WORCESTER, Mass. – The Holy Cross men's ice hockey team is set to open its season at no. 3/3 Boston University on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Agganis Arena in Boston, Mass. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m., and will stream live on ESPN+.

THE CRUSADERS:
• 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 BOSTON UNIVERSITY:
• The Terriers enter the 2024-25 campaign ranked third in both the USCHO and USA Hockey/The Rink Live preseason polls.
• Boston University will look to return to the Frozen Four for the third-straight season under third year head coach Jay Pandolfo.
• Boston University returns 16 letterwinners from last year's team, including two of their top five scorers from the campaign.
• The Terriers' roster contains 13 NHL draft picks, four of which join the program as freshmen this season.

ALL TIME SERIES:
• The two teams have met six times, with Boston University leading the all-time series, 5- 1.
• Holy Cross' sole win came on Oct. 22, 2011 at Agganis Arena, when the Crusaders took the matchup, 5-4, against the then-no. 7 Terriers.
• The two teams last met in the regular season on Oct. 2, 2021 in Boston with the Terriers coming out on top, 5-1.

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