At this point last season, Holy Cross forward Liam McLinskey had registered 10 goals and two assists through 25 games, but the Crusader was on the verge of leading the team to the Atlantic Hockey Championship.

During the 2022-2023 campaign, McLinskey entered February with five goals over his previous six games and went on to add another 11 goals and two assists over the next 15 games, including four game-winning tallies.

The Crusaders’ run ended at the hands of Canisius in the conference tournament, as Holy Cross fell one win shy of an automatic bid to the 16-team national tournament.

But McLinskey has shown he was not the proverbial flash in the pan.

The junior, who is in his second season with Holy Cross following a transfer from Quinnipiac in the summer of 2022, has continued his surge as the team’s leading scorer.

McLinskey began this season with just one goal over his first seven games, but he did have five assists in that span, leading to the first of three four-game point streaks this season. All he had to do was be patient.

The power play was clicking early this season for the Crusaders, and McLinskey had registered four of his first six points with the man advantage, but he’s shown that he’s a goal-scorer. Even when scorers take what they can get, teams that rely on the power play often end the season without much to celebrate.

McLinskey was held scoreless in his final game during the 2022-2023 season, where Canisius was able to shut him down after a six-game, nine-goal streak that helped lead his team to the Atlantic Hockey Championship.

So naturally, when the first Canisius series of the new season came along in November, McLinskey found some personal revenge with a goal and two assists.

While the Crusaders managed just two of six available points with a loss and shootout win, McLinskey’s time in the goal column began to be more consistent; all while his playmaking continued and his strength production began to rise.

Holy Cross sits third in Atlantic Hockey and three points out of first place.

The Crusaders have recorded at least five goals in each contest during a five-game win streak, and McLinskey is fueling another surge for the Crusaders as the postseason nears.

McLinskey added another four-game point streak (three goals, three assists) in December and is riding a seven-game point streak (three goals, nine assists).

With a three-assist game in the opening win over Air Force last week, and a goal and an assist in the win to complete the sweep, McLinskey now sits ninth nationally in scoring with 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) in 31 games.

He also ranks seventh in national plus/minus (plus-20) and 27th in shots, as his name continues to surface in awards talk.

Racking up the recognitions 💪🏻

Congratulations to @jasongrande27 and @liamm1313 on being named Walter Brown Award semi-finalists: https://t.co/VhgwL2fNit#GoCrossGo pic.twitter.com/OBVOGO6rY2

— Holy Cross M. Hockey (@HCrossMHockey) February 6, 2024

Holy Cross has a 12-6-5 AHA record this season and is 16-11-4 overall. The Crusaders are looking for their first berth into the national tournament since 2006, which would be the third in program history.

Don’t miss a second of McLinskey or Holy Cross action. Livestream every Atlantic Hockey game – and much more – right here on FloHockey, all season long.

Have a question or a comment for Jacob Messing? You can find him on Twitter @Jacob_Messing.