2025-26 men's ice hockey season preview

The reigning Atlantic Hockey regular season champion Holy Cross men's ice hockey team returns to the ice this weekend to begin the 2025-26 campaign. The team returns 20 letterwinners from last season - six of which were a part of both of the Atlantic Hockey Championship runs over the last three seasons - and adds 10 newcomers to the mix.

The Crusaders have seen increased success under reigning Atlantic Hockey Coach of the Year Bill Riga - increasing their win total each year from 12 in his first season to 24 a year ago. The team's 24 wins last season were the most since the famed 2005-06 season, which also marked the last time Holy Cross had hosted the Atlantic Hockey Championship.

SCHEDULE

The Crusaders will play a full 34-game regular season schedule, including eight non-conference games and 26 Atlantic Hockey games.

 The team will open the new season on the road against Hockey East's Northeastern on Saturday, Oct. 4 at Matthews Arena. A week later, the Crusaders will travel to Orono, Maine to take on another Hockey East opponent in Maine. The two-game set on Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11 will be the first meeting between the two teams since the 2003-04 season.

Atlantic Hockey play begins for the Crusaders with a single game matchup at Mercyhurst on Saturday, Oct. 18, before Holy Cross hosts their home opener on Tuesday, Oct. 21 against the ECAC's Quinnipiac.

 Atlantic Hockey matchups continue for the Crusaders beginning with a two game set at Army (Oct. 24-25), home sets against Sacred Heart (Oct. 30-31) and Niagara (Nov. 7-8), and a trip to Air Force (Nov. 14-15). Holy Cross will play three non-conference games in Alaska-Anchorage (Nov. 20 & 23) and a single-game at Quinnipiac (Nov. 26), before finishing out the first half with a single Atlantic Hockey matchup against Mercyhurst (Dec. 6).

 Holy Cross will hit the ground running after the holiday break with a home-and-home rematch of the Atlantic Hockey Championship game on Friday, Jan. 2 at Bentley and Saturday, Jan. 3 at home against the reigning champions. The final non-conference game of the season will be on Saturday, Jan. 10 at the Hart Center against Hockey East's Merrimack.

 The final stretch of the 2025-26 regular season includes two-game road sets at Robert Morris (Jan. 23-24), Canisius (Feb. 13-14), and Sacred Heart (Feb. 20-21), home sets against Air Force (Jan. 16-17), Army (Jan. 29-30), and RIT (Feb. 27-28), and a home-and-home with Bentley (Feb. 6-7).

The Atlantic Hockey Tournament will begin on March 3 with the 7-10 seeds facing off in play-in matchups and culminate with the championship game on March 21.

LEADERSHIP

Senior forwards Devin Phillips and Jack Seymour will serve as captains, while senior defenseman Mack Oliphant and senior forward Matt DeBoer will serve as assistant captains.

Phillips, a native of Raleigh, N.C., served as an assistant captain last season. Phillips played 34 games as a junior, recording a career-high 31 points on 11 goals and 20 assists, earning a spot on the Atlantic Hockey Third Team following the regular season.

Seymour, a native of Chelsea, Quebec, will wear a letter for the first time in his collegiate career. Seymour played in 34 games in the 2024-25 season, recording a career-high 19 points on seven goals and 12 assists.

Oliphant, a 2024-25 Atlantic Hockey Second Team selection and native of Northbrook, Ill., will also wear a letter for the first time in his career. Oliphant led the team's defense core with 29 points on three goals and 26 assists and enters the 2025-26 season with 115 games of experience.

DeBoer, a Las Vegas, Nev. native, joins the group after playing in all 40 games last season where he recorded a career-high 31 points on 11 goals and 20 assists. Wearing a letter for the first time as well, DeBoer enters the 2025-26 season with 118 games of experience.

GOALTENDING

Senior Louden Hogg returns for his fourth season with the Crusaders, and is joined by junior transfer Connor MacKenzie and freshman Danick Leroux.

Hogg has suited up for nine games in his time on The Hill, amassing a 3.38 goals-against average and .866 save percentage. 

MacKenzie joins the Crusaders from the University of Vermont, where he amassed a .950 save percentage and 1.25 goals-against average.

Leroux, who attended the New York Islanders development camp this summer, played two seasons of juniors with the Rochester Jr. Americans of the NAHL. Leroux backstopped the team to an East Division Championship this past season, and finished his time in upstate New York with a 45-7-6 record, .928 save percentage, and 1.92 goals-against average.

FORWARDS

The Crusaders return 12 forwards from last season, seven of which ranked in the top-10 for points on the team.

Junior Jack Stockfish, the top returning goal scorer in Atlantic Hockey, earned Preseason Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year honors going into this season. Stockfish finished his sophomore campaign with 27 points on 15 goals and 12 assists, and his .567 success rate last season is the third-best mark among players returning to Atlantic Hockey play this season. 

Stockfish will be joined by fellow Atlantic Hockey Preseason Team honoree and 2024-25 Atlantic Hockey Third Team selection, senior Devin Phillips, and 2024-25 Atlantic Hockey All-Rookie Team selection sophomore Matt Kursonis on the forward lines.

DEFENSE

The Crusaders return seven defensemen from last season, including 2024-25 Atlantic Hockey Second Team selection, senior captain Mack Oliphant.

Oliphant, who led the team's defense core with 29 points on three goals and 26 assists, enters the 2025-26 season with 115 games of experience, the ninth-most among active NCAA players this season, and third-most among active defensemen. His 44 career assists are the ninth-most among active defensemen.

NEWCOMERS

The incoming class for the 2025-26 season includes six freshmen and four transfers.

The four forwards consist of junior David Hymovitch, sophomore Noah Eyre, and freshmen Anthony Carone and Will Reardon.

The four new defensemen this season are sophomore Owain Johnston, and freshmen Anthony Biakabutuka, Quinn McCall and Dax Williams. Junior goaltender Connor MacKenzie and freshman Danick Leroux round out the group of new players.

FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 
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