WORCESTER, Mass. – The Holy Cross men's ice hockey team is set to face UConn in a home-and-home set on Friday, Oct. 11 and Saturday, Oct. 12. The Crusaders will host the first night, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Hart Center Rink. Holy Cross will then travel to Hartford, Conn. for a 3:30 p.m. matchup at the XL Center on Saturday.

THE CRUSADERS:

• Holy Cross opened their season with a 5-2 loss to no. 3 Boston University on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Agganis Arena. 
• Sophomore Jack Stockfish and junior Jack Seymour recorded the Crusaders' two goals, while Seymour and junior Mack Oliphant tallied the assists.
• The two teams played to a scoreless first period, where the Crusaders outshot the Terriers 9-6, before an action-packed second period saw Boston University take a 4-1 lead into the final frame. Each team scored once in the third period.
• Senior goaltender Thomas Gale recorded 32 saves in the loss, his highest tally since a 34-save performance at Army on Jan. 12, 2024.
• Holy Cross finished the 2023-24 season with a 21-14-4 overall record and 13-10-3 Atlantic Hockey record.
• The team's 21 wins last season marked the first time the Crusaders eclipsed the 20-win mark since the 2012-13 season.
• The Crusaders made a second-consecutive trip to the Atlantic Hockey Semifinals after finishing the regular season as the conference's no. 2 seed, earning the right to host the series for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
• Holy Cross returns 18 letterwinners from last season, including 10 who were part of the team's run to the Atlantic Hockey Championship two seasons ago.
• Senior Liam McLinskey (19g - 28a - 47p) and sophomore Jack Stockfish (9g - 16a - 25p) highlight the returners on offense as two of the top four scorers from last season.
• Senior Matt Shatsky will look to lead the Crusaders on defense after a 2023-24 season that saw him record a career-high 21 points, 19 assists, and 45 blocked shots.
• Senior netminder Thomas Gale will lead the charge in net for the Crusaders after a 2023-24 season that saw him named to the Mike Richter Award Watch List. Gale appeared in 19 games in his junior season, making 18 starts, finishing with an 8-8-2 record, 2.41 goals-against average, and .917 save percentage. Gale became the first Crusader goaltender to record shutouts in back-to-back nights when he held Bentley scoreless over a weekend sweep, earning him Atlantic Hockey Goaltender of the Week honors.
• The Crusaders added 10 newcomers this season. The group is made up of seven freshmen and three transfers.
• The three transfers - defenseman Lachlan Getz (Michigan Tech), forward Michael Abgrall (Omaha), and forward Timothy Heinke (Quinnipiac) - will look to bring experience and a different perspective to the Crusaders' lineup.

SCOUTING CONNECTICUT:

• Connecticut swept their season-opening series against Colgate last weekend, taking Friday's matchup 4-2 before winning on Saturday, 6-2.
• The Huskies benefited from 17 different point-scorers over the two nights, led by Jake Percival, who recorded four points.
• Connecticut's goaltender, Tyler Muszelik, held Colgate to just four goals, recording 54 saves.
• The Huskies penalty kill held the Raiders to 0-for-8 on the power play, while the Huskies were held to 1-for-5 on their own power play opportunities.
• UConn adds 14 new players to their roster this season, consisting of four transfers and 10 freshmen. The group includes three goaltenders, five defensemen, and six forwards.

ALL TIME SERIES:

• The two teams have met 104 times, with Connecticut leading the all-time series, 52-50-2.
• The two teams met for a home-and-home set last season with the Crusaders taking both games from the then-no. 20 Huskies.
• Holy Cross is 5-5 over the last ten matchups, dating back to the 2011-12 season.
• Sophomore Jack Stockfish scored a goal, while seniors John Gelatt, Matt Shatsky, and Liam McLinskey recorded an assist each over the weekend. Junior Matt DeBoer recorded two assists over the two games.

FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 
Be sure to follow the Holy Cross men's ice hockey team — and all things Crusader Athletics — on social media!
Twitter - @HCrossMHockey | @goholycross
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