The Holy Cross men's soccer team will take part in the Patriot League Tournament this week, playing at No. 24 Lafayette in the semifinals on Wednesday, April 14, at 7:00 p.m.
Holy Cross in the Patriot League Tournament:
• The Crusaders will be making their 14th all-time appearance in the Patriot League Tournament and have an all-time mark of 3-11-5 in tournament play (advancing or winning on penalty kicks after four of the five tie games).
• Holy Cross won the Patriot League title in 2002, and also finished as the runner-up in 2001, 2008, 2013 and 2017.
• The Crusaders have advanced to the championship game in each of their last three tournament appearances, including both times they have played in the tournament under head coach
Marco Koolman.
Things to Know About the Crusaders (2-1, 2-1 PL):
• Holy Cross stands 2-1 overall this season, having beaten Army West Point (2-1) and Boston University (2-1) while falling to Lafayette (2-1). The Crusaders finished the regular season in second place in the Patriot League North Division with six points.
• Senior forward
Max Krause scored his first goal of the season against Boston University, after recording an assist on
Matt McGonigle's goal at Army. During the 2019 campaign, he led the team in scoring with 15 points on five goals and five assists. Over the course of his collegiate career, Krause has played in 51 games with 39 starts, totaling nine goals and 13 assists for 31 points.
• Sophomore midfielder
Matt McGonigle currently leads the team in scoring with five points on two goals and one assist. He tallied a goal and an assist in the victory over Army West Point, after scoring the first goal of his collegiate career at Lafayette. McGonigle has now totaled two goals and three assists for seven points in 11 career games played.
• Junior forward
Dylan Scanley scored his first goal of the season during the victory at Army, then recorded an assist on
Bergin Kranz's game-winning goal against Boston University. He previously ranked second on the team in scoring during the 2019 campaign, when he totaled 11 points on five goals and one assist. In 36 career games played, Scanley has now totaled six goals and two assists for 14 points.
• The Holy Cross defense has been strong this season, allowing just four goals with a 1.33 goals against average. Key players on the defensive end have been sophomore
Brennan Garcia Hilger, senior
Nick Hellmann-Rhodes, senior
Edi Mujan, sophomore
Taj Salawu and senior
Jacob Wright, who have all started every game this year.
• Krause, McGonigle and senior goalkeeper
Nick Conklu are serving as the Crusaders' captains this season.
Scouting the Leopards (6-0, 6-0 PL):
• Lafayette has an overall record of 6-0 this year, while outscoring its opponents 13-5. The Leopards finished in first place in the Patriot League North Division with 12 points, and are currently ranked No. 24 in the nation by the United Soccer Coaches.
• Nine different players have scored at least one goal for Lafayette this season, led by sophomore forward Hale Lombard with seven points on three goals and one assist.
• Junior Alex Sutton has played every minute in goal for the Leopards this year, posting an 0.83 goals against average with 11 saves.
Series History:
• Lafayette holds a 24-8-7 lead in the all-time series between the schools, but the Crusaders stand 4-2-2 over the last eight games. The Leopards have won all six previous meetings during the Patriot League Tournament.
• In this year's first meeting between Holy Cross and Lafayette, the Leopards won 2-1 in Easton on March 13. Sebastian Varela and Marcos Kitromilides both scored for Lafayette, while McGonigle netted a goal for the Crusaders.
