec.svg Jack SeymourSophomore F 5' 11" (1.8 m)160 lb (73 kg)2001-04-06 Chelsea, Quebec Chilliwack  ( BCHL )
29 Flag of Connecticut.svg Conner WelshFreshman F 5' 11" (1.8 m)175 lb (79 kg)2004-01-02 Greenwich, Connecticut Vernon  ( BCHL )
30 Flag of Pennsylvania.svg Jason GrandeSophomore G 6' 3" (1.91 m)200 lb (91 kg)1999-02-07 West Chester, Pennsylvania Bentley  ( AHA )
33 Flag of Quebec.svg Thomas GaleJunior G 6' 1" (1.85 m)180 lb (82 kg)2000-06-10 Kirkland, Quebec P. A. L. (NCDC)
34 Flag of Massachusetts.svg Joe SolimineSophomore F 5' 8" (1.73 m)165 lb (75 kg)2002-03-03 Middleton, Massachusetts Boston Jr. Bruins  ( NCDC )
37 Flag of New Jersey.svg Nic PetruoloJunior (RS) D 6' 2" (1.88 m)195 lb (88 kg)2000-01-29 Neshanic Station, New Jersey Union  ( ECAC )
39 Flag of British Columbia.svg Tyler Ghirardosi ( A )Senior F 6' 3" (1.91 m)185 lb (84 kg)1999-10-01 Montrose, British Columbia Quinnipiac  ( ECAC )
40 Flag of Alberta.svg Michael HodgeJunior F 5' 8" (1.73 m)157 lb (71 kg)2000-05-30 Calgary, Alberta Union  ( ECAC )

Crusaders in the NHL

As of July 1, 2023.