WORCESTER, Mass. – Holy Cross head women's ice hockey coach Katie Lachapelle has been selected as the 2026 Hockey East Coach of the Year. Lachapelle becomes the Crusaders' first-ever Hockey East Coach of the Year selection.

Lachapelle led Holy Cross to the Hockey East semifinals for the first time in program history this year, with the Crusaders posting an overall record of 19-13-3 and a 10-11-3 mark in Hockey East play. This year's squad broke the school records for the most Hockey East victories (10) and most Hockey East points (37) in a single season, while its 19 overall wins are tied for the fifth-most in program history. 

Lachapelle's team spent four weeks ranked in the USCHO national poll from Jan. 19-Feb. 9, reaching a high of No. 13 in the Jan. 26 and Feb. 2 rankings. This marked the first time any Crusader women's program had ever been nationally ranked at the Division I level. In addition, Holy Cross finished the year eighth in the country in scoring defense, with a team goals against average of 1.84.

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