Junior (2024-25)
- Appeared in 19 games and tallied two goals and eight assists
- Tallied assists in back-to-back games in his first series as a Sun Devil (vs. North Dakota on Jan. 10-11)
- Enjoyed a three-point weekend vs. Denver with one goal and two assists. The goal was his first and only of the season on the power play
- Missed the first half of the season due to injury
Sophomore (2023-24 at Wisconsin)
- Appeared in 36 games and tallied 13 goals and 21 assists to tie career-high 34 points
- His 34 points during the 2023-24 season led the team
- Career-high 13 goals rank second on the team
- His 21 assists were good for third on the roster
- Scored first goal of the season on Oct. 13, 2023, at Bemidji State before adding overtime game-winning goal in 4-3 victory
- Scored twice in a 5-2 victory at then-No. 1 Minnesota on Oct. 26, 2023
- Scored a power-play goal midway through the second period to spark a comeback in a 5-4 win vs. Michigan on Nov. 3, 2023
- Posted two three-point games; tallied one goal and two assists in a 6-1 victory vs. Ohio State on Dec. 2 and two goals and one assist in a 5-0 victory at Penn State on Feb. 23
- Tallied two goals and seven assists in a six-game point streak from Nov. 25 to Dec. 28
- One for one in the shootout
- Posted 116 shots on the season to rank second on the team
- His five power-play goals were tied for second on the roster
- Named to the 2023 Ice Breaker All-Tournament Team … All-Big Ten Honorable Mention ... named Academic All-Big Ten
Freshman (2022-23 at Wisconsin)
- Appeared in 34 games and tallied 11 goals and 23 assists
- Led the roster with 34 points, posted 96 shots and four power-play goals
- Shared team lead with two game-winning goals
- Eight multipoint games, including two four-point nights
- Notched first career goal in first game of the season at No. 14 Ohio State on Oct. 7 (3-1 L)
- Recorded first multipoint game with a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win at No. 10 Minnesota Duluth on Oct. 21, 2023
- Posted two goals and two assists in a 5-1 win vs. Lindenwood on Nov. 19, 2023
- Scored shorthanded in a 3-1 loss to Clarkson on Dec. 29
- Had a seven-game point streak totaling 12 points (2G, 10A) from Dec. 9-Jan. 20
- Tied UW record with four assists in a period against No. 20 Notre Dame on Jan. 7
- Scored game-tying goal with 22 seconds remaining in the first period in a 3-1 win vs. No. 1 Minnesota on Feb. 11
- Mark Johnson Rookie of the Year award recipient
- Hobey Baker nominee
NHL Draft
Cruz was chosen in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft (124th overall) by the Carolina Hurricanes ... had NHL rights traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in March 2024
Junior hockey
Skated with the U.S. National Team Development Program ... scored nine goals and 18 points during injury-shortened, 23-game season during 2021-22 ... helped Team USA win silver at the 2022 IIHF Under-18 World Championship with two goals and eight points in six games playing alongside Badger Charlie Stramel ... recorded 14 goals and 42 points in 42 contests with the U.S. Under-17 Team during the 2020-21 campaign
Career highs
Game
Goals: 2 (4x); last at Penn State, 2/23/24
Assists: 4; vs. Notre Dame, 1/7/23
Points: 4 (2x); last vs. Notre Dame, 1/7/23
Point Streak: 7; 12/9/22-1/20/23
Multi-point Games: 17; last vs. Ohio State, 3/9/24
Overtime Goals: 1; at Bemidji State, 10/13/2
Series
Goals: 2 (7x); last at Penn State, 2/23-2/24, 2024
Assists: 5; vs. Notre Dame, 1/7-1/6, 2023
Points: 5; vs. Notre Dame, 1/7-1/6, 2023