WORCESTER, Mass. – The Holy Cross men's ice hockey team is set to host Merrimack for their final non-conference matchup of the 2025-26 regular season on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Hart Center Rink. The game will be broadcast on both FloHockey and NESN+.
The matchup represents the Crusaders' Star Wars Night - fans are encouraged to dress up as their favorite characters and arrive early for the chance to receive an exclusive Holy Cross branded light-up sword.
THE CRUSADERS (10-7-2, 8-2-2 AHA):
- In their first weekend back following their 26 day hiatus, Holy Cross faced Bentley for a home-and-home set. Behind a 25 save performance by freshman Danick Leroux on Friday night in Waltham, the Crusaders played to a 2-2 tie, but missed out on the extra point in the Atlantic Hockey standings after Bentley won the shootout, 1-0.
- The Crusaders suffered their first Atlantic Hockey loss since Oct. 24 in Saturday's matchup, falling 8-3 in the contest. Senior Mack Oliphant, sophomore Owen Kim, and freshman Dax Williams tallied the three goals, while senior Louden Hogg and junior Connor MacKenzie combined for 26 saves in net.
- The last time the Crusaders allowed eight goals in a game was on Dec. 9, 2016, in an 8-1 loss to Army at the Hart Center.
- The Crusaders, however, currently hold the Atlantic Hockey lead in goals for (66), goals scored per game ( 3.47), assists per game (6.00), points per game (9.47), and faceoff win percentage (.530) and are second in assists (114) and points (180).
- Senior Jack Seymour sits in a three-way tie for third in the nation in plus/minus at +19 on the season, just two ticks behind the leaders in the category. The next closest Atlantic Hockey skaters are teammates senior Matt DeBoer at +12 in a tie for 37th and junior Jack Stockfish at +11 in a tie for 44th.
- Stockfish's 212 face-off wins this season leads Atlantic Hockey and sits in 14th in the nation. His .604 success rate this season also leads Atlantic Hockey.
SCOUTING MERRIMACK (9-10-0, 4-7-0 HEA):
- The Warriors faced Vermont on the road following their 16-day winter break, defeating the Catamounts 5-4, before taking down Brown in Providence, 3-2. Merrimack enters Saturday's matchup on a four-game win streak.
- The lone common opponent between the two sides has been Quinnipiac. Merrimack defeated the Bobcats, 4-1, on Oct. 24, while the Crusaders' played to 1-4 and 6-7 (ot) losses in the first half.
- Merrimack is led on offense by former Niagara Purple Eagle Trevor Hoskin (4-15-19), Justin Gill (6-9-15), and Nick Pierre (10-4-14). Goaltender Max Lundgren has backstopped all 19 games for the Warriors, posting a 2.66 goals-against average and .917 save percentage.
ALL TIME SERIES:
- Merrimack holds the all-time series lead at 34-9-3. dating back to Feb. 16, 1957.
- The two teams last met on Jan. 2, 2024 at the Hart Center Rink. Merrimack took the matchup, 4-3, in overtime. The Crusaders' mounted a third period comeback behind goals from current senior Jack Seymour and graduate Jack Ricketts to erase a 3-1 Merrimack lead to force the extra frame.
- The last Holy Cross win came on Oct. 24, 2006, a 2-1 win in North Andover. The two sides have met just ten times since that game, with the Warriors holding an 8-0-2 record in those meetings.
FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS
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