By Jim Wrobel
Speical to GoHolyCross.com
The 2016-2017 Holy Cross men's hockey team is ready to embark on its pursuit for its third Atlantic Hockey championship and third NCAA Tournament appearance. With 18 players from last season returning (18-13-5, 16-7-5 AHC), including their top five scorers and starting goaltender, the Crusaders are set to compete for a championship. The Crusaders' 16 conference victories last year were the most since the 2005-2006, season and their second place finish was also their best in Atlantic Hockey since 2005-2006. With the Crusaders hosting their most prestigious schedule in program history this is sure to be an exciting season for Worcester's hockey team!
VIDEO PREVIEW
Go here to watch a preview of the season
CRUSADERS TO PLAY NATIONAL POWERS
The Crusaders will play their most competitive schedule in school history as they will battle against four teams that advanced to the 2016 NCAA Tournament (No. 5 Boston College, No. 9 Notre Dame, No. 10 Providence and RIT). Holy Cross will also face either No. 18 Yale or Clarkson in the second game of the Shillelagh Tournament at Notre Dame. If the Crusaders play Yale it will mark the fifth team from the 2016 NCAA Tournament in addition to four of the last five national champions that Holy Cross will play in the 2016-2017 season. The Crusaders will host Providence (Oct. 15) and Boston College (Oct. 22) at the DCU Center and Brown (Oct. 28) and Union (Nov. 1) at the Hart Center.
“Our philosophy is to play the most challenging non-league schedule that we can each year,” said third-year Holy Cross head coach David Berard. “We are fortunate to host three of the past five national champions at home, which is unprecedented in the history of our program. We believe that playing top level teams prepares us well in our quest for an Atlantic Hockey championship. As our program continues to evolve it is important for us to measure ourselves against the top competition in college hockey.
STRONG DEFENSE
Over the last two years a major strength of the team has been the defense. In the 2014-2015 season, the Crusaders set a school record by allowing only 87 goals. Last year, Holy Cross' 2.11 goals allowed per game in conference action led the league and were the least amount of goals per game the Crusaders have allowed in the 13 years of Atlantic Hockey. Junior goalie Paul Berrafato returns after a season in which he posted a 2.17 goals against average which was second all-time in the school's Division I history. The Crusaders return four defensemen and have added four freshmen to the defense.
“Playing strong team defense is at the core of our identity as a team,” said Berard. “We understand how important defense is to winning. We want to play fast and be tough to play against.”
SURGING OFFENSE
The Crusaders took major strides offensively last year as they scored 109 goals as compared to their 84 the previous season. Returning its top five goal scorers, Holy Cross is expected to continue to increase its goal total.
“We look to continue to improve offensively,” said Berard. “We scored a lot more goals last year than the season before. The next step for us is to score in crucial situations. We have made some positive adjustments for this year.”
LEADERSHIP
The 2016-2017 Crusaders will be led by junior captain Brett Mulcahy, senior assistant captain Mike Barrett and junior assistant Tommy Muratore. “Our captains set the tone,” said Berard. “They lead by example, but they take it to the next level by influencing their teammates to play at the highest level. The transition of the nine freshmen has been very smooth because of the leadership of the captains.”
STRENGTH OF THE TEAM
A key to the Crusaders' success this season will be their ability to be consistent in all aspects of the game. Last year, Holy Cross was first in Atlantic Hockey games with a 2.11 goals against average and third with 3.18 goals scored per game. Nationally the team ranked 17th with 3.03 goals scored per game and was tied for 20th with 2.50 goals allowed per game.
“Our strength is that we are well balanced,” said Berard. “Our goal is to be ranked in the top 15 in both team offense and defense. We also want to have strong special teams.”
BE PART OF THE ACTION THIS SEASON
To purchase tickets for the 2016-2017 Holy Cross men's hockey season, call 1-844-GOCROSS or visit GoHolyCross.com/Tickets. Don't miss the Crusaders take on No. 10 Providence (Oct. 15) and No. 5 Boston College (Oct. 22) at the DCU Center!
CRUSADERS PICKED THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL
Holy Cross was selected third in the Atlantic Hockey Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Crusaders received 72 total points and one first-place vote. 2015-2016 AHC Tournament champion RIT was picked as the overall favorite with 95 total points and eight first-place votes. Air Force was second place in the poll with 88 total points and two first-place votes.
Go here to see the entire poll.
CRUSADERS HOLD ANNUAL GOLF OUTING
Friday, Aug. 26, was an exciting day for the Holy Cross Hockey Program as alumni, friends, family and the current team gathered at the Shining Rock Golf Club in Northbridge, Mass., to kick off the 2016-2017 season at the program's annual golf outing.
Go here to see video and photos from the event.
STAY CONNECTED
There are numerous ways to stay connected with the Holy Cross men's hockey team. Follow the Crusaders on Twitter @HCrossMHockey, Facebook and Instagram.
