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We are Crusader Nation. At a place that has a storied and proud history, where loyal followings witnessed the many triumphs of Cousy, Heinsohn, Lockbaum and Perry, a school begins to reignite its quest for athletic glory. It’s time to rally once more behind the shield and stand shoulder to shoulder in pursuit of athletic excellence. We Rise Together.
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HOLY CROSS MOMENTS The men’s basketball team started the 201415 season with a bang, defeating 25th-ranked Harvard 58-57 in the Coaches vs. Cancer Tripleheader at the TD Garden in Boston. The win marked the Crusaders’ first victory over a ranked team since 1977.
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HOLY CROSS MOMENTS The men’s rowing varsity eight finished the 2015 season by placing 17th in the nation at the IRA National Championship Regatta. The Crusaders spent the final five weeks of the regular season ranked in the Top 20 in the nation.
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HOLY CROSS MOMENTS The women’s ice hockey team won three games in five days to capture the 2015 ECAC Open Tournament title, bringing home their first conference title since 2011.
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HOLY CROSS MOMENTS The men’s lacrosse team defeated a ranked team for the first time in program history, knocking off No. 8 Loyola 13-12 on a snowy day in Baltimore.
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HOLY CROSS MOMENTS The women’s outdoor track and field team brought home a pair of Patriot League titles in 2015. Catherine Gildea ‘16 won the 800-meter run, while the 4x800-meter relay team also captured first place.
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Message from the President: Mind, Body, Spirit, Community I am delighted to have the opportunity to share a few words with you in these pages. The 2014-15 Athletics Annual Report not only chronicles the accomplishments of our teams and student-athletes over the past year, it also celebrates the great spirit and pride around athletics that have long helped define Holy Cross. One of the underlying pillars of Jesuit education is the focus on the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. This integrated approach to learning and personal development is central to our mission today—just as it was when St. Ignatius Loyola and his companions founded the first Jesuit schools four centuries ago. Today, that tenet is alive and well—and exemplified in Holy Cross studentathletes, who balance rigorous academic work with demanding Division I competition, and who are learning valuable leadership skills along with exploring life’s most fundamental questions. To this integrated Ignatian approach to learning, at Holy Cross we purposefully include the perspective of “community.” Our focus on the education of the whole person involves the entire Holy Cross family. Again, we see that commitment exemplified in our Athletics program, which is so deeply rooted in campus life. Our student-athletes are actively engaged in community service, on and off campus. Athletics also serves to engage our alumni and parents, helping them interact with individual students and teams and informing them of our goals, priorities, and aspirations. As I reflect on my past year on campus, many of the highlights and memorable moments took place on our fields and courts. I know that is the experience, too, of current students and alumni (of all ages!) and their families. This year also brought me to a new position in the Patriot League. I am honored to be chair of the League’s Council of Presidents and look forward to working with the presidents of American, Army, Boston University, Bucknell, Colgate, Lafayette, Lehigh, Loyola Maryland, and Navy, all full members of the League, as well as associate member presidents at Fordham, Georgetown, MIT, and Richmond. As you will read in these pages, there is a great deal of excitement surrounding the year ahead, and we look forward to sharing news, announcements, and successes with all of you. Finally, on behalf of the entire Holy Cross Community, I extend special gratitude to the alumni, parents and friends who have contributed to the Crusader Athletic Fund. This year, 3,915 donors have given a record-setting $1.39 million, directly benefiting our student-athletes and varsity programs. Thank you for your support and partnership. Go Saders!
Philip L. Boroughs, S.J. President
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Dear Friends, It is with great pride that I share with you the following comprehensive illustrated report of the 2014-15 year in review for Holy Cross Athletics. Our annual report is intended to give you, our stakeholders, a look into the tremendous successes of our student-athletes, coaches and staff throughout the previous academic year. We continue to work to provide an exceptional experience for all of our student-athletes representing the purple and white and the Holy Cross community at-large. Holy Cross Athletics continues to grow with renewed enthusiasm and promise toward increased competitiveness while honoring the priority of the academic mission of the College. Our student-athletes continue to achieve at exceptional levels in the classroom. In the 2014-15 school year Holy Cross tied for 1st in the nation with a Graduation Success Rate of 99 percent, with 20 different squads posting a perfect 100 percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR). We also saw 12 Holy Cross teams receive NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR) public recognition awards (given to the top 10 percent of teams in their respective sport in the country), placing Holy Cross in the top 5 percent of all Division I schools in the nation. In total, Holy Cross had a staggering 312 student-athletes recognized on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll during the 2014-15 school year. As you will see throughout the annual report, a number of the Holy Cross teams had banner seasons in 2014-15. I am encouraged by the progress we have made during my short time on Mount St. James and I am committed to continuing our efforts toward even greater success in the future. Last year our men’s rowing varsity eight recorded its best season in school history, finishing the season ranked No. 17 in the nation following the IRA National Championship Regatta in June. The team was also ranked in the top 20 in the nation for five straight weeks during the 2015 competitive season (another program record). Our women’s ice hockey team had an outstanding year, winning the lone conference championship for Holy Cross in 2014-15. The team finished 18-7-3 and won the ECAC Open Tournament title (their first since 2011). The men’s lacrosse team saw significant improvement under first-year head coach Judd Lattimore, earning a national ranking during the season for the first time in program history. The team also posted impressive wins over top 10 nationally ranked opponents Loyola and Army West Point. Women’s soccer also made impressive strides in the fall finishing the season 10-5-3 (accounting for the most program victories since 2000). In aggregate, Holy Cross had its most successful season since joining the Patriot League 25 years ago, finishing seventh in the League’s President’s Cup standings (and scoring the most points ever toward the President’s Cup). At the conclusion of the school year, four outstanding graduating seniors were honored by the Holy Cross Varsity Club for their impressive individual achievements. Terry McKenna of men’s lacrosse was selected as the Crusader of the Year, while men’s ice hockey player Matt Ginn received the John A. Meegan Athletic Achievement Award, women’s lacrosse player Laura Ryan took home the John P. Cooney Memorial Award and football player Charlie Murphy was this year’s recipient of the Daniel Allen Sportsmanship Award.
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Giving back to the community continues to be an important fundamental tenant of the overall Holy Cross experience of men and women for and with others, and our student-athletes are involved throughout the year in various initiatives and projects across the greater Worcester community. In total, our student-athletes dedicated more than 3,000 hours of service in 2014-15. A few of our student-athletes were also recognized publicly for their outstanding work in service this past year. Women’s track and field sprinter Payton Shubrick received the George B. Moran Award and the Crusader in the Community Award, and football player Tyler Zeoli was honored with inclusion on the American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team and a Presidential Service Award. There were also noticeable increases this year in overall attendance at athletics competitions and exposure for our sports teams throughout the year. I believe our increases correlate to many new promotional and enhanced game experience initiatives the athletics staff implemented in 2014-15. The social media presence and the creative marketing content has grown exponentially through a concerted effort to improve in both areas. Additional promotion of Holy Cross Athletics included adding partnerships with Outfront Media Sports (creating Crusader Sports Properties – the corporate sponsorship arm of Holy Cross Athletics), NeuLion Technologies (new website & ticketing system), Charter TV3 of Worcester (for football, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s hockey game broadcasts), and Sports Radio 1440 WEEI of Worcester (the new flagship radio station for Holy Cross Athletics), to broaden our reach and capabilities. With respect to athletics facilities, we took a major step forward toward improving our future prospects with fundraising totaling $65 million towards the Hart Center expansion and renovation project thanks to some incredible generosity from our alumni. While fundraising efforts continue on that front, noticeable improvements to our current facilities have already begun including an overhaul of the men’s and women’s rowing tanks in the Hart Center, a redesign and total equipment upgrade of the varsity weight room, a new re-engineered sound system and interior paint in the basketball arena, and a total refresh of the main hallway of the Hart Center to include new branding, logos, student-athlete graphics, and appropriate representations of our storied athletics history. All of our outdoor venues also received much needed graphics and wayfinding signage upgrades in 2014-15. I believe these improvements are important as they are clear indicators to our studentathletes, coaches, staff, and fans that positive progress is underway at Holy Cross. Thank you in advance for your continued support of Holy Cross Athletics and please enjoy the annual report. Respectfully,
Nathan Pine Director of Athletics College of the Holy Cross
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LEADING THE NATION Holy Cross’ student-athletes continue to be nationally recognized for their outstanding work in the classroom. In October of 2014, the NCAA released its latest Graduation Success Rate Report, and Holy Cross’ athletic teams posted a 99 percent graduation rate. That mark tied for first in the nation and was matched by only two other schools in all of Division I: Dartmouth and Notre Dame. Overall, 20 different Crusader teams achieved a perfect 100 percent graduation rate: men’s basketball, women’s basketball, women’s cross country, field hockey, women’s golf, men’s ice hockey, women’s ice hockey, men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, women’s rowing, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball, men’s swimming and diving, women’s swimming and diving, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, women’s indoor track and field, women’s outdoor track and field, and volleyball. Holy Cross student-athletes have now posted an overall graduation rate of at least 98 percent in each of the last four years, and at least 97 percent in each of the last eight years.
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“The time I spent at Holy Cross was four of the best years of my life. The relationships that I formed with students, coaches, faculty and the school in general will stay with me forever. Holy Cross allowed me to grow as a person and as a hockey player, and has helped prepare me for future success both on and off the ice.” – MATT GINN ’15
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
During the 2014-15 school year, Holy Cross student-athletes achieved the following:
99
percent graduation rate, according to the NCAA’s latest Graduation Success Rate Report.
312
student-athletes were selected to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.
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teams received NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate public recognition awards, for posting multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of their respective sports.
ATHLETE EXPERIENCE: MATT GINN • Finished his collegiate career as the all-time Holy Cross men’s ice hockey record holder in saves, save percentage, shutouts and minutes played. • The only goalie in school history to post over 1,000 saves in a single season. • As a senior, Ginn earned first team All-Atlantic Hockey honors and was a nominee for the Mike Richter Award. • Signed with the Providence Bruins of the AHL in the summer of 2015.
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student-athletes earned Academic All-Conference honors, from either the Patriot League, Atlantic Hockey or the ECAC.
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CRUSADERS GIVE BACK
Giving back to the local community is just as important to Holy Cross Athletics as having success in competition or in the classroom. Here are just a few of the projects our student-athletes were involved in during the 2014-15 school year.
150+
student-athletes from various sports volunteered throughout the school year with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Massachusetts.
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sites across the city improved and renovated by Working for Worcester, a charity founded by men’s ice hockey players Jeffrey Reppucci ’14 and Derek Kump ’14.
500+
students took part in the annual Benching for Breast Cancer fundraiser, sponsored by SAAC.
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players from around the nation selected to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, including Holy Cross linebacker Tyler Zeoli ’15.
100+
student-athletes and coaches took part in the annual UMass Medicine Cancer Walk. 23 | goholycross.com
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A NEW LOOK FOR THE FUTURE Over the last year, Holy Cross Athletics took a number of steps to enhance our appearance. The school year began with the unveiling of a vibrant and contemporary new set of athletics marks, which build upon the well-established spirit and tradition of Holy Cross and the Crusader. The logos are also a branding refresh that will embody the forward progress of Holy Cross Athletics, and will be used with consistency and pride across all our programs. A number of steps were also taken to improve the overall experience around our home competitions. Fitton Field now boasts an improved Garelick Farms Family Fun Zone complete with interactive games for kids, new signage to help fans better navigate the stadium, and an increased number of food and merchandise offerings throughout the complex. There have also been several changes at the Hart Center, including a new and engaging look to the entrance and main hallway which brings to life our storied history, while also showcasing some of our current student-athletes. The goal of all of these projects is to engage our fans and showcase our wonderful student-athletes at our various facilities.
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“I have always loved Holy Cross. I was very passionate about it when I was a student-athlete here, and I bleed purple. As a coach, I love working with the student-athletes here. I enjoy watching them improve and seeing how driven they are. If I could spend my entire day up at the track with kids, that’s what I would be doing. The student-athletes we recruit are not only excellent students who are passionate about their sports – they also find time to do other things to help people around the world or in their community.” – EGETTA ALFONSO ’92
COACH: EGETTA ALFONSO
A RECORD BREAKING YEAR
Here is a look at some of the impressive numbers posted by the Holy Cross Athletics over the last year.
6,748
average attendance at home football games in 2014. The Crusaders led the Patriot League in average home attendance, with the next closest school nearly 500 fans behind.
3,915
donors to the Crusader Athletics Fund in 2014-15, the most in school history and a 28-percent increase over the previous year.
599
season ticket holders in 2014-15, a 25 percent increase over the previous year.
$150,000
sponsorship revenue brought in during the 2014-15 school year.
• Just concluded her 16th season as the head coach of the women’s track and field team. • Alfonso’s student-athletes have won 29 Patriot League individual titles, along with five Patriot League relay titles. • Earned a B.A in English from Holy Cross in 1992. • A four-year letterwinner and senior captain for the Crusaders, Alfonso set a school record as part of the 4x100-meter relay team.
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TEAM HIGHLIGHTS
MEN’S TRACK & FIELD • 37 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Francisco Tejidor ‘16 won the New England indoor title in the 1,000-meter run • 10 All-New England selections
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Men’s Basketball • 4 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Defeated a ranked team for the first time since 1977 • Malcolm Miller ‘15 signed with the Boston Celtics
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL • 7 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Placed 3rd in the Patriot League • Defeated Boston College for the first time since 1997 31 | goholycross.com
Women’s Ice Hockey • 5 Academic All-ECAC East selections • Won the ECAC Open Tournament title • Posted an 18-7-3 overall record
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Men’s Ice Hockey • 18 Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team selections • Set a school record by allowing just 87 goals • Matt Ginn ‘15 signed with the Providence Bruins and was a Mike Richter Award candidate
Women’s Soccer • 12 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Posted an 10-5-3 overall record • Recorded its most victories in a season since 2000 • Aly Spencer ‘18 named ECAC & Patriot League Rookie of the Year 33 | goholycross.com
Football • 31 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Tyler Zeoli ‘15 named to the AFCA Good Works Team • 3 All-Patriot League selections
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Men’s Soccer • 7 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • 2 All-Patriot League selections
Women’s Rowing • 20 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Placed 3rd at the Patriot League Championship • 2 CRCA All-Region selections
Women’s Lacrosse • 16 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Made 4th straight Patriot League Tournament appearance
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Volleyball • 10 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Tied the school record for most Patriot League wins
Men’s Lacrosse • 16 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Earned the first national ranking in program history • Defeated a pair of Top 10 teams • Terry McKenna ‘15 was a Senior Class Award finalist
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Baseball • 9 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Placed 3rd in the Patriot League • Set a school record with a .975 team fielding percentage • Cam O’Neill -18 named Patriot League Rookie of the Year
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Men’s Rowing • 7 IRA All-Academic Team selections • Varsity eight finished the season 17th in the nation • Varsity eight was nationally ranked for five straight weeks
Field Hockey • 13 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • 8 NFHCA National Academic Team selections
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Softball • 13 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Tied for 3rd place in the Patriot League • 2 All-Northeast Region selections
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Women’s Cross Country • 12 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Hannah Jeter ‘18 named Patriot League Rookie of the Year
Women’s Golf • 6 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Marissa Cameron ‘16 shot a season-low 79 at both Mount Holyoke and Merrimack 41 | goholycross.com
Men’s Tennis • 8 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • 88 percent of victories came from underclassmen
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Men’s Cross Country • 13 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Dennis Muldoon ‘16 earned All-ECAC honors
Women’s Swimming & Diving • 12 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • 800-yard freestyle relay team set a new school record
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Women’s Tennis • 5 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Won 5 of its last 6 regular season matches
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Men’s Golf • 5 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Placed 4th at the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association championship
Women’s Track & Field
Men’s Swimming & Diving • 15 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Set five new school records (two individual and three relay) 45 | goholycross.com
• 41 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selections • Catherine Gildea ‘16 (800-meter run) and the 4x800-meter relay team won Patriot League outdoor titles • Caroline Carley ‘16 (indoor 1,000-meter run), Sarah Dahlstrom ‘15 (outdoor heptathlon) and the indoor 4x800-meter relay team won New England titles • 9 All-New England selections
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“I came to Holy Cross because of the outstanding combination of athletics and academics. I knew Holy Cross was a place where I could find the right balance between playing college soccer at a high level and getting a great liberal arts education. My first year taught me how to balance my time commitments on the soccer field and in the classroom, and it has reinforced the lessons I’ve learned about hard work and team work.” – ALY SPENCER ’18
“I love working with the student-athletes at Holy Cross, who are second to none in so many ways. They are loyal, enthusiastic, positive, disciplined and extraordinarily committed. We may not have the best athletes in the country, but I would put the character of the Holy Cross athletes at the top of any list. They inspire me to be a better person and father. I can only hope that we are doing the things as parents that will lead our kids to become young men and women with the character of the Holy Cross athlete.” – JEFF OLIVER
ATHLETE EXPERIENCE: ALY SPENCER • Led the women’s soccer team to a 10-5-3 overall record in 2014. • Named the 2014 Patriot League Rookie of the Year and ECAC Co-Rookie of the Year. • Led the Patriot League in scoring in 2014 with 25 points on 11 goals and three assists. • Selected to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll with a 3.43 GPA in her first semester on campus.
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COACH: JEFF OLIVER • Just concluded his 19th season as Holy Cross’ head strength and conditioning coach. • Supervises year-round weight training, speed, agility and conditioning sessions for all 27 varsity sports. • On an average day during the academic year, will work with more than 400 Holy Cross student-athletes. • A four-year letterwinner on the football team at Boston College, Oliver went on to play in the National Football League for the New York Jets.
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BIG DREAMS & BOLD PLANS
RENDERING OF THE HART CENTER
Holy Cross has been an institution comprised of competitors — individuals who have always understood that to challenge oneself is to better oneself. Mount St. James has been the site of spirited competition from the start, because it is in the Jesuit-inspired process of asking more of ourselves and those around us that we discover who we truly are. Today, we mark the beginning of a new era in Athletics at Holy Cross. From Linden Lane to Easy Street, the spirit, pride and excitement are returning. We are ready to play. And we are determined to win. We are intent on being champions once again. A rejuvenated and successful Athletics program is a vital component of the new ethos emerging at Holy Cross. Over the last several years, we have brought together constituents from every aspect of the College community. Together we have thought deeply and broadly about the future of Athletics at Holy Cross, delineating our aspirations, formulating our goals, and, finally, assembling a plan that will transform the nature of Crusader Athletics. Our vision is bold and ambitious — and commensurate with our goals for the future. At its core is the renovation and expansion of the Hart Recreation Center. When completed, the new and improved Hart Center will be a state-of-theart-facility, worthy of both our history and our ambitions for great things to come. We will build an indoor practice facility to benefit all of our field sports. We will build an auxiliary gymnasium to provide more space for basketball and volleyball practice and competition. We will expand our sports medicine and strength and conditioning areas and equipment to service 750 student-athletes. And we will build locker rooms, team meeting rooms and office space for all of our teams, consistent with a Division I program. The improved and expanded Hart Center will give Holy Cross student-athletes the tools they need to become champions in the years ahead and for decades to come. In conjunction with the renovation and expansion of the Hart Center, we will completely revamp our aging Field House, and create a top-flight recreation complex for the entire student body, featuring basketball courts, exercise studios, weight training rooms, new shower and locker space, and centers for a wide assortment of health, wellness and fitness programming.
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BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
Generous donations and improved facilities help the Crusaders achieve greatness today and prepare for a brighter tomorrow.
$32.5
million donated by John E. Luth ‘74 and Joanne Chouinard-Luth to help expand and renovate Holy Cross’ athletic facilities.
64,000
square feet inside the new indoor practice facility attached to the Hart Center — with 100 yards of turf for use by all field sports.
9,500
square feet of new space for strength and conditioning training in the new Hart Center.
3,000
square feet of new space for sports medicine services in the new Hart Center.
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