WORCESTER, Mass. - Holy Cross men's ice hockey is set to open 2024 with a matchup against Hockey East's Merrimack on Tuesday, Jan. 2, at the Hart Center Rink. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. in Worcester, Mass., and will stream live on NESN+ and FloHockey.
 
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT HOLY CROSS (9-8-3, 4-7-2 ATLANTIC HOCKEY):

• The Crusaders' closed out 2023 with a 5-2 loss to Quinnipiac on Saturday, Dec. 30.
• Junior Liam McLinskey recorded his sixth multi-point game, picking up a goal and an assist on the night. Senior defenseman Jake Higgins netted his third goal of the season to tie the game in the first period. Senior Tyler Ghirardosi and juniors Michael Hodge and John Gelatt recorded assists.
• Senior Jason Grande and junior Thomas Gale combined for 25 saves and four goals allowed.
• Quinnipiac's power-play goal in the third period was the first power-play goal conceded by Holy Cross since Nov. 10.
• The PK unit enters 2024 with an 87.6% success rate, good for fifth in nation, behind only Union, Boston College, Quinnipiac, and Wisconsin.
• This season, Holy Cross is 5-1-1 against non-conference opponents and 3-0-1 against Hockey East teams. The remaining two wins came against LIU (independent) and Brown (ECAC).
• Holy Cross has played six one-goal games this season, holding a 1-5 record. In their ten games decided by 2+ goals, Holy Cross is 8-3. In their five overtime games this season, the Crusaders are 0-2-3.
• Gale's 2.12 goals-against average places him ninth in the nation, while his .926 save percentage is tied for the fourth-highest mark in the country. Grande's 2.15 goals-against average ranks him eleventh nationally, while his .924 save percentage places him in a tie for seventh in the national rankings. Holy Cross owns the nation's 12th-best scoring defense, holding opponents to an average of 2.4 goals per game.
• McLinskey leads Atlantic Hockey in points this season, accumulating 21 so far this season. Senior Jack Ricketts is tied for fourth in the league with nine goals, while McLinskey sits in a tie for third in assists with 14. Junior Matt Shatsky and Ricketts sit in a tie for eighth with 10 assists each.
• Gale is tied for the Atlantic Hockey lead in goals-against average (2.12) and leads the league in save percentage (.926). Grande sits in third in goals-against (2.15) and tied for second in save percentage (.924). ? 

 
SCOUTING MERRIMACK (8-9-1, 2-6-1 HEAST):

• The Warriors have shared five opponents with Holy Cross so far this season in UConn, UMass Lowell, Army, Bentley, and Brown. Merrimack is 4-2-1 in the seven games, while the Crusaders hod a 6-1-1 record against the same opponents.
• The Warriors return 19 players from last season, while adding seven freshmen and three transfers.
• Junior Matt Copponi leads the team in points with 19, while sharing the lead in assists with 16 with sophomore Zach Bookman. Senior Alex Jeffries leads the squad in goals with nine. Senior netminder Zacahry Borgiel holds a 5-4-1 record with a 2.36 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.

 
LAST TIME THEY MET:

• Merrimack holds a dominant 30-9-2 record against the Crusaders.
• The last time the two teams met was on Nov. 22, 2022, when the then-no. 13 Warriors defeated the Crusaders, 5-1, at the Hart Center. Senior Jack Ricketts and sophomore Mack Oliphant picked up assists in the contest.
• The last time the Crusaders defeated the Warriors was on Oct. 24, 2006, 3-2, in North Andover.? 

 
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