Dear Crusaders,

As the temperatures turn cooler on The Hill, and action heats up for our winter sports, it is important for us all to pause for a moment of reflection and gratitude. As always, this fall has presented a myriad of challenges and opportunities for our Crusaders, and I am grateful for the grit and determination shown by so many. Regardless of outcomes, inspiring wins or gut-wrenching defeats, we remain thankful and humbled by the opportunity to serve and represent Holy Cross and our special community.

In this season of celebration, I remain immensely grateful for the continued work of my teammates in our department and across campus to set the foundation for an exceptional student-athlete experience. I also continue to be inspired by the achievements of our student-athletes, who show up in so many areas: academically, in the community, and in competition, whether wearing the Crusader uniform or on the international stage. You can read more about their achievements in the highlights below. 

With the holidays upon us, I encourage you to take the opportunity to stay engaged with our community. Whether by supporting our food drive at our men's basketball game on Nov. 26 or our multiple toy drives in December, cheering on your fellow Crusaders at an upcoming event, or simply by reaching out to say hi — we would love to see you and share this special season with you!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours — and I look forward to seeing many of you soon.

Go Cross Go!

Kit Hughes

Feel free to reach out — any time — with your thoughts, questions or concerns on our "Be Heard" page!
 

Three Things To Know

1. We look forward to seeing a number of students, alumni and families at Fenway Park this Saturday as our football team hosts Georgetown! If you don't have your tickets yet, they're still available for purchase — or you can catch the game on NESN at 4 p.m. if you are unable to make it. 
2. We recently announced that we have signed a multi-year contract with adidas to continue serving as the exclusive apparel provider for Crusader Athletics; we have also signed a multi-year deal with the BSN SPORTS Collegiate Select Division.
3. Looking for the perfect gift for your favorite Crusader fan? Keep an eye on our social media channels for upcoming holiday deals — for Black Friday, Cyber Monday and more!

NEWS and UPDATES

Athletic Highlights

• The men's rowing Varsity 8+ won the Collegiate 8+ at the famed Head of the Charles Regatta on Oct. 19, while the women's rowing team's Varsity 4+ finished 11th, marking a new program best-finish, on Oct. 18. The men medaled for the second straight year after placing third last season, which marked the first medal finish at the regatta in program history.
• Women's ice hockey set a new program record by posting seven victories prior to the start of November, including three straight shutouts from Oct. 18-26.
• Archie Hatcher posted just the second hat trick by a Crusader men's soccer player since 2013, when he scored all three goals in a come-from-behind 3-2 win at Army on Oct. 18.
• Cross country's Joseph Mahon placed third overall (24:23.5) and Siena Brunetti came in seventh individually (21:05.8) at the 2025 Patriot League Championship on Oct. 31.
• Women's soccer earned the first home playoff game in program history, marking the second time in 25 years that the Crusaders earned a postseason berth.
• Women's basketball started off its season with a 72-71 win over Boston College on Nov. 3. This is the first time Holy Cross has beaten Boston College in Conte Forum since 1997. Simone Foreman scored the game-winning shot to lead the Crusaders to victory.
• Women's soccer's Aubrey Haseche was named the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year after leading the league in saves (96), save percentage (.889) and goals-against average (0.690). She owned a 6-5-6 record and had six shutouts to end the year.
• Men's soccer's Archie Hatcher was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year after leading the team and tying for the conference lead in scoring with 15 points on six goals and three assists.
• The volleyball program recorded its most wins in a season since 2016.
• Freshman Phoebe Devine of the women's tennis team made program history at the 2025 ITA New England Regional, becoming the first student-athlete to win a main draw match. Devine also picked up a win at the Patriot League ITA Masters Qualifier. 
• The men's and women's swimming and diving programs swept all eight pentathlon titles at the Worcester City Championship. 
• The men's golf team hosted the Crusader Invitational presented by CoveRisk at the Worcester Country Club, finishing in fourth place. 
• Siena Brunetti (women's cross country), Aubrey Haesche (women's soccer), Joseph Mahon (men's cross country) and Maguire Sturgis (field hockey) earned All-Patriot League first team honors, while Karenna Beckstein (women's soccer), Kendall Brady (field hockey), Archie Hatcher (men's soccer), Liam Lyons (men's cross country), Mia McCloskey (field hockey) and Emma Sorensen (volleyball) were named to the second team. 
• Women's ice hockey's Naemi Herzig competed for the Swiss National Team at the 2025 Lidl Hockey Games from Nov. 5-8, where she scored a goal in a game against Finland.
• Field hockey's Megan Schienbein was named to Team Canada's roster for the 2025 FIH Hockey Women's Junior World Cup in Santiago, Chile from Dec. 1-13.
• Men's ice hockey's Jack Stockfish was named to the U.S. Collegiate Selects Team traveling to Davos, Switzerland for the Spengler Cup from Dec. 26-31.

Staff Highlights

• In October, we welcomed Bridget Burke as our new Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance. 

Academic Highlights

• A number of Crusaders earned Academic All-Patriot League honors, including Julian Beban (men's soccer), Siena Brunetti (women's cross country), Julia Carrozza (field hockey), Liam Lyons (men's cross country), Joseph Mahon (men's cross country), Mia McCloskey (field hockey), Katie Russell (volleyball), Mary Sommer (women's soccer), Ben Stone (men's cross country), and Maguire Sturgis (field hockey).
• We hosted our Academic Recognition Night during the women's basketball home opener on Nov. 12, celebrating our 371 Spring 2025 Dean's List honorees.
• Holy Cross' athletic teams have posted an overall graduation rate of 97 percent, according to the Graduation Success Rate Report released this week by the NCAA. This marks the 19th consecutive year in which the Crusaders have posted a Graduation Success Rate of at least 97 percent.

Other Highlights

• Holy Cross student-athletes took part in the NCAA's annual Civic Engagement Day, connecting with a number of organizations across Worcester. 
• The 2025 class in the Holy Cross Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame was formally inducted on Oct. 25. The class included Maureen Connolly (Class of 2018, field hockey), Jerry Dickinson (Class of 2009, soccer), Ed Kutschke (Class of 1986, football), Megan Orr (Class of 2007, lacrosse), David Puloka (Class of 2001, football, track and field) and Ann Zelesky (honorary).
• Ashley Zilora of the women's tennis team was selected for The Team's Engaged Athlete Fellowship. The Engaged Athlete Fellowship empowers a diverse class of motivated student athletes nationwide to strengthen nonpartisan civic participation on their teams, their campuses and their broader communities.
• Even if you can't make it to campus for an event, you can still catch a number of our upcoming contests on NESN and NESN Plus this winter. Our basketball doubleheader on Feb. 2 against Boston University will also be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Nov. 22 | Football vs. Georgetown at Fenway Park

Nov. 24 | Men's Basketball Home Opener vs. Siena

Jan. 31 | Women's Ice Hockey Alumnae Day

Feb. 2, 2026 | Crusader Basketball Doubleheader vs. Boston University

Feb. 7, 2026 | Men's Basketball Alumni Day and Celebrating 125 Years of Crusader Men's Basketball

Feb. 14, 2026 | Women's Basketball vs. Loyola (Md.) - National Girls and Women in Sports Day

Feb. 14, 2026 | Women's Basketball Alumnae Day

Feb. 28, 2026 | Men's Ice Hockey Alumni Day