WORCESTER, Mass.- The #4-seeded Holy Cross women's soccer team will host #5-seeded Lafayette on Wednesday, Nov. 2, for the Patriot League quarterfinal game. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 pm at Linda Johnson Smith Soccer Stadium. Fans can tune into the broadcast on ESPN+.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT HOLY CROSS (6-7-5, 3-3-3 Patriot League):

• The Crusaders conclude the regular season with a 6-7-5 overall and 3-3-3 conference record, finishing the year in fourth place. Holy Cross triumphed over Army West Point, 3-1, to clinch a spot in the Patriot League tournament for the first time since 2019, the second playoff appearance in 25 years.
• Junior captain Karenna Beckstein netted her career first Olimpico at 26:27 in the first half. Just a minute and a half later and the Black Knights equalized with a goal by Grace Pohidal at 27:50. At 35:56, Beckstein picked off an Army pass to find junior forward Abby Cushing, who reclaimed the lead, connecting with the top left side of the net. 
• At 78:54 in the second half, Cushing netted her second goal of the contest, heading in a great service into the box from senior forward Riley Grable for the 3-1 win.
• This marks the first time in program history that the Crusaders will host a Patriot League postseason contest, and it is the sixth appearance for the program in the tournament.
• Cushing, senior midfielder Olivia Perez and fifth-year midfielder Sam Halligan all lead Holy Cross with three goals apiece. Beckstein has the most assists on the squad with five and she is tied with Cushing for the most points on the team with nine each.
• Beckstein was named Second Team All-Patriot League at the end the 2025 regular season. She started in all 18 contests on the season, racking up 1,605 minutes of game play. The captain has scored two goals, one on a penalty kick against New Hampshire and the other, her Olimpico against Army. Beckstein has been a crucial member of the team, leading the defense to six shutouts. She is ranked fifth in the league in assists and averages .278 assists per game. The Massachusetts native had a season-high two assists against Marist in the 2-0 shutout victory on Aug. 31.
• Freshman goalie Aubrey Haesche started in net for the Crusaders during the Army game and made a total of four saves during the competition. At the conclusion of the regular season, she was named the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year and First Team All-Patriot League. In her debut season, she started in 17 of the 18 games on the year for 1454:29 minutes of action. The freshman made 87 saves for a .897 save percentage, only allowed in 10 goals for a .62 goals against average, earned six shutouts and owned a 6-5-5 record. She finished the season at the top of the league in goals against average, saves, shutouts and shutouts per game (.353) and ranked third in the conference in saves per game (5.12).The New Yorker had a season-high of 11 saves against Navy on Oct. 5 and has not let more than one goal past her in a single game this year. Haesche picked up three Patriot League weekly honors during the 2025 campaign. She is only the third athlete in program history to earn three or more weekly honors from the Patriot League in a single season.

LEARNING ABOUT THE LEOPARDS (5-7-6, 3-3-3 Patriot League):

• The Leopards ended the 2025 regular season campaign with a 5-7-6 overall and 3-3-3 conference record, finishing the year in fifth place. Lafayette bested Lehigh, 2-1, to secure a spot in the Patriot League tournament
• At 22:34 in the first half, Lafayette took the 1-0 lead due to a failed Lehigh clear that resulted in an own goal.
• The Mountain Hawks responded in the second half with a chipped in goal at 53:19. Just five minutes later and the Leopards stole back the lead with a top shelf one-timer goal netted by junior midfelder Nadia Zaffanella at 57:33. She was assisted by senior midfielder Sofia Ruggiero.
• Zaffanella currently reside as the Leopard's leading scorers with seven goals on the year and has tallied the most points on the squad with 15 (7G, 1A). Senior forward Katrina Santelli owns the most assists (3) this season on the Lafayette roster. Zaffanella was named First Team All-Patriot League and Santelli earned Second Team All-Patriot League.
• Junior goalie Catherine Apker is the go-to choice in goal for the Leopards starting in 17 of the 18-game season. Apker was in net for Lafayette against Lehigh, earning the win and making eight saves. The junior owns a 5-6-6 record, making 88 saves for a .800 save percentage with a 1.33 goals against average. She has earned five shutouts and has tallied 1485:00 minutes of game action. Apker finished the season at second in the league in shutouts, shutouts per game (.294) and saves per game (5.18). She was also ranked fourth in total saves and sixth in goals against average.

LAST TIME THEY MET:

• Holy Cross took the regular season win at Lafayette with a 1-0 shutout victory on Oct. 11. Halligan netted the game-winner in the 82nd minute assisted by sophomore forward Ava Graham. Haesche made eight saves during the outing and earned the shut out.
• The Crusaders hold a 21-11-4 all-time series record against the Leopards.

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