Fairfield University Men’s Club Ice Hockey Team will be holding its second annual Wounded Warrior Project hockey game on Dec. 4 at 5 p.m. at The Rinks located in Shelton, Conn.
The event was organized between Stephen Dierks ‘18, the founding member and President of the WWP Chapter at the University, and the club ice hockey team.
“We are going to have a short introduction about the Wounded Warrior project by myself, then a moment of silence for the Veterans and then the National Anthem will be sung by Kelly Olivera,” said Dierks.
They are encouraging students that are attending the annual game to wear gear that supports the Wounded Warrior Project.
The team has partnered with Fairfield University’s Student Association to organize free shuttles that will be leaving from the Barone Campus Center traffic circle at 4:15 p.m. on Sunday since they compete off campus. The ice hockey team is hopeful that the free busses will encourage a larger turnout.
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“On average, we get about 40-50 fans per game. Some important games have large attendance due to Facebook events that are made,” said captain Matthew Peacock ‘17. “However, there is always room for more support and fans for every game.”
The Stags, who are currently ranked third in their division, will be taking on the Quinnipiac Bobcats on Sunday. Earlier in the season, after leading 3-0 in the beginning periods, the team faced a tough loss to the Bobcats.
“We hope to redeem this loss this Sunday at home at our Wounded Warrior Project game,” said Peacock.
Peacock is the one of three captains responsible for leading the team on and off the ice this year, along with JP O’Malley ‘17 and Cormac Kennedy ‘17, both assistant captains. Although they currently hold a 8-3-1 record, the team did not earn an automatic bid to the national tournament. However, Peacock still believes getting there is within reach.
“We always set our goal as making the national tournament, which we have done the past two years,” said Peacock. “Furthermore, we hope to secure a top two ranking and ultimately bring a national championship to Fairfield.”
Several players have stepped up this fall to help Fairfield get to where they are today.
Sophomore Kyle Marano and Scott Kolhepp ‘18 currently lead the team with six goals each, as well as three assists. Peacock also commented on goalie Peter Alevras ‘17, whose superior efforts have defended the team. Alevras has played in net for more than 400 minutes and currently holds a 5-1 record.
“Alevras has been consistent in keeping the team in games and has proven to be one of the best goalies in the league,” said Peacock.
On Dec. 4, the team is determined to gain a win over the Bobcats since the team’s overall performance has progressed since its start back in September. Their 5-1 win against the formerly undefeated California University of Pennsylvania was an important victory for the Stags.
“It was the first time our program has played them and they are a top tier program who usually get a No. 1 or 2 ranking every year,” said Peacock.
Having the notable win under their belts, the team will face off against Southern Connecticut State University on Dec. 3 at 9:15 p.m. before taking on the Bobcats again on Sunday for the WWP game.
reminder that we have 2 home games this weekend: Sat. @ 915pm vs SCSU and Sun. @ 5pm vs. QU! please bring canned goods for our food drive!!!
— Fairfield Stags Puck (@StagsHockey) December 1, 2016
The team is asking if those attending will bring a nonperishable item for the Connecticut Food Bank, as they have collected these items at every game.
For more information, contact Matthew Peacock.
The game will be held at:
Sports Center of CT (Rinks at Shelton)
784 River Road
Shelton, CT
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