Holy Cross Hockey Kudos

At Logan International Airport on New Year’s Day, Holy Cross freshman Jay Silvia is in line to check his bags. The Crusaders, after what Silvia calls a “slow start,” are headed to Colorado to play in the Wells Fargo Denver Cup. Silvia hopes for a first round win against the University of Denver and then a rematch with Boston University, if the Terriers defeat Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, for the championship.

Against BU on November 25, the Crusaders lost 3–2. But, Silvia says, “We played them real tough.”

The two teams board the same flight and then fly, without incident, to Denver. The next night, the Crusaders tie the highly–touted Pioneers but then lose in a shootout. Silvia and his teammates rebound to beat RPI, which lost to BU, to win third place in the tournament.

When Holy Cross returns, Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations Jim Wrobel says, via e-mail, of his team, “…They played very well tying the No. 5 team in the nation on their home ice and then defeating a(n) ECAC team.”

A day later, Silvia, who earned two assists in Denver, is named Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Week.

The Crusaders play a home-and-home set—the first in Worcester, the second in Springfield—this weekend against Atlantic Hockey foe, the American International Yellow Jackets.