Holy Cross Crusaders men's ice hockey
Encyclopedia
The Holy Cross Crusaders men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I college ice hockey
program that represents College of the Holy Cross
. The Crusaders are a member of the Atlantic Hockey Association
(AHA). They play at the Hart Center
in Worcester, Massachusetts
.
(MAAC) for ice hockey beginning in the 1998-99 season. That same season the team won the MAAC Tournament Championship. In 2003 ice hockey was split from the MAAC and became the Atlantic Hockey Association, a hockey-only conference.
In its history, the Holy Cross ice hockey program has seen two NCAA appearances, and has won the Atlantic Hockey and MAAC three times (1999, 2004, 2006).
In 2004 after beating Sacred Heart
4–0 to win the Atlantic Hockey Championship, the team received a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the program's history. The Crusaders lost in the NCAA West Regional Semifinal to North Dakota 0–3.
On March 24, 2006, the Holy Cross men's hockey team made history by defeating the Minnesota Golden Gophers
in the first round of the NCAA Division I Tournament by the score of 4–3, in overtime. Coined as one of the biggest upsets in NCAA ice hockey history. The upset was the first time a fifteen or sixteen seed beat a number one or two seed, since the field was expanded to sixteen teams.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division I college ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
program that represents College of the Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
. The Crusaders are a member of the Atlantic Hockey Association
Atlantic Hockey
The Atlantic Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates primarily in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey–only conference. Unlike several other college athletic conferences, Atlantic Hockey has no women's...
(AHA). They play at the Hart Center
Hart Center
"Hart Recreation Center" redirects here.The Hart Recreation Center is the main athletic center at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was built in 1975 and is home to the Holy Cross Crusaders athletic teams. It is named for the Rev. Francis J...
in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
.
History
Holy Cross men's ice hockey began in 1966. The team played as an independent NCAA Division I team from its inception in 1966 through 1998. The Crusaders joined the Metro Atlantic Athletic ConferenceMetro Atlantic Athletic Conference
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. MAAC teams compete in the NCAA's Division I. Most of the members are Catholic or formerly Catholic institutions; the only exception is the private but secular Rider...
(MAAC) for ice hockey beginning in the 1998-99 season. That same season the team won the MAAC Tournament Championship. In 2003 ice hockey was split from the MAAC and became the Atlantic Hockey Association, a hockey-only conference.
In its history, the Holy Cross ice hockey program has seen two NCAA appearances, and has won the Atlantic Hockey and MAAC three times (1999, 2004, 2006).
In 2004 after beating Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart University
Sacred Heart University is a Roman Catholic university located in suburban Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. Sacred Heart was founded in 1963 by the Most Reverend Walter W. Curtis, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Sacred Heart University was the first Catholic university in...
4–0 to win the Atlantic Hockey Championship, the team received a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the program's history. The Crusaders lost in the NCAA West Regional Semifinal to North Dakota 0–3.
On March 24, 2006, the Holy Cross men's hockey team made history by defeating the Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey
The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey...
in the first round of the NCAA Division I Tournament by the score of 4–3, in overtime. Coined as one of the biggest upsets in NCAA ice hockey history. The upset was the first time a fifteen or sixteen seed beat a number one or two seed, since the field was expanded to sixteen teams.