WORCESTER, Mass.- The Holy Cross women's ice hockey team will host Vermont on Saturday, Feb. 15 and Sunday, Feb. 16. The Crusaders will hold their 25th Anniversary game at 7 p.m. on Saturday and return on Sunday at 3 p.m. for their Youth Day and Taylor Swift Music Night game in the Hart Center Rink. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT HOLY CROSS (8-16-3, 4-14-3 Hockey East):
- The Crusaders recently hosted Providence on Feb. 7 and traveled to UConn on Feb. 8. Holy Cross dropped both games in close battles. The Friars took game one 3-2 and the Huskies claimed a 1-0 win in game two.
- In the first period of game one, sophomore forward Lulu Rourke converted on the power-play with a beautiful top-shelf goal fed in by junior forward Charlotte Sonntag and freshman Hannah Deck at 13:26. With 16 seconds left in the period, Providence tied the game up 1-1.
- Another late goal scored by the Friars stole the 2-1 lead at 18:23.
- In the third period, the Friars furthered their lead with a goal at 4:50. The Crusaders pulled junior goalie Abby Hornung from the net to have the extra skater advantage and Deck fired a laser from the point to bring Holy Cross within one goal at 19:47. She was assisted by senior forwards Madison Michals and Mackenzie King. The Crusaders ran out of time to tie the score and the Friars claimed the 3-2 victory in regulation.
- Midway through the first period in game two, UConn poked the puck in off a scramble in front of Holy Cross's net at 8:21. Despite a strong effort from the Crusaders over the next two periods, the Huskies came out with the 1-0 victory.
- Sophomore assistant captain Emily Crovo currently leads Holy Cross in every offensive category. She has scored six goals on the year, three of which were on the power-play, and had 10 assists for 16 points. Senior captain Emma Min leads the Holy Cross defense with 73 blocks so far this season, 40 more than the closest Crusader and 13 more than anyone else in the league. Min is currently sixth in the nation in blocks.
- Hornung started between the Crusaders' pipes in game one against Providence, making 31 saves. She now owns a 1.91 goals against with a .939 save percentage. Hornung is currently tied for eighth in the nation for her save percentage. Junior assistant captain Brooke Loranger was in net for Holy Cross for the season series finale against the Huskies. She had a season-high 41 saves for a now 2.37 goals against average and .923 save percentage.
CLUES ON THE CATAMOUNTS (16-9-3, 12-7-2 Hockey East):
- Most recently the Catamounts split the Feb. 7/8 weekend with No. 15 Boston College dropping game one 7-1 and taking game two 3-2.
- In game one, Vermont's junior forward Lara Beecher converted on the power-play at 5:24 in the first period with help from sophomore defender Ashley Kokavec and senior goalie Sydney Correa. No. 15 Boston College equalized with a power-play goal at 14:14 to end the opening period 1-1.
- The nationally ranked Eagles took over in the second period netting four goals, one on the power-play for the 5-1 lead. No. 15 Boston College sealed the win with two more goals in the third period for the 7-1 victory over the Catamounts.
- Vermont's sophomore forward Rose-Marie Brochu kicked off game two with a goal just 44 seconds into the first period. Freshman forward Oona Havana and Kokavec assisted her. The Eagles responded at 6:29 and took the lead with a second goal at 7:15.
- Brochu scored again with a solo goal just 42 seconds into the second period to tie the game 2-2. At 14:04, sophomore forward McKenzie Cerrato netted the game-winner for the 3-2 victory over No. 15 Boston College. Brochu earned her third point on the night with an assist on Cerrto's goal. Redshirt junior defender Anna Podein was also credited with an assist on the game-winner.
- Beecher currently resides as the Catamounts' leading scorer with six goals and most assists with nine on the season. Beecher and Kokavec have tallied 15 points each so far this year. Podein has 47 blocks this season, the most of any Catamount.
- Senior goalies Correa and Jane Gervais split time in net against the nationally ranked Eagles. Correa was in goal for game one and made 23 saves for a current 3.47 goals-against average and .887 save percentage. Gervais was between the pipes for game two and made 29 saves to earn the win. She now owns a 2.63 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.
LAST TIME THEY MET:
- Holy Cross and Vermont met earlier this season. The Crusaders traveled to Burlington, Vt. took home the 2-1 OT victory on Nov. 15. Junior assistant captain Alexia Moreau netted the game-winner with help from junior forward Lane Lewis.
- The Crusaders hold a 5-12-1 all-time and 5-9-1 conference series record against the Catamounts.
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