Holy Cross H.S., Flushing, and Archbishop Molloy H.S., Briarwood, are athletic rivals of the local diocesan CHSAA. That is, in most sports. However, in the rink, the two schools have combined to form one varsity boys’ ice hockey team. As such, these rivals have now become close teammates. Go figure.
The team, branded the Holy Cross Knights, was formed three seasons ago after interest in the sport dwindled at the Flushing school. Molloy had not fielded a team for several decades, so when the opportunity arose, the Stanners jumped at it.
Instead of two programs folding, this combined team has revived ice hockey at both Queens schools. That’s precisely what the CHSAA is all about — giving as many student-athletes as possible a chance to play the sports they love.
The team consists of six Holy Cross students and six Molloy students for a total of 12 members, mostly underclassmen. While this season has been a rebuilding process, the win here is that there’s an actual team competing as hard as they can and working to get better.
Unlike basketball or baseball, ice hockey is not as mainstream in this diocese, so students who participate are used to playing alongside teammates from different schools through their travel leagues.
“It’s just like the environment of ice hockey where you’re going to have kids from all over,” said Joe LaChase, the second-year Holy Cross varsity head coach who played hockey for the Knights as a forward and graduated in 2020. “When I go into the locker room, I honestly forget that we’re two combined schools because we’re all one family. I think it’s been going very well.”
The idea originated a few years ago when two Long Island schools — St. John the Baptist H.S., West Islip, and St. Mary’s H.S., Manhasset — joined forces into one team. The precedent had been set, allowing the Queens schools to give it a try.
With the support of the athletic directors — Keith Goggin from Holy Cross and Mike McCleary from Molloy — as well as the approval of Catholic High School Hockey League (CHSHL) commissioner Pat Scanlan, the combined team was formed.
“I remember it was talked about my freshman year that we might be getting Molloy kids the next year, and at first, I was a little nervous about it,” said senior team captain and defenseman James McCutcheon, who has played all four years on the varsity team. “As soon as we combined, though, I loved it. As a team, it doesn’t really matter that we don’t go to school together.”
An adjustment period, of course, was to be expected with this new situation. Yet, a team is a team, no matter a player’s background or, in this case, high school.
“It took a little bit of time when we first brought the kids from Molloy onto the team since I do think kids at that age are territorial,” said Nick Lercara, the fifth-year Holy Cross assistant coach who was LaChase’s teammate as a defenseman and a fellow 2020 graduate. “After they all started to get to know each other, they started to mesh well and become close.”
For practices, the team bus only leaves from Holy Cross. Luckily, a few Molloy parents help by driving the students the 8.7 miles to Flushing so the team can travel together. On a good day, it’s a minimum of 15–20 minutes, and in New York City travel, there are not many good days.
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LaChase and Lercara are hoping to lead the program back to greatness. During their junior and senior years, the Knights reached the playoffs both times but fell to the eventual CHSHL ‘A’ division champion.
The current group is a young team, but the best way for underclassmen to gain experience is to keep playing competitive hockey so that when they’re the upperclassmen, they’ll be poised to bring a championship to Holy Cross.
For these 12 student-athletes, this combined team has allowed them to represent their school while playing sports. Well, actually, six of them can say that, and the other six from Molloy are just grateful to be able to play hockey competitively — even if technically for another school.
It’s a unique situation indeed, but one that truly fits the CHSAA mission of enhancing a student’s high school experience through sports.