WORCESTER, Mass. – The Holy Cross men's ice hockey team closed out the first half of their regular season schedule with a 4-1 win over Mercyhurst Saturday afternoon at the Hart Center Rink.

Holy Cross improves to 10-6-1 (8-1-1 AHA) while Mercyhurst moves to 0-15-1 (0-9-1 AHA) with the loss.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Senior Mack Oliphant got the Crusaders on the board with 8:47 to go in the first period, sending a one-timer past the Lakers' netminder off a pass by freshman Anthony Biakabutuka on a delayed penalty play.
• Mercyhurst tied the game at 1-1 four minutes into the middle frame.
• Junior Ty Gagno scored what would stand as the game-winning goal halfway through the third period, flipping the puck over the outstretched netminder off a give-and-go with sophomore Noah Eyre.
• Mercyhurst pulled their goaltender in favor of the extra skater with 2:08 to play, but a faceoff win by junior Jack Stockfish led to an empty net goal by senior Devin Phillips 11 seconds later.
• Sophomore Owain Johnston extended the lead to 4-1 with 1:18 remaining in regulation, banking the puck off the glass in the defensive zone and into the empty net for his first collegiate goal and a shorthanded score.

BEYOND THE BOX:

• Freshman Danick Leroux recorded 17 saves in his fourth-straight win.
• Biakabutuka's assist was his first point of his collegiate career.
• Stockfish led both sides with 16 faceoff wins, bringing his season total to 188, good for second in Atlantic Hockey. His 60.6% success rate is also second in the league, just 0.1% behind the leader.

UP NEXT:

• Holy Cross will return to the ice in 2026 when they suit up for a rematch of the 2025 Atlantic Hockey Championship Game on Jan. 2 at Bentley.
• Puck drop in Waltham, Mass. is set for 7 p.m.

 
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