WORCESTER, Mass. — The Holy Cross women's ice hockey team prepares for a series of road games beginning on Jan. 20 and 21. On Friday, the Crusaders will travel to Burlington, Vt. to face the No. 11 Vermont Catamounts for their third meeting this season. Puck drop is slated for 6 p.m.
 
On Saturday, Holy Cross will face Merrimack at 4 p.m. in Lawler Rink for their third and final meeting of the season.
 
Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE CRUSADERS (4-19-1, 3-15-0 Hockey East): 

• Senior Mary Edmonds holds the team-high in points (11) and goals (7). She has tallied six points in her last six games, including two goals against Boston University to lead the Crusaders to a 2-1 overtime victory on Jan. 13. Edmonds ranks fourth in Hockey East for most faceoff wins (220) with an average of 9.17 wins per game.
• Freshman Alexia Moreau scored the game-winning goal against the Terriers at Frozen Fenway on Jan. 6. She owns the second highest goal total with five. Moreau sits in seventh in the conference, averaging 7.70 faceoff wins per game.
• Junior Bryn Saarela has the second highest point total with nine. Junior Millie Sirum leads the team for most assists with six, tallying her most recent on Moreau's game-winner. She has assisted on three of Moreau's and two of Saarela's goals this season. Sirum lands third in total points with eight.
• Freshman defenseman Casey Borgiel owns six points, the most of any defender, from two goals and four assists. She recently posted a goal against Boston University on Jan. 6 and an assist against the Terriers on Jan. 13. 
• Junior goaltender Madison Beck has spent the majority of the season in between the pipes for the Crusaders. She owns 521 saves, a .922 save percentage and a goals-against average of 2.59 after 18 games.
• The Holy Cross penalty kill unit has held strong in recent weeks. In their last five contests, the Crusaders have killed 11 of 12 power play attempts.
• The Crusaders' defense has remained consistent with a high volume of blocked shots. They rank second in Hockey East while averaging 12.38 blocks per game. Sophomore defenseman Emma Min leads the team and ranks sixth in Hockey East with 36. She is closely followed by senior defender Kailey Langefels (34) and sophomore defender Emilie Fortunato (32).

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE CATAMOUNTS (16-8-1, 11-6-1 Hockey East): 

• Vermont is coming off a two-game road series against ranked Hockey East opponents then-No.13 Providence and then-No. 15 UConn. The Catamounts shutout the Friars 3-0 on Friday night, followed by a 4-1 loss to Connecticut on Saturday. 
• Graduate student Theresa Schafzahl and junior Natálie Mlýnková each recorded a two-point game against the Friars, while sophomore forward Alaina Tanski tallied a short-handed goal against the Huskies. 
• Mlýnková leads the Catamounts in goals (15), assists (17) and points (32), with ten multiple-point games this season, including a hat trick against Maine on Nov. 4.
• Schafzahl sits next to Mlýnková for most goals and owns three two-goal games. 
• Junior goalie Jessie McPherson has spent the majority of time in net for the Catamounts this season totaling 440 saves. She owns a goals-against average of 1.86 and a save percentage of .909.

LAST TIME THEY MET:

• These programs have met twice in Worcester at the beginning of the season on Oct. 8 and 9. 
• In the first matchup, the Crusaders defeated the then-14 ranked Catamounts, 2-1. Edmonds and senior Carly Beniek tallied a goal apiece for Holy Cross, while senior Darci Johal, sophomore Michela Lio and Borgiel posted assists.
• The following day, the Crusaders fell to the Catamounts 3-0. Schafzahl had a two-goal game and Mlýnková and graduate student Sini Karjalainen had two assists each. 
• Beck posted 34 saves in both contests. McPherson made 17 saves in the first game and 13 in the second.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE WARRIORS (7-17-1, 4-13-1 Hockey East): 

• Vermont is coming off a two-loss weekend against ranked Hockey East opponents then-No. 15 Connecticut and then-No. 13 Providence. The Warriors fell to the Huskies 4-2 on Friday, followed by a 5-2 loss to Providence on Saturday. 
• Before facing Holy Cross, Merrimack will host No. 7 Northeastern for an afternoon contest on Friday.
• Freshman forward Sophie McKinley and senior forward Katie Kaufman both scored a goal in each game. 
• Kaufman leads the Catamounts in goals (10), assists (8) and points (18), with four multiple-point games this season.
• Freshman defenseman Payten Evans sits next to Kaufman for most assists. She tallied her most recent against Providence on Saturday.
• Senior goalie Emma Gorski and freshman Calli Hogarth have split time in net for the Warriors this season. Gorski owns a goals-against average of 3.39 and a save percentage of .896. She has tallied 490 saves in 17 starts.
• Hogarth has posted 256 saves in nine games. She owns a 2.92 goals-against average and a save percentage of .914.

LAST TIME THEY MET:

• These programs have met twice for a home-and-home weekend on Nov. 4 and 5. 
• In the first contest, the Warriors shutout the Crusaders, 4-0. Senior Allison Reeb and junior Emily Oosterveld each posted a two-point game for Merrimack.
• The following day, the Crusaders fell to the Warriors, 3-2.  Saarela and sophomore Madison Michals tallied the goals for Holy Cross, while Langefels, Sirum, and freshman Alexis Perry recorded assists. 
• Senior Madison Oelkers and Kaufman owned two-point performances for the Catamounts to aid the Warriors to a weekend sweep. 
• Beck posted 26 saves in the first game. Freshman Brooke Loranger tallied 26 saves in the second contest. 
• Gorski recorded 20 saves in the first game, while Hogarth posted 31 in the second.

FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 
Be sure to follow the Holy Cross women's ice hockey team — and all things Crusader Athletics — on social media!
Twitter - @HCrossWHockey | @goholycross
Instagram - @hcrosswhockey | @goholycross
Facebook - Holy Cross Women's Ice Hockey | Holy Cross Athletics
YouTube - GoHolyCross