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When Holy Cross head coach Katie Lachapelle began recruiting for her 2019 class, she was in the middle of a unique turnaround. Lachapelle took the helm in 2018 during the Crusaders’ second year in Division I athletics after making the jump from Division III.

Lachapelle’s task was to find players who fitted her faster pace of play. Then, she discovered Kailey Langefels and Darci Johal — two players who “really took the game seriously and wanted to get better and wanted to grow.”

Johal and Langefels entered Holy Cross with five other freshmen. Lachapelle said the group formed a strong bond, which immediately translated to success on the ice.

After playing together with Johal for four years, the two decided to transfer to Syracuse for their graduate seasons. During their careers with the Crusaders, both grew into regular contributors. Johal, a forward, notched 15 goals at Holy Cross, while Langefels, a defenseman, finished with 174 blocks. So far this year, they’ve combined for 12 points at SU.

“(Langefels and Johal) do a really good job of kind of knowing where each other are going to be on the ice,” said Syracuse head coach Britni Smith.

At Holy Cross, Langefels and Johal grew particularly close. They started rooming together during their junior year and did so again their senior season. The pair’s connection off the ice seamlessly transitioned to the rink.

Langefels said the two were “always trying to look for each other” on the ice. Between periods, they’d discuss where one could help the other get out of tricky positions.

“Kailey’s going to know that Darci’s really good in the corners, really good at protecting the pocket, finding that next pass,” Lachapelle said. “And Kailey’s really good at finding those lanes to jump into.”

At practice, Lachapelle said the two were always smiling. She recalled Johal cheering even harder than she did when her teammates scored in practice. Langefels followed suit by hyping up her teammates during drills. When Langefels and Johal became team captains as upperclassmen, they kept their squad upbeat during periods when the Crusaders struggled.

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“They would hold everyone accountable to their actions,” said Holy Cross sophomore forward Alexia Moreau. “They really put the team first mentality first and really held everyone together.”

In 2022-23, Langefels’ and Johals’ final season, Holy Cross finished a lowly 7-26-1 and 6-21 in the Hockey East Association. With no graduate school options at Holy Cross plus an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19, Langefels and Johal entered the transfer portal. The roommates explored the process together and Syracuse quickly showed interest.

“I remember immediately when my coach told me that (Britni Smith) wanted to talk to me, I was like, ‘Darci, hopefully they reach out to you,’” Langefels said.

Smith’s voice was familiar to Langefels. Prior to playing at Holy Cross, she had been recruited by Clarkson, where Smith used to be an assistant coach. For Johal, Smith made all the difference.

“I just felt like in talking to them right away I kind of knew that maybe opposed to other schools, that it was the right fit,” Johal said.

Smith was on edge. Approaching mid-March, Langefels had made her decision, committing to Syracuse, but Johal hadn’t. Langefels remembered Smith asking her, “Do you know what Darci’s doing? You should try and convince her.”

Langefels assured her she would come to Syracuse. It didn’t take long after for Johal to join SU, reuniting with Langefels for one more year on the ice.

“This year, when our parents came to visit for opening weekend, both our parents and all of us went out to dinner,” Langefels said. “And I was like, ‘Oh, it feels like we’re back at Holy Cross kind of.’”

Published on November 13, 2023 at 11:53 pm