WORCESTER, Mass.- The Holy Cross women's ice hockey team will close out 2024 with a two-game Hockey East Series on Friday, Dec. 6 and Saturday, Dec. 7. The Crusaders will first host No. 10 Boston College at 6 p.m. on Friday in the Hart Center Rink. The Crusaders will partake in the 508ForeverYoung and SGA Holiday Toy Drive event. Any fans who would like to donate unwrapped toys for kids ages 6-12 are welcome to bring them to the game for the 508ForeverYoung collection. Holy Cross will then travel to Merrimack for a 2 p.m. puck drop at Lawler Rink. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT HOLY CROSS (6-8-1, 2-6-1 Hockey East): 

• The Crusaders most recently had a non-conference weekend home-away series on Saturday, Nov. 30 and Sunday, Dec. 1. Holy Cross took home game one against Assumption 6-0 with junior forward Charlotte Sonntag recording the first hat trick in Holy Cross Hockey East (D1) Era history. The Crusaders fell on the road 4-1 in game two to Brown.
• In the first period of game one, sophomore forward Manny Gendron scored 14:15 into the first period. Gendron was assisted by freshman forward Amanda Aslan and freshman defender Kaitlin Sullivan.
• In the second period, freshman defender Sarah Rowe scored her first career goal at 4:41 and was assisted by Aslan. Sonntag scored back-to-back goals at 7:24 minutes and 9:21 minutes for the 4-0 lead and was assisted both times by sophomore assistant captain Emily Crovo and redshirt freshman defender Kenzee Hope.
• In the third period, Sonntag found the net again for her third goal, to complete her first career hat trick, at 13:54. She was assisted by Crovo and senior defender Carmen Elliott. Senior forward Madison Michals scored the final goal of the game at 14:46, assisted by junior assistant captain Alexia Moreau, for the 6-0 victory over Assumption.
• In game two, Brown netted back-to-back goals at 9:28 and 9:55 in the first period. The Crusaders responded at 14:48 with Sonntag and Crovo finding junior forward Lane Lewis on the outlet pass to cut the Bear's lead in half.
• The Bears reclaimed a two-goal lead at 2:08 in the second period and thwarted the Crusader's extra skater advantage in third period, scoring an empty netter at 18:35 for the 4-1 win over Holy Cross.
• Crovo is currently Holy Cross's leading in every offensive category. She has scored six goals on the year, three of which were on the power-play, had six assists for 12 points. Senior captain Emma Min leads the Holy Cross defense with 41 blocks so far this season, 21 more than the closest Crusader.
• Junior goalie Abby Hornung started in between the pipes for the Crusaders in both games. She made nine saves in game one and had a career-high 48 saves in game two. Hornung now has 1.80 goals against with a .943 save percentage. Fifth-year goalie Sarah Potter and freshman goalie Lisa Mombourquette both made their first career appearances against Assumption. Mombourquette started the third period making six saves and Potter finished the game by making two saves.
• Sonntag and Hornung's efforts over the weekend earned them both Hockey East weekly honors. Sonntag was named Hockey East Player of the Week for her hat trick, assist and four-point performance. Hornung's career-high saves against Brown and win over Assumption earned her Hockey East Army ROTC Defender of the Week.

EYES ON THE EAGLES (12-5-0, 9-3-0 Hockey East):

• Last weekend, the nationally ranked (No. 12/11) Eagles beat No. 15 Northeastern 3-0 on Nov. 30. This week No. 10 Boston College beat Providence 4-2 on Dec. 4.
• In game one, neither team scored through the first two period. It wasn't until midway through the final frame that freshman defender Olivia Maffeo got the Eagles on the board, assisted by forwards Lauren Glaser and Julia Pellerin. At 12:04, senior forward Abby Newhook doubled the lead on a power-play goal helped by sophomore forward Sammy Taber and junior defender Jade Arnone. In a last ditch effort to score, No. 15 Northeastern pulled their goalie but the Eagles stole possession and Taber tossed in an empty netter at 17:56 for the 3-0 win.
• Maffeo's first career and game-winning goal against No. 15 Northeastern earned her Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week.
• In game two, Providence scored less than two minutes into the opening period. The Friars extended their lead to 2-0 at 12:54 in the second period. The Eagles responded with a Newhook goal at 16:30 assisted by freshman defender Jaime Griswold and Taber.
• Pellerin netted the equalizer on her own just a minute into the third period. Maffeo, assisted by Newhook and graduate forward Gaby Roy, claimed the lead 3-2 lead for the Eagles at 9:56. Taber secured the 4-2 win scoring a solo empty netter with 36 seconds left in the game.
• Taber, Newhook and Pellerin currently lead Boston College with seven goals apiece. Taber also leads the team with the most assists (12), points (19) on the season. Senior defender Keri Clougherty has made 28 blocks so far this year, the most of any Eagle.
• Junior goalie Grace Campbell is the Eagles go-to choice in the net starting in both games. Over the weekend against the Huskies, Campbell made 23 saves, took home the shutout win and was named Hockey East Stop It Goaltending Goaltender of the Week. Her efforts throughout November, a 6-2-0 record, 210 saves, 1.76 goals against average and .938 save percentage, earned her Hockey East Stop It Goaltending Goaltender of the Month. Campbell made 36 saves against the Friars on Wednesday and now owns a, 11-4-0 record, 2.28 goals against average and .922 save percentage.

WATCHING THE WARRIORS (5-10-1, 2-6-1 Hockey East):

• The Warriors ended the 2023-24 campaign with a 11-22-3 overall record and a 7-17-3 conference record. Merrimack concluded the season in the quarterfinals of the Hockey East Tournament, losing 4-1 to No.13/#2-seeded Northeastern on March 2.
• The Warriors recently competed in the SMASHVILLE Women's Collegiate Hockey Showcase on Nov. 29 and No. 30. Merrimack faced two nationally ranked opponents first upsetting No. 13 Penn State 3-1 in the first round of the tournament and falling to No. 6 Clarkson 4-0 in the tournament final.
• In game one, neither team scored in the opening frame but less than five minutes into the second, No. 13 Penn State converted on the power-play for the lead. At 7:30, junior forward Sarah Hirst tied the game with help from freshmen forwards Sage Babey and Chloe Goofers. Merrimack took the 2-1 lead at 14:17 with a goal by junior forward Sophie McKinley assisted by forwards Maria Lindberg and Alex Ferguson. Graduate defender Raice Szott sealed the 3-1 win with an empty netter with just 28 seconds left in the game. She was assisted by sophomore defender Solveig Gisler.
• In game two, No. 6 Clarkson scored midway through the first period, tacked on two goals in the second period and a final goal in the third period for the 4-0 win over the Warriors.
• Lindberg is currently leading Merrimack's with seven goals and 13 points so far this season. Gisler and Lindberg each have six assists each this year. Freshman defender Abby Poitras leads the Warriors with 25 blocks, the most of her teammates. 
• Freshman goalie Margaux Favre and junior goalie Calli Hogarth have split time for the Warriors in net with each starting in eight of the 10 games they appeared in. Favre was in goal for game one against No. 6 Clarkson making 33 saves in the outing for a current 2.92 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage. Hogarth was between the pipes for game two against No. 6 Clarkson making 40 saves and now owns a 2.98 goals-against average and .905 save percentage.

LAST TIME THEY MET:

• Holy Cross and Boston College met earlier this season, and the two split the series. The Crusaders won game one 4-1, the first win in program history over the Eagles, on Oct. 10 and lost game two 5-1 on Oct. 12. 
• The Crusaders and the Warriors last met last season, and the Crusaders lost the final game of the season series on Jan. 13, 3-1. 
• Holy Cross holds a 1-17-1 all-time and conference series record against the Eagles.
• The Crusaders own a 5-11-1 all-time and conference series record against Merrimack.

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