On Sunday, Sept. 17, two days after the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, the Women’s Soccer team from the University of Portland traveled across the country to meet the Women’s Soccer team of Stonehill College on the pitch.
It is not often that our institutions compete against one another. Hence, a small task force quickly came together to discuss how best to celebrate this meeting and help distinguish this match from others that the teams will play throughout the year. After quick deliberations, it was decided to brand the game “The Cross and Anchors Classic,” referring to the Cross and Anchors symbolizing the Congregation of Holy Cross and encapsulating our motto, Ave Crux, Spes Unica.
After deciding on a name, the group, under the leadership of Chris Haug (provincial assistant and director of Apostolic Mission & Charism), designed a flag featuring the Stonehill and Portland logos. With impressive speed, the flags were produced and ready for distribution.
Before the game began, members of the Holy Cross community in Easton passed out 200 flags to the fans as they entered the stadium – providing an opportunity to spread the word about the relationship between the two schools. Rev. John Denning, C.S.C., President of Stonehill, and Rev. Tim Mouton, C.S.C., athletic chaplain of Stonehill, participated in the international walk-out and coin toss before the game. Many of the local community members attended the game and supported our two institutions. Some even joined the online broadcast to speak about the event’s significance! Overall, it was a fantastic event highlighting the Holy Cross identity of each institution and articulating that even though these teams are an entire nation apart, they are one family in Holy Cross.
The Skyhawks will visit the bluff next fall to take on the Pilots and continue the “Cross and Anchors Classic.” Hopefully, this model will continue spreading to our other institutions and sports to celebrate our common grounding in Holy Cross.
