WORCESTER, Mass.- The Holy Cross women's ice hockey team will travel to Orono, Maine, on Friday, Feb. 21 and Saturday, Feb. 22. The Black Bears will host the Crusaders at 6 p.m. on Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday in the Harold Alfond Sports Arena. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+. 

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT HOLY CROSS (10-16-3, 6-14-3 Hockey East): 

• The Crusaders recently completed their first regular season series sweep over Vermont on Feb. 15 and 16. Holy Cross took game one 1-0 and game two 3-1 for a six-point weekend.
• Just three minutes into the first period of game one, sophomore forward Reghan Chadwick maneuvered the puck up and into the back of the net. Junior forward Charlotte Sonntag and senior defender Carmen Elliott earned assists on the play. 
• Neither team scored in the final two second periods for the Crusaders to take the 1-0 victory.
• Midway through the first period in game two, sophomore Lulu Rourke went on a breakaway, picking up a rogue rebounded Vermont shot to then net a top-shelf wrister on her own at 9:11.
• In the second period, a strong battle on the boards by redshirt freshman defender Kenzee Hope and junior assistant captain Alexia Moreau set up sophomore forward Reghan Chadwick for a successful breakaway attempt for the 2-0 lead at 18:19.
• Late in the third period, Vermont pulled its goalie for the extra skater advantage. After nine shots over almost two minutes, the Catamounts finally got the puck past junior goalie Abby Hornung at 18:58. Then, within one of the Crusaders, Vermont continued its strategy of playing without a goalie in net and an extra skater on the ice. A pile-up on the boards near the Holy Cross net resulted in senior defender Emilie Fortunato gaining possession and working the puck up the ice. At 19:54, Fortunato found Rourke, who sent the puck in for the empty-netter to seal the 3-1 win for the Crusaders.
• Chadwick was named Hockey East Co-Player of the Week due to her efforts over the weekend.
• 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 82 blocks so far this season, 43 more than the closest Crusader and 18 more than anyone else in the league. Min is currently tied for third in the nation in blocks.
• Hornung started between the Crusaders' pipes for both games against the Catamounts. She shut out Vermont and made 23 saves in game one and took the win with 29 saves in game two. She now owns a 1.78 goals against with a .942 save percentage. Hornung is currently tied for fourth in the nation and tied for second in Hockey East for her save percentage. She is ranked fourth in Hockey East for her goals-against average. Her efforts on the weekend earned her Hockey East Stop It Goaltending Goaltender of the Week honors.

BACKGROUND ON THE BLACK BEARS (10-20-2, 9-14-2 Hockey East):

• Most recently, the Black Bears traveled to Merrimack over the weekend, tying in game one 1-1 OT, losing in the shootout on Feb. 14, and taking game two 3-0 on Feb. 15.
• After a scoreless opening period in game one, Maine's senior forward Mira Seregély scored at 16:47 in the second period to put the Black Bears ahead. She was assisted by junior forward Ava Stevenson and freshman defender Kendall Sundby.
• Merrimack tied the game less than two minutes into the final frame and the game ultimately was forced into overtime. Neither team was able to score to end the extra period. The Warriors claimed the extra point in Hockey East standings, winning the shootout 2-0.
• At 3:39 in the first period of game two, Sundby scored for the early lead with help from freshman forward Stephanie Jacob.
• The Black Bears doubled their lead with graduate defender Elise Morphy scoring at 9:55. Sophomore forward Lily Fetch and Alyssa Wruble assisted her.
• In a last-ditch effort to get on the board in the final period, Merrimack pulled its goalie for the extra skater advantage. Wruble gained possession of the puck and sent in an empty netter at 19:33.8 to seal the 3-0 win in favor of Maine. Sophomore forward Raegan Wurm and senior defender Jamie Grinder were credited with the assists.
• Fetch is Maine's leading scorer with eight goals and the most points with 15 so far this year. Senior defender Adriana Morrison and sophomore forward Sam Morrison are currently tied for the most Black Bear assists on the season (8). Grinder has made 41 blocks on the year, the most on the team.
• Freshman goalie Kiia Lahtinen was in net for both games on the weekend, making 21 saves in game one and shutting out Merrimack with 19 saves in game two for two wins against the Warriors. She owns a current 2.81 goals-against average and .910 save percentage. Lahtinen was named Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week for her efforts in the series.

LAST TIME THEY MET:

• Holy Cross and Maine met earlier this season. The Crusaders hosted the Black Bears for Senior Day and took home the 1-0 OT victory on Feb. 1. Senior defender Carmen Elliott netted the game-winner with help from sophomore forward Lulu Rourke and junior assistant captain Alexia Moreau.
• The Crusaders hold a 4-13-3 all-time and conference series record against the Black Bears.

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