Dear Crusaders,
Since the last time I wrote, it has been an eventful couple of months on The Hill. From marquee wins, to historic milestones and program firsts, to memorable venues and more, we have had plenty to celebrate as a community! The recent storm that brought us 20+ inches of snow provided a different challenge, but I am proud of how our campus handled that as well!
As we turn the page to the opening week of February, the stakes continue to rise for our Crusaders. On February 2, we will kick off an action-packed week with our nationally televised basketball doubleheader against Boston University. On February 7, we will conclude the week with a history-filled day — when we welcome back former Crusader of the Year winners, celebrate the 125th anniversary of men's basketball at the College, and formally dedicate our basketball court to one of the most legendary figures in Holy Cross and basketball history: Bob Cousy '50. There is plenty more to look forward to, and I encourage you to read more details about every event, giveaway and theme here.
Below, you will read more about our student-athletes' inspiring academic and competitive achievements, along with several upcoming opportunities to support our programs — particularly during our upcoming Power of Purple Giving Day on February 6 and 7. Whether your plans bring you to campus that weekend for Winter Homecoming, or you are scheduled to stop by later this spring, I look forward to connecting with you!
Together, we will continue to elevate our community and Crusader Athletics, and I am immensely grateful for your support.
Go Cross Go!
Kit Hughes
Feel free to reach out — any time — with your thoughts, questions or concerns on our "Be Heard" page!
Three Things To Know
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The College's annual Power of Purple Giving Day is set for Feb. 6 and 7 during Winter Homecoming. During Giving Day we will see thousands of Crusaders across generations come together to support Holy Cross. Join us by making a gift and have an even greater impact on our teams!
- The team with the highest percentage of alumni giving will receive $25,000.
- The team with the highest number of unique individual donors will receive $25,000.
- Each team with 100% parent/family household participation will receive $1,000.
- Holy Cross fans in the eighth grade and below can register to participate in the Crusaders' upcoming FREE National Girls and Women in Sports Day Skills Fest on Saturday, February 14, prior to women's basketball's matchup with Patriot League foe Loyola (Md.)! The pregame Skills Fest will feature a variety of women's programs within Holy Cross Athletics.
- You can continue to support Crusader Athletics by purchasing apparel — either official adidas merchandise of your favorite Crusader student-athletes or programs via Athletic Solutions, or a variety of gear from the College Store. (You can even purchase limited edition Cousy jerseys or t-shirts ahead of our court dedication!)
COUSY COURT DEDICATION
As the College celebrates the 125th anniversary of men's basketball at Holy Cross — the court will be permanently known as Bob Cousy '50 Court, thanks to a generous gift made in Cousy's honor. The recognition cements the legacy of one of the most influential figures in basketball history — not only for his on-court contributions, but also for his civil rights advocacy and his charity work in Central Massachusetts and beyond. A formal dedication and celebration will take place on Saturday, Feb. 7, prior to the men's basketball game vs. Lehigh.
HERZIG NAMED TO SWISS OLYMPIC TEAM
Women's ice hockey freshman forward Naemi Herzig was named to the Swiss National Team for the XXV Winter Olympic Games, which will take place in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from Feb. 6-22. She will become just the sixth student-athlete in Holy Cross history to take part in the Olympics, and will be the Crusaders' first-ever female Olympian and first-ever Winter Olympian.
WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY EARNS FIRST-EVER NATIONAL RANKING
Women's ice hockey was ranked 14th in the nation by USCHO on Jan. 19, marking the first time in program history that the Crusaders had been nationally ranked. It was also the first time any Holy Cross women's team has been nationally ranked at the Division I level. Holy Cross moved up to No. 13 in the Jan. 26 poll.
CRUSADERS CONTINUE ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Holy Cross student-athletes continued to excel in the classroom during the Fall 2025 semester, with a department semester grade-point average of 3.39 during the term. Forty-seven student-athletes finished the semester with a perfect 4.0 GPA. In total, 542 student-athletes finished with a GPA of at least 3.0, with 345 student-athletes recording a 3.5 or better. A total of 11 teams averaged a 3.5 GPA or better. Men's tennis had the best team GPA of any program last semester, with a 3.73; women's golf had the highest GPA for a women's team at 3.68. This also marks the third consecutive semester in which every Holy Cross team has recorded a 3.0 GPA or better.
FOOTBALL AT FENWAY
The football team hosted Georgetown at historic Fenway Park on Nov. 22, defeating the Hoyas 42-7 in front of a lively crowd of nearly 14,000 students, families, alumni and fans. Senior Max Mosey, who scored a touchdown in that game, later went on to win All-America honors for the 2025 season. The Crusaders finished the year with eight All-Patriot League honorees and an All-New England nod for Cam Nolan.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RALLIES PAST VERMONT IN FIELD TRIP GAME PRESENTED BY POLAR BEVERAGES, FLANAGAN CLIMBS ASSIST RANKINGS
The Crusaders earned a spirited win during our annual Field Trip Game presented by Polar Beverages on Dec. 16 — one of the best days of the year, when we welcome 3,000 students from Worcester Public Schools to the Hart Center Arena! Senior Kaitlyn Flanagan hit the go-ahead layup with 0:31 left in the fourth quarter to defeat Vermont, 46-45. Flanagan recently entered the Patriot League's top 10 all-time list in career assists, and currently ranks seventh in Holy Cross history with 487 career assists.
STOCKFISH ON THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STAGE
Men's ice hockey junior forward Jack Stockfish traveled to Davos, Switzerland in December to represent Holy Cross and Atlantic Hockey at the 2025 Spengler Cup with the U.S. Collegiate Selects team, finishing the tournament as runners-up, falling to the home side of HC Davos in the championship game. Stockfish was also named a 2026 Hobey Baker Memorial Award nominee on Jan. 21. You can vote for him daily by texting 26004 to 844-623-9688!
MEN'S BASKETBALL POSTS THRILLING WIN, NUGENT ENTERS RECORD BOOKS
The men's basketball team rallied from a 16-point second half deficit to steal a 70-69 victory against Fordham on the road at the Tom Konchalski Classic on Dec. 6, marking Holy Cross' first win over Fordham since 2005. Holy Cross slowly chipped away at the deficit as they trailed by 12 with 4:42 left in the game, going on a 15-2 run over the final moments of the contest. Junior Joe Nugent currently ranks fourth all-time in program history with 186 three-pointers, and needs six more to climb into third place.
PROGRAM RECORDS & FIRST-PLACE FINISHES APLENTY FOR TRACK & FIELD
Three different members of the men's track & field team have broken program records thus far in 2025-26: senior Liam Lyons (1,000 & 3,000 meters), junior Joseph Mahon (5,000 meters) and Tristan Miller (300 meters). Lyons' 1,000 meter time of 2:19.31 surpassed his previous record of 2:21.16 and marked the second-fastest time in Patriot League history. A total of nine student-athletes from the women's track & field team have notched first-place finishes across four meets to date.
SWIMMING & DIVING TEAMS SHINE AT HAROLD ANDERSON INVITATIONAL
The men's swimming and diving team won the championship at the Harold Anderson Invitational, while the women came in fourth. The men broke four school records during the meet, in the 50-yard freestyle (Will Clark), the 200-yard individual medley (Jack Greiner), the 400-yard individual medley (Greiner) and the 200-yard medley relay (Greiner, Zach Bubonovich, Andrew Villani and Clark).
PRESEASON ALL-PATRIOT LEAGUE HONORS
Several Crusaders earned preseason All-Patriot League honors, highlighted by two baseball student-athletes winning major awards: seniors CJ Egrie (Preseason Player of the Year) and Jaden Wywoda (Pitcher of the Year). Junior Gianni Royer joined his teammates on the preseason All-League team. Women's lacrosse senior Racheli Levy-Smith also earned preseason honors. Baseball was picked to finish in first place in the poll, while women's lacrosse was selected to come in fourth.
NEW FACES
We recently welcomed David Heimerdinger as our Assistant Director of Athletics for Facilities and Game Operations. He joins us from the Air Force Academy, where he previously served as an Assistant Stadium Manager.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Jan. 30 | Men's Ice Hockey vs. Army | Pink the Rink | 7 p.m.
Tickets
Jan. 31 | #13 Women's Ice Hockey vs. Northeastern | Alumnae Day | 6 p.m.
Registration
Feb. 2 | Women's and Men's Basketball Doubleheader vs. Boston University | 4:30 & 7 p.m.
Nationally televised on CBS Sports Network!
Single Ticket | 4 Reserved Bleacher Seats for $26 | 2 Reserved Chairback Seats for $26
Feb. 5 | Coffee with the Crusaders
Feb. 6-7 | Power of Purple Giving Day
Celebrate the Power of Purple and make a gift to support our student-athletes and teams during the College's annual Giving Day!
Feb. 6 | #13 Women's Hockey vs. Boston College | 2 p.m.
Free admission!
Feb. 6 | Men's Hockey vs. Bentley | 7 p.m.
Tickets
Feb. 7 | Bob Cousy '50 Court Dedication | 12:30 p.m.
Registration
Feb. 7 | Men's Basketball vs. Lehigh & 125th Anniversary Celebration | 2 p.m.
Tickets | Alumni Day Registration | Cousy Court Dedication Registration
Feb. 7 | #13 Women's Hockey vs. New Hampshire | 6 p.m.
Free admission and Senior Night!
Feb. 11 | Fall 2025 Academic Recognition Night | Men's Basketball vs. Colgate | 6 p.m.
Tickets
Feb. 14 | National Girls and Women in Sports Day Skills Fest
Registration
Feb. 14 | Women's Basketball vs. Loyola (Md.) | Alumnae Day | 2 p.m.
Tickets | Registration
Feb. 27 | Men's Ice Hockey vs. RIT | Senior Night
Tickets
Feb. 28 | Men's Ice Hockey vs. RIT | Alumni Day & 20th Anniversary of 2006 Championship
Registration | Tickets
April 18 | Genoa Grosch ?'99 Jersey Retirement & Softball Alumnae Day
April 25 | Baseball Alumni Day & 150th Anniversary Celebration
FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS
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