WORCESTER, Mass. — The Holy Cross women's ice hockey team closes out the calendar year with a road game against Hockey East opponent Boston University on Dec. 9.  The Crusaders will travel to Boston, Mass on Friday night for a 7 p.m. puck drop.

The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE CRUSADERS (2-17-1, 1-13-0 Hockey East): 

• Holy Cross enters the weekend with an overall mark of 2-17-1 and 1-13-0 in Hockey East standings. The Crusaders are coming off a two-loss series with Boston College on Dec. 2 and 3. Seniors Sofia Smithson and Mary Edmonds finished the weekend with two points apiece, both from one goal and one assist.
• Smithson has jumped to second overall in most goals (3) and third in total points (6) and assists (3).  Edmonds ranks first in goals (4), second in points (7) and third in assists (3). 
• Junior Bryn Saarela posted her ninth point of the season against the Eagles. She leads the team in points and goals (4) alongside Edmonds and freshman Alexia Moreau.  Saarela has tallied a point in five of the last nine games, scoring a goal in two of the last five. 
• Junior Millie Sirum sits beside Saarela at top rank in assists with five on the year. She lands third in total points with six.
• Freshman defender Casey Borgiel has had a standout performance in her rookie season. She owns five points, the most of any defender, from four assists and one goal. 
• Junior goalie Madison Beck and freshman Brooke Loranger have split time in goal for Holy Cross this season. Beck owned two impressive performances against the Eagles. She turned away 31 shots on Friday and 34 on Saturday. She has tallied 412 saves, a save-percentage of .922 and a goals-against average of 2.70 in 14 games. 
• Loranger has seen action in eight games for the Crusaders owning 199 saves with a save percentage of .896 and goals-against average of 3.32. She set a new single-game career high in saves with 42 against Maine.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE TERRIERS (6-12-0, 5-9-0 Hockey East): 

• Boston University is coming off two loses against Maine on Dec. 2 and 3. The Terriers were shutout in the first contest, 3-0. The following day, Boston managed two goals but came up short, losing 3-2.
• The Terriers have tallied eleven power play goals on the year and hold an eighty-two percent penalty kill rating. Senior forward Julia Nearis leads the team and ranks third in Hockey East standings with three power play goals. 
• Nearis leads the Terriers in goals (7), assists (8) and points (15) with two two-point games.  
• Junior Lacey Martin sits with Nearis for most assists with eight. Her most recent assist came against UConn on Nov. 19.
• Andrea Brändli, a graduate student, and sophomore Callie Shanahan have split time in goal for the Terriers. Brändli owns 307 saves with a 1.92 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage. She holds the fifth lowest goals against average in Hockey East standings. Shanahan holds a .905 save percentage, 3.26 goals-against average and owns 247 saves in eight games.

HOCKEY EAST RANKINGS:

• Mary Edmonds ranks fourth in Hockey East for most faceoff wins (179) and average wins per game (8.95). Alexia Moreau sits in ninth with 150 total wins and 7.50 wins per game.
• Emma Min has tallied 30 blocked shots during the season. She is tied for fourth in the conference. Holy Cross ranks fourth in the conference for blocked shots (232) and blocked shots per game (11.60).
• Madison Beck holds the fourth highest total saves in Hockey East with 412. She averages 29.43 per game. 

LAST TIME THEY MET:

• These programs met three times during the 2021-22 regular season, with the Terriers winning two of the three contests. In the first matchup, the Crusaders won 2-0. Darci Johal recorded a goal, assisted by Lilly Feeney and Emilie Fortunato. The following day, the Terriers took a 3-1 victory in Boston. Johal recorded her second goal of the weekend (third in three games) assisted, again, by Feeney and Fortunato.
• The teams met for the final time in late January. Feeney, Millie Sirum, and Bryn Saarela recorded goals, all in the third period. Johal, Saarela, Fortunato and Mary Edmonds tallied an assist apiece against the Terriers.

FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 
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