WORCESTER, Mass. – Senior Liam McLinskey was named Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year, Forward of the Year, and Scoring Champion, while senior Thomas Gale was named Goaltender of the Year and Goaltending Champion, the league announced Tuesday afternoon. Head coach Bill Riga was named Coach of the Year.
 
McLinskey, the reigning Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year and Scoring Champion, becomes the first two-time Player of the Year in Atlantic Hockey history. McLinskey paced the Crusaders in all offensive categories in the regular season, posting team-bests in points (43), goals (20), assists (23), and power play goals (7). His 43 points, 20 goals, and 1.26 points per game led the league, while his 23 assists were tied for the fourth-highest mark. McLinskey, who was also named Atlantic Hockey Forward of the Year and an All-Atlantic Hockey First Team selection, enters the championship game with 51 points on 23 goals and 28 assists, which rank third, sixth, and ninth in the nation, respectively.
 
Gale, the 2024-25 Goaltender of the Year, finished the regular season with a 20-11-2 record, 2.04 goals-against average, and .930 save percentage with two shutouts. His 20 wins and 895 saves were tied for the fourth-most in the nation, while his goals-against placed him 11^th, and his save percentage tied for eighth. Gale earned the Atlantic Hockey Goaltending Champion title with a league-leading .940 save percentage in Atlantic Hockey games. A First Team selection this season, Gale enters the championship game with a 24-12-2 record, 2.06 goals-against, and .930 save percentage.
 
Riga, in his fourth season at the helm, is the Coach of the Year for the first time in his career. Riga led the Crusaders to an Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Champions title and No. 1 seed this season - marking the first time that Holy Cross has been at the top of the league since 2006.
 
During Riga's tenure, the team has steadily improved every year; in his first season on The Hill in 2021-22, Riga's squad ended the year at 12-23-2 after the Crusaders finished with a 4-12-0 record in the COVID-shortened season prior to his arrival. Two years ago, Holy Cross posted 17 wins and made it to the Atlantic Hockey title game, and last year, the Crusaders posted their first 20-win season since 2012-13. To date, Holy Cross has posted a 24-13-2 record, marking their first back-to-back 20+ win season since the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
 
The top-seeded Crusaders return to the Hart Center Rink on Saturday, March 22 at 7 p.m. for the winner-takes-all Atlantic Hockey Championship game against third-seeded Bentley.
 
2025 Atlantic Hockey Individual Award Finalists:
 
Player of the Year: Liam McLinskey, Holy Cross
 
Forward of the Year: Liam McLinskey, Holy Cross
 
AHA Scoring Champion: Liam McLinskey, Holy Cross (39 points in AHA play)
 
Best Defenseman: Mac Gadowsky, Army
 
Goaltender of the Year: Thomas Gale, Holy Cross
 
Goaltending Champion: Thomas Gale, Holy Cross (.940 save percentage in AHA play)
 
Rookie of the Year: Trevor Hoskin, Niagara
 
Co-Best Defensive Forwards: Austin Schwartz, Air Force and Ethan Leyh, Bentley
 
Individual Sportsmanship: Mac Gadowsky, Army
 
Team Sportsmanship Award: Niagara (league-low 192 PIMS in AHA play)
 
Coach of the Year: Bill Riga, Holy Cross
 
FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 
Be sure to follow the Holy Cross men's ice hockey team — and all things Crusader Athletics — on social media!
Twitter - @HCrossMHockey | @goholycross
Instagram - @hcrossmhockey | @goholycross
Facebook - Holy Cross Men's Ice Hockey | Holy Cross Athletics
YouTube - GoHolyCross