Holy Cross Crusaders men's ice hockey | |
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Current season | |
University | College of the Holy Cross |
Conference | AHA NCAA Division I Division |
Head coach | Bill Riga 4th season, 50–58–9 (.466) |
Assistant coaches |
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Arena | Hart Center Worcester, Massachusetts |
Colors | Royal purple [1] |
NCAA Tournament appearances | |
2004, 2006 | |
Conference Tournament championships | |
1999, 2004, 2006 | |
Conference regular season championships | |
2003–04, 2005-06 | |
Current uniform | |
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]
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]
The Crusaders have appeared in the NCAA tournament two times. Their combined record is 1–2.
Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Results |
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2004 | #4 | West Regional semifinal | #1 North Dakota | L 3-0 |
2006 | #4 | West Regional semifinal West Regional Final | #1 Minnesota #2 North Dakota | W 4-3 (OT) L 5-2 |
As of completion of 2023–24 season
Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
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2021–Present | Bill Riga | 3 | 50–58–9 | .466 |
2014–2021 | David Berard | 7 | 84–116–34 | .432 |
1994–1996, 1997–2014 | Paul Pearl | 19 | 297–293–69 | .503 |
1988–1994 | Bill Bellerose | 6 | 61–99–3 | .383 |
1979–1988, 1996–1997 | Peter Van Buskirk | 10 | 167–146–8 | .533 |
1976–1979 | Mike Addesa | 3 | 49–31–1 | .611 |
1966–1976 | Bill Kane | 10 | 122–104–2 | .539 |
Totals | 7 coaches | 58 seasons | 830–847–126 | .495 |
AHCA Second Team All-Americans
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Tournament Most Valuable Player
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| Individual Sportsmanship Award
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Regular Season Goaltending Award
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| Most Valuable Player in Tournament
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First Team All-Atlantic Hockey
Second Team All-Atlantic Hockey
Third Team All-Atlantic Hockey
Atlantic Hockey All-Rookie Team
Source: [7]
Player | Years | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
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Joe Lunny | 1982–1986 | 103 | 116 | 219 | ||
Jerry DeLeo | 1982–1986 | 101 | 117 | 218 | ||
Larry Murphy | 1966–1970 | 119 | 88 | 207 | ||
Matt Muniz | 1982–1986 | 87 | 120 | 207 | ||
Glenn Graves | 1973–1977 | 75 | 122 | 197 | ||
Gerry Curley | 1977–1981 | 93 | 98 | 191 | ||
Bill Butler | 1966–1969 | 91 | 89 | 180 | ||
Bill Bellerose | 1973–1977 | 71 | 81 | 152 | ||
James Sixsmith | 2003–2007 | 142 | 48 | 104 | 152 | |
John Powell | 1977–1981 | 147 |
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
Player | Years | GP | Min | W | L | T | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jason Grande | 2022–2024 | 42 | 2413 | 25 | 13 | 3 | 87 | 2 | .920 | 2.16 |
Tony Quesada | 2002–2006 | 105 | 6034 | 61 | 33 | 8 | 251 | 7 | .915 | 2.50 |
Paul Berrafato | 2014–2018 | 114 | 6677 | 46 | 47 | 19 | 281 | 11 | .911 | 2.51 |
Matt Ginn | 2011–2015 | 129 | 7759 | 59 | 55 | 13 | 324 | 8 | .917 | 2.51 |
Scott Simpson | 1995–1999 | 38 | 1960 | 21 | 10 | 2 | 82 | 2 | .903 | 2.51 |
Statistics current through the end of the 2023–24 season.
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]
As of September 14, 2023. [9]
No. | S/P/C | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
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1 | Louden Hogg | Sophomore | G | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | 2002-10-18 | Cheyenne, Wyoming | Fargo ( USHL ) | — | |
2 | Jack Robilotti ( A ) | Senior | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2001-07-18 | New York, New York | Fargo ( USHL ) | — | |
3 | Brody Gagno | Freshman | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2002-07-29 | South Surrey, British Columbia | Surrey ( BCHL ) | — | |
4 | Jake Higgins ( A ) | Senior | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 2001-06-09 | Hingham, Massachusetts | Deerfield ( USHS–MA ) | — | |
5 | Will Troutwine | Freshman | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | 2002-06-23 | Eveleth, Minnesota | Janesville ( NAHL ) | — | |
8 | Charlie Spence | Sophomore | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002-03-18 | Medfield, Massachusetts | Boston Jr. Bruins (NCDC) | — | |
10 | Liam McLinskey | Junior | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 2001-02-20 | Pearl River, New York | Quinnipiac ( ECAC ) | — | |
12 | Matt Guerra | Senior | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 1999-05-21 | Orlando, Florida | Robert Morris ( AHA ) | — | |
13 | Will Elias | Freshman | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2003-01-28 | Weston, Massachusetts | Cowichan Valley ( BCHL ) | — | |
14 | Matt Shatsky | Junior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2001-04-29 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Sherwood Park ( AJHL ) | — | |
15 | Jack Ricketts ( C ) | Senior | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 1999-09-08 | Oakville, Ontario | Oakville ( OJHL ) | — | |
17 | Matt DeBoer | Sophomore | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002-09-02 | Las Vegas, Nevada | Green Bay ( USHL ) | — | |
18 | Ty Gagno | Freshman | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2003-10-01 | Langley, British Columbia | Prince George ( BCHL ) | — | |
19 | Jack Stockfish | Freshman | F | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | 2002-09-30 | North Bay, Ontario | Prince George ( BCHL ) | — | |
20 | Devin Phillips | Sophomore | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2001-07-12 | Raleigh, North Carolina | Brooks ( AJHL ) | — | |
21 | Alec Cicero | Senior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2001-03-09 | Williamsville, New York | Buffalo ( OJHL ) | — | |
22 | Lucas Thorne | Senior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1999-03-05 | Dunnville, Ontario | Bonnyville ( AJHL ) | — | |
24 | John Gelatt | Junior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2001-04-29 | Middletown, New Jersey | Johnstown ( NAHL ) | — | |
27 | Mack Oliphant | Sophomore | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2002-12-28 | Northbrook, Illinois | Johnstown ( NAHL ) | — | |
28 | Jack Seymour | Sophomore | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | 2001-04-06 | Chelsea, Quebec | Chilliwack ( BCHL ) | — | |
29 | Conner Welsh | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2004-01-02 | Greenwich, Connecticut | Vernon ( BCHL ) | — | |
30 | Jason Grande | Sophomore | G | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 1999-02-07 | West Chester, Pennsylvania | Bentley ( AHA ) | — | |
33 | Thomas Gale | Junior | G | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2000-06-10 | Kirkland, Quebec | P. A. L. (NCDC) | — | |
34 | Joe Solimine | Sophomore | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 2002-03-03 | Middleton, Massachusetts | Boston Jr. Bruins ( NCDC ) | — | |
37 | Nic Petruolo | Junior (RS) | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2000-01-29 | Neshanic Station, New Jersey | Union ( ECAC ) | — | |
39 | Tyler Ghirardosi ( A ) | Senior | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1999-10-01 | Montrose, British Columbia | Quinnipiac ( ECAC ) | — | |
40 | Michael Hodge | Junior | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 157 lb (71 kg) | 2000-05-30 | Calgary, Alberta | Union ( ECAC ) | — | |
As of July 1, 2023.
Source: [10] Related Research ArticlesThe Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA) is an NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates primarily in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference. Unlike several other college athletic conferences, Atlantic Hockey has no women's division, though it shares some organizational and administrative roles with the women's-only College Hockey America (CHA). The Holy Cross Crusaders are the athletic teams representing the College of the Holy Cross. They compete in NCAA Division I, primarily as members of the Patriot League. In ice hockey, a sport not sponsored by the Patriot League for either sex, the Crusaders are members of two other leagues, with men competing in the Atlantic Hockey Association and women in Hockey East. The men's rowing team is part of the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges. Of its 25 varsity teams, Holy Cross supports 12 men's and 13 women's sports, giving Holy Cross the largest ratio of teams-per-enrollment in the country. Holy Cross's athletic teams for both men and women are known as the Crusaders. The Cornell Big Red men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents Cornell University. Cornell competes in the ECAC Hockey conference and plays its home games at Lynah Rink in Ithaca, New York. Six of the eight Ivy League schools sponsor men's hockey and all six teams play in the 12-team ECAC. The Ivy League crowns a champion based on the results of the games played between its members during the ECAC season. The Army Black Knights men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents the United States Military Academy. The Black Knights are a member of Atlantic Hockey and play at the Tate Rink in West Point, New York. The RPI Engineers men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). The Engineers are a member of ECAC Hockey (ECACH). They play at the Houston Field House in Troy, New York. The Quinnipiac Bobcats men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents Quinnipiac University. The Bobcats are a member of ECAC Hockey. They play at the M&T Bank Arena in Hamden, Connecticut. The Sacred Heart Pioneers men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents Sacred Heart University. The Pioneers are a member of Atlantic Hockey. They play at the Martire Family Arena in Fairfield, Connecticut. From 1993-2016, the Pioneers home arena was the Milford Ice Pavilion in Milford, Connecticut. The Mercyhurst Lakers men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association hockey team that represents Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania under Head Coach Rick Gotkin. The team is currently a Division I hockey team playing out of the Mercyhurst Ice Center located on the school campus. The Mercyhurst Lakers started out as a club sport at the school, moving up to Division III, followed by Division II, and now plays Division I in the Atlantic Hockey Association conference. After joining their step up into Division I in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in 1998, the Lakers have won their conference tournament making NCAA tournament appearances in 2001, 2003, and 2005. The UConn Huskies men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents the University of Connecticut. The Huskies are a member of the Hockey East conference. The Huskies play in the on-campus Toscano Family Ice Forum, having moved from the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut during the 2022–23 season. The Canisius Golden Griffins men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents Canisius College. The Golden Griffins are a member of Atlantic Hockey. They play at the LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo, New York across the street from KeyBank Center, home of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. Canisius has won an automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament twice, after winning the Atlantic Hockey title in the conference playoffs in both 2013 and 2023, but lost in the first round to the top-ranked team each time. The American International Yellow Jackets men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents the American International College. The Yellow Jackets are a member of Atlantic Hockey. They play at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Providence Friars men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents Providence College. The Friars are a member of Hockey East. The skating Friars are currently coached by Nate Leaman has been the head coach of the skating Friars since 2011, leading them to a national championship in 2015. They play at the 3,030-seat Schneider Arena in Providence, Rhode Island. The 2006 AHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was the 3rd Atlantic Hockey Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. It was played between March 11 and March 18, 2006. Opening round games were played at home team campus sites, while the semifinals and championship games were played at the Holy Cross home venue: Hart Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. By winning the tournament, Holy Cross received the Atlantic Hockey Association's automatic bid to the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. This was the final year in which the AHA championship game was played at a non-neutral site. The 1998–99 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 3, 1998, and concluded with the 1999 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game on April 3, 1999, at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim in Anaheim, California. This was the 52nd season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held and is the 105th year overall where an NCAA school fielded a team. The 2002 MAAC Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was the 4th championship in the history of the conference. It was played between March 9 and March 16, 2002. Quarterfinal games were played at home team campus sites, while the final four games were played at the Hart Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, the home venue of the Holy Cross Crusaders. By winning the tournament Quinnipiac received MAAC's automatic bid to the 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament, their first appearance in the tournament. The 2003 MAAC Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was the 5th and final championship in the history of the conference. It was played between March 15 and March 23, 2003. Quarterfinal games were played at home team campus sites, while the final four games were played at the Hart Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, the home venue of the Army Black Knights. By winning the tournament Mercyhurst received MAAC's automatic bid to the 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament. Paul Pearl is an American ice hockey coach and former player. He was previously the associate head coach for Boston University, having also served as head coach for Holy Cross for 19 seasons. The 2021 Atlantic Hockey Tournament was the 17th edition of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament. It was played between March 8 and March 20, 2021 entirely at home campus locations. On March 5, 2021, Holy Cross withdrew from the tournament due to a positive COVID test. This resulted in Sacred Heart receiving a bye into the quarterfinal round. First Round and Quarterfinal games took place at home venues while Semifinal a Championship games were held at the MassMutual Center, the home of American International. By winning the tournament, American International earned Atlantic Hockey's automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. The 2022–23 Holy Cross Crusaders men's ice hockey season was the 57th season of play for the program, the 25th at the Division I level, and the 20th in the Atlantic Hockey conference. The Crusaders represented the College of the Holy Cross and were coached by Bill Riga, in his 2nd season. The 2023–24 Holy Cross Crusaders men's ice hockey season was the 58th season of play for the program, the 26th at the Division I level and the 21st in Atlantic Hockey. The Crusaders represented the College of the Holy Cross, played their home games at the Hart Center and were coached by Bill Riga in his 3rd season. References
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