Holy Cross Crusaders women's ice hockey

The Holy Cross Crusaders are a Women's Division I team who play in Hockey East.

Women's Program
As a result of the New England Hockey Conference planning on being strictly a Division III conference starting with the 2017-18 season Holy Cross announced in late October 2016 that it would elevate its women's program to full Division I status for the 2017-18 season. The school has been rumored to be eventually moving its men's program to Hockey East as a replacement for the departing Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's ice hockey program which is leaving the conference for the Big Ten Conference for the 2017-18 season. The move of the men's program would appparently force the school to elevate the women's program to Division I, the men's program would also be forced into a larger arena as Hockey East requires a minimum capacity of 4,000. The only facility that big in the area would be the DCU Center, which the school has used for several games in 2016 against defending national champion Providence College and in-state rival Boston College The school stated that is was hoping to announce a conference affiliation for its women's program in December or January. The three options for affiliation are College Hockey America, ECAC and Hockey East. In mid-January of 2017 the team was announced as forming a six team alliance with the Sacred Heart Pioneers, Franklin Pierce Ravens, Post University Eagles, St. Anselm Hawks, and St. Michael's Purple Knights. The teams will play 20 games among themselves and hold a tournament at the end of the season to determine a champion.

Links

 * Hockey East women's website
 * Holy Cross Crusaders women's ice hockey website