2024-25 Men's Ice Hockey Season Preview

The Holy Cross men's ice hockey team returns to the ice following a second-consecutive trip to the Atlantic Hockey Semifinals - and first at the Hart Center Rink since the 2005-06 season - a season ago. The team returns 18 letterwinners from last season, 10 of which were a part of the Atlantic Hockey Championship run two years ago, and adds 10 newcomers to the mix.

The Crusaders have seen increased success in the Bill Riga era - increasing their win total each year from 12 in his first season, 17 in his second, to 21 in his third. The team's 21 wins last season marked the first time the Crusaders eclipsed the 20-win mark since the 2012-13 season.

SCHEDULE

The 2024-2025 schedule features a full slate of Atlantic Hockey opponents, as well as a challenging eight-game non-conference slate, beginning with #3/3 Boston University on the road on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Agannis Arena in Boston, Mass. The game marks the fourth regular season meeting all-time between the two teams, and first since the 2013-14 season.

The Crusaders will then return home to face another Hockey East opponent in UConn, hosting the Huskies on Friday, Oct. 11, before traveling to Hartford, Conn. on Saturday, Oct. 12 to round out the home-and-home set. In their first meeting since the 2013-14 season last year, the Crusaders swept the then-no. 20 ranked Huskies. 

A two-game set at home against Army (Oct. 19-20) will open conference play for Holy Cross before they hit the road again to face Sacred Heart (Oct. 25-26) in week two of Atlantic Hockey play.

The Crusaders will open November with back-to-back non-conference matchups at home against Hockey East's UMass Lowell (Nov. 1) and the ECAC's #8/7 Quinnipiac (Nov. 2), before hosting an AHA Semifinal rematch against AIC (Nov. 7-8).
 
The final piece of the 2024 conference slate includes road trips to Niagara (Nov. 15-16), Army (Nov. 22), and AIC (Dec. 6-7), and a home set against Sacred Heart (Nov. 29-30).

Following the holiday break, the Crusaders will travel to Long Island, N.Y. to take on Long Island University in a single game matchup on Dec. 31, before traveling to the inaugural Cactus Cup in Palm Springs, Calif. Holy Cross will face the NCHC's #15/17 Omaha in game one of the tournament on Friday, Jan. 3, then await the outcome of UMass Lowell vs. Michigan Tech (CCHA) for their final non-conference game of the season on the second day of the tournament on Saturday, Jan. 4.

When the Crusaders return from the West Coast, they will jump headfirst into conference play with a home set against Robert Morris (Jan. 10-11) and road trips to Bentley (Jan. 17-18) and Air Force (Jan. 24-25).

To wrap up the regular season, the Crusaders will see Canisius (Feb. 1-2) for the first time this season at home, before traveling to RIT (Feb. 7-8) for their only meeting. Holy Cross will play their final three games of the season at home, hosting Mercyhurst (Feb. 14-15) for a two-game set, before welcoming Bentley (Feb. 20) in for the final game of the regular season.

The Atlantic Hockey Tournament will begin on March 1 with the 6-11 seeds facing off in play-in matchups and culminate with the championship game on March 22.

LEADERSHIP

Senior defenseman Matt Shatsky will wear the lone ‘C’ for the Crusaders this season, with three players wearing an ‘A’: senior forwards Liam McLinskey and John Gelatt, and junior forward Devin Phillips.

Shatsky, a rising senior from Winnipeg, Manitoba,  played in 37 games in the 2023-24 season, recording a career-high 21 points on two goals and 19 assists, placing him fifth in assists and seventh in points by a defenseman in a single season in the program's Division I era.

McLinskey, a native of Pearl River, N.J., earned the honor after a stellar season that saw him record 47 points in 29 games and become the program's first Hobey Baker Top 10 nominee. The reigning Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year and Scoring Champion, McLinskey was also named a Second Team East All-American and NEHWA All-Star.

Gelatt, from Middletown, N.J., played in 38 games in the 2023-24 season, recording a career-high 13 points on six goals and seven assists. He enters the 2024-25 campaign with 112 games of experience.
 
Phillips, a native of Raleigh, N.C., joins the leadership group after he saw his sophomore season cut short due to injury. Phillips played 38 games in his freshman year in 2022-23, tallying 18 points on seven goals and 11 assists.

GOALTENDING

Senior Thomas Gale will lead the charge 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. 

Junior Louden Hogg returns for his third season with the Crusaders, while freshman Malachi Klassen rounds out the goaltending trio.

FORWARDS

The Crusaders return 10 forwards from last season, six of which ranked in the top-10 for points among the forwards last season.

Senior assistant captain Liam McLinskey will look to build upon his stellar 2023-24 season that saw him named as a Hobey Baker Top 10 finalist. McLinskey, the reigning Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year, Scoring Champion, and First Team selection, recorded a career high 47 points and 28 assists last season, earning him Atlantic Hockey Preseason Player of the Year and Preseason All-Atlantic Hockey honors.

Sophomore Jack Stockfish returns to the Crusaders lineup after an outstanding rookie season that saw him record 25 points on nine goals and 16 assists - good for fourth on the team - and finish as an Atlantic Hockey All-Rookie Team selection.

DEFENSE

The Crusaders return six defensemen from last season. Senior captain Matt Shatsky and junior Mack Oliphant will look to lead the Crusaders on the defensive end.

Shatsky, who played in 37 games last season, recorded a career-high 21 points on two goals and 19 assists, placing him fifth in assists and seventh in points by a defenseman in a single season in the program's Division I era. Shatsky recorded a career high 45 blocked shots last season, ranking him third on the team. 

Oliphant, who played in 38 games last season, recorded ten points and blocked 29 shots last season.

NEWCOMERS

The Crusaders added seven freshmen and three transfers this season.

The six forwards consist of juniors Michael Abgrall and Timothy Heinke, and freshmen Owen Kim, Matt Kursonis, Edward Moskowitz, and Jarrod Smith.

The three new defensemen this season are junior Lachlan Getz, and freshmen Ryan Buckley and Ben LeFranc. Freshman goaltender Malachi Klassen rounds out the group of new players.

FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 
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