Holy Cross Varsity Club announces 2025 class in Athletic Hall of Fame

WORCESTER, Mass. – A group who set numerous school records and earned extensive recognition headlines a class of six individuals who will be inducted into the Holy Cross Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame. The 2025 inductees into the Hall of Fame are 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).

These new honorees will be formally inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 25, at the Varsity Club’s annual dinner, to be held in the Hogan Campus Center.

Connolly was a four-year standout for the Holy Cross field hockey team from 2014-2017. During her senior season, she totaled 47 points on 19 goals and nine assists, to break the school single-season record for points and tie the record for goals. Over the course of her collegiate career, she totaled 50 goals and 23 assists for 123 points in 74 games played. Connolly finished her career ranked second all-time at Holy Cross in career goals and points, and fourth in assists. A three-time first team All-Patriot League selection, she was also named All-Northeast Region three times and All-ECAC once. In addition, Connolly led the team to Patriot League Tournament appearances in 2016 and 2017, earning All-Patriot League Tournament honors twice.

Dickinson was a star member of the Crusader men’s soccer team from 2005-2008. The 2008 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, he earned All-Patriot League honors during his junior and senior seasons. A three-time team captain, Dickinson was the leader of a Holy Cross defense which ranked 20th in the nation with an 0.71 goals against average in 2008. He also finished his senior year ranked second on the team in scoring with three goals and one assist for seven points. Over the course of his four-year career, Dickinson totaled six goals and two assists for 14 points in 67 games played. At the time of his graduation, he ranked first all-time at Holy Cross in minutes played (5,487) and fifth in games started (67).

Kutschke was a standout defensive lineman for the Holy Cross football team from 1982-1985. He earned first team All-America honors during his senior season, in addition to being named All-ECAC as a senior and All-New England as a junior. A member of the Crusaders’ 1983 NCAA quarterfinal team, Kutschke finished his collegiate career with 218 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and 18 quarterback sacks. He ranked second in school history in career sacks at the time of his graduation, while his 11 sacks during the 1985 campaign were the most in program history at the time.  

Orr was a star member of the Crusader women’s lacrosse team from 2004-2007. She was named the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year three times, while being a three-time selection to both the All-Patriot League first team and the All-Northeast Region second team. Orr was chosen to the 2007 Patriot League All-Tournament team, while leading the Crusaders to conference titles in 2006 and 2007. She graduated as the Patriot League’s all-time leader in career saves (867) while standing third in ground balls (192), in addition to finishing her career with a 9.33 goals against average and a .555 save percentage. Orr led the Patriot League in save percentage four times, in saves three times and in goals against average twice. She was also selected to the Patriot League’s 25th Anniversary team.

Puloka was a standout member of the Holy Cross football and track and field teams from 1997-2001. On the gridiron, he was a three-time All-Patriot League and two-time All-New England selection along the defensive line, while twice serving as a team captain. Puloka totaled 155 tackles, 44 tackles for loss, 19 quarterback sacks, 13 pass breakups and seven forced fumbles over the course of his four years. He concluded his career ranked third all-time at Holy Cross in tackles for loss and fourth in sacks. Puloka also excelled in throwing events for the track and field team, breaking school records in the indoor shot put (15.90 meters), outdoor shot put (15.82 meters) and outdoor discus throw (53.37 meters).

Zelesky spent 26 years as Holy Cross’ senior women’s administrator from 1989-2015 and was a long-time champion for women’s athletics. Crusader women’s programs won 18 Patriot League Tournament championships and 17 Patriot League regular season titles during Zelesky’s tenure, while making 13 NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2012, she received the Philip E. O’Connell Memorial Award from the Varsity Club for demonstrating outstanding service and loyalty to the club and to Holy Cross. Zelesky has also been inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame, the Massachusetts Basketball Hall of Fame, the Massachusetts Softball Hall of the Fame, the Worcester State Athletics Hall of Fame and the St. Peter-Marian High School Hall of Fame.

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