Dear Crusaders,
Earlier this week, I had the good fortune to pay a visit to the legendary Bob Cousy — always an opportunity for thought-provoking discussion, but this time, it was perhaps our most inspiring conversation yet.
Over the span of nearly two hours, Bob reflected on many topics spanning his 97 years, from his upbringing in New York, to his time with the Crusaders and Celtics, to his longtime connection with the Worcester community. But what struck me most was how poignantly he reflected on his fondness for Holy Cross' Jesuit values and how they shaped him into the person he is today.
In many ways, Bob set the standard for what it means to be a Crusader. Not only for his countless athletic achievements, but also for how truly he embodies what it means to be a person for and with others. Just as his time at Holy Cross was a transformational experience for him 75 years ago, it has had a similar impact on generations of Crusaders since his time on The Hill. When asked who has had the most profound impact on his life, Bob quickly shared it was Rev. John Brooks, S.J. '49, and his good friend Kevin Condron '67 — another two legendary Crusaders. For someone who has been invited to the White House by nine sitting U.S. Presidents, toured the world as a part of his advocacy work, and made a positive impact on countless communities, the indelible mark made on his life by people at Holy Cross was first to his mind. Let that sink in…
With Homecoming quickly approaching next weekend (Oct. 3-4), I know many of our alumni are similarly reflecting upon just what makes Holy Cross special in their own lives. Many of the highlights you will read below, from a productive summer and start to the 2025 fall season, mirror that sentiment: a Holy Cross education is a transformative opportunity that fosters a commitment to comprehensive excellence and lifelong engagement. We are all so fortunate to be a part of it!
I look forward to seeing many of you in the coming weeks and months on campus — please be sure to say hello!
Go Cross Go!
Kit Hughes
Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics
Feel free to reach out — any time — with your thoughts, questions or concerns on our "Be Heard" page!
Three Things To Know
- We hope to see you at a football game this fall — whether that's at Homecoming on Oct. 4, our Hall of Fame Weekend on Oct. 25, Family Weekend on Nov. 1 or our Nov. 22 game at Fenway Park, there are plenty of memorable events coming up.
- Tickets are also on sale for our winter sports — both single-game and season tickets are available now for men's ice hockey, while season tickets are on sale for men's and women's basketball. Women's ice hockey, which opens its season this weekend at the Hart Center Rink, always has free admission for home games — the best deal in Worcester!
- This week, we announced that we have formally teamed up with Shift Group to empower our student-athletes to successfully tell their story post-uniform and connect directly with companies committed to hiring student athletes. JR Butler '08 is the founder and CEO of Shift Group — and has also been instrumental in the development of the Mount St. James Collective. (If you haven't already seen it, I encourage you to check out our recent "MSJC 101" series — and if you're interested in learning more, I'll be joining men's basketball head coach Dave Paulsen at 11 a.m. on Oct. 4 during Homecoming for a panel entitled "Crusaders & Compensation: The Future of Holy Cross Athletics and NIL." You can RSVP now!)
NEWS AND UPDATES
Athletic Highlights
Academic Highlights
- Team academic honors went to baseball (ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award), men's basketball (NABC Team Academic Excellence Award), men's golf (GCAA All-Academic Team), women's lacrosse (IWLCA Academic Honor Squad), men's swimming and diving (CSCAA Scholar All-America Team), women's swimming and diving (CSCAA Scholar All-America Team), men's tennis (ITA All-Academic Team) and women's tennis (ITA All-Academic Team).
- College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors were earned by senior Ginger Berry (women's rowing), senior Owen Egan (men's golf), senior Emilie Fortunato (women's ice hockey), senior Meggan Fourie (field hockey), senior Thomas Gale (men's ice hockey), junior Abby Hornung (women's ice hockey), senior Lindsay Hult (women's lacrosse), senior Calahan McPherson (men's lacrosse), senior John Mitchell (men's lacrosse), senior Nolan Schuermann (men's golf), senior Luke Shoemaker (men's lacrosse) and senior Sally Zinsner (women's lacrosse).
- 27 of our student-athletes were named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars.
- The men's golf, women's golf, men's ice hockey and women's ice hockey programs combined for 17 All-American Scholar selections.
- 16 student-athletes from the men's tennis and women's tennis programs were named Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athletes.
- Men's rowing had 14 student-athletes named Empacher-IRCA Scholar Athletes.
- Women's lacrosse had five selections to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Academic Honor Roll.
- Men's basketball had three student-athletes named to the National Basketball Coaches Association Honors Court.
- We placed 20 student-athletes on the Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team, 19 on the Hockey East All-Academic Team and seven on the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association All-Academic Team.
- 292 student-athletes were named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll for winter and spring sports, bringing our total number of Academic Honor Roll selections for the academic year to 425.
- Football senior captain Cam Nolan has been named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, presented to the best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
Staffing Highlights
Other Highlights
- Women's track and field's Haley Murphy was selected as one of the Patriot League's nominees for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
- In another record-setting year for Holy Cross Athletics, 4,786 donors contributed $3.56 million to the Crusader Athletics Fund (CAF) during the 2025 fiscal year. This marks a new benchmark for dollars raised and total donors.
- The men's basketball team participated in an immersion tour of Greece in late July, with stops in Thessaloniki, Meteora and Athens.
- We hosted our Student-Athlete Welcome Back event at the St. Joseph Memorial Chapel for the second straight year on Aug. 27.
- We held our third annual Crusader Community Fest on Sept. 14, welcoming a record number of attendees from the Worcester community to learn new sports and meet our student-athletes.
- We have officially partnered with Team IMPACT to provide life-changing experiences for children and their families, while deepening connections between student-athletes and the broader Worcester community.
- Men's soccer senior Julian Beban was named to the Allstate Good Works Team, as announced by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. Field hockey junior Madison Clark, men's cross country senior Liam Lyons and volleyball senior Gracie Reisman were also fall sport nominees for Holy Cross.
- Baseball's Danny Macchiarola was drafted as the 242nd pick in the eighth round of the 2025 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners, becoming the highest drafted Crusader since 1982.
- Men's basketball alumnus Caleb Kenney earned the Co-Men's Award of Outstanding Leadership & Character from the Patriot League in late June.
- Men's basketball alumnus Bo Montgomery signed with his hometown Memphis Grizzlies for the 2025 NBA Summer League in June.
- A total of six Crusader alumni participated in NFL Training Camps: Liam Anderson (Indianapolis Colts), Jalen Coker (Carolina Panthers), C.J. Hanson (Kansas City Chiefs), Luke Newman (Chicago Bears), Kalif Raymond (Detroit Lions) and Benton Whitley (Arizona Cardinals).
- Men's ice hockey senior Mack Oliphant (Vancouver Canucks), junior Jack Stockfish (Nashville Predators), and freshman Danick Leroux (New York Islanders) attended NHL Development Camps following the NHL Draft this summer.
- Men's ice hockey graduates Liam McLinskey and Jack Ricketts received invites to NHL Training Camps. McLinskey is suiting up for the Florida Panthers, while Ricketts is training with the Utah Mammoth.
- Women's lacrosse alum Tori Cini received the 2025 Trina Mangano Scholarship, awarded by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Officials Recruitment and Development Committee.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Sept. 26 | Women's Ice Hockey Season Opener vs. RPI — free admission
Oct. 2 | Coffee With The Crusaders
Oct. 3 | Volleyball Alumnae Game and Homecoming Tailgate
Oct. 4 | Swimming & Diving Alumni Meet and Celebration of 50 Years of Women's Swimming & Diving
Oct. 4 | Football vs. Harvard | Homecoming
Oct. 4 | Men's Ice Hockey Season Opener at Northeastern
Oct. 11 | Men's Soccer Alumni Day
Oct. 21 | Men's Ice Hockey Home Opener vs. Quinnipiac
Oct. 22 | Men's and Women's Basketball Open Practices
Oct. 25 | Football vs. Colgate | Hall of Fame Dinner
Oct. 29 | Basketball Tipoff Event at Oak Barrel Tavern
Oct. 31 | Men's Ice Hockey vs. Sacred Heart | Family Weekend
*Family Weekend Double Play Ticket Package
Nov. 1 | Football vs. Lafayette | Family Weekend
Nov. 3 | Men's Basketball Season Opener at Providence
Nov. 3 | Women's Basketball Season Opener at Boston College
Nov. 6 | Coffee with the Crusaders
Nov. 12 | Women's Basketball Home Opener vs. Brown
Nov. 22 | Football vs. Georgetown at Fenway Park
Nov. 24 | Men's Basketball Home Opener vs. Siena
FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS
Be sure to follow all things Crusader Athletics on social media!
Twitter - @goholycross
Instagram - @goholycross
Facebook - Holy Cross Athletics
YouTube - GoHolyCross