Hockey is a family affair for graduate captain Griffin Pierce, but on Feb. 1, for Pierce and many of the players on the St. Joe’s club ice hockey team, the game against Georgetown University will hit a little bit closer to home.
“A lot of the guys have had family members or close friends that have dealt with cancer so it has affected all of us in some way,” said Pierce, whose father has battled prostate cancer for the past two years. “We all just want to make the biggest impact that we can. I know it will be a very exciting yet emotional night for my family.”
The ice hockey team decided to collaberate with SJU Relay for Life back in October, after sophomore forward Liam Morgan proposed the idea of “Hockey Fights Cancer,” a chance for St. Joe’s students to cheer on the ice hockey team as the Hawks take on Georgetown and a
much fiercer opponent: cancer.
“Something I value as much as being on the hockey team is being on the Relay for Life committee,” Morgan said. “I was thinking of different ways to raise money for my Relay for Life team, and the idea just came naturally.”
The rest of the team needed little convincing and was soon fully focused on preparing for the event.
“The team was pretty quick to jump on the idea of wanting to put together a team for the Relay for Life event,” Pierce said. “We thought it would be a great way to raise more money if we held an event at one of our games.”
Following this decision, the hockey team was able to begin to plan Hockey Fights Cancer. After choosing the game against Georgetown on Feb. 1 to host the event, the team collected donations from St. Joe’s alumni. With these donations, the hockey team and Relay for Life have been hard at work preparing for Hockey Fights Cancer: ordering “Puck Cancer” T-shirts to be sold at and prior to the event, procuring buses for students who need transportation to the rink and securing free admission for all St. Joe’s students.
“It has been a full team effort,” Pierce said. “I’m really proud of how passionate the guys have been throughout the whole process of setting up this special night, and I’m just hoping that all of our hard work that we put in pays off with a great turnout.”
Since returning to campus, the main focus for the hockey team has been getting the word out about the game to their peers, who they hope to see at the game.
“The event is coming along with help from all of the guys on the hockey team and from the Relay for Life team,” Morgan said. “I think the thing I’m looking forward to most is seeing my fellow friends and classmates rally together for a good cause and show some true school spirit.”
For any Hawks looking to rally behind the men’s club ice hockey team in the battle against cancer, they can find “Puck Cancer” shirts sold in Campion Student Center throughout the month of January. Hockey Fights Cancer begins at 5:00 p.m. on Feb. 1 at the Skatium in Haverford, with fan buses leaving from the Villiger Hall parking lot at 4:30 p.m. There will be free admission to the
game for any St. Joe’s student.
