Many Irish fans turned out for the hockey team's Blue-Gold scrimmage Sunday, eager to show their pride for the team and partake in an opportunity to help others.
While admission to the game was free, donations were taken up for the Hockey Coaches Foundation.
The Hockey Coaches Foundation provides assistance to athletes and coaches who are faced with cancer or other life-threatening illnesses. The foundation began in September 2001 in memory of former University of Maine hockey coach Shawn Walsh, who died of cancer.
Since its start, the organization has helped many people, said head Irish hockey coach Dave Poulin.
"This is the fourth year donations have gone to [the Foundation], and we think it's a great thing to help out. It's really grown a lot over the past few years," Poulin said.
The game was special on a more personal level for the team, as well. Each player and member of the coaching staff played the game in memory of someone they know who has been impacted by cancer. According to Poulin, this has been one of the key points of the scrimmage's involvement with the Hockey Coaches Foundation.
"I think one of the best things is that all of our players were playing in memory of someone affected by cancer," Poulin said. "It gives us a chance to honor someone we know who has battled this disease."
While the Irish showed their support on the ice, many in the stands supported through donations. Sophomore Tim Stawicki said it looked to him like many students had responded to the call for donations through their contributions.
"I came in about a half an hour late, and as I donated, it looked like they had a lot of money collected at the table," Stawicki said. "It's really great that people came together and contributed for such a good cause."
