Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Hockey To Play Annual Blue-Gold Game On Sunday, Sept., 29

Sept. 23, 2002

Notre Dame, Ind. – The 2002-03 Notre Dame hockey team will hold its annual Blue-Gold intrasquad scrimmage on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 4:00 p.m. at the Joyce Center. Admission to the game is free, but donations will be taken to benefit the Coaches Foundation that provides assistance to athletes and coaches who as a result of being afflicted with cancer or other life-threatening illness/injury demonstrates the need for medical or financial assistance. The Foundation was started in memory of former University of Maine hockey coach Shawn Walsh who died last September after a long bout with cancer.

This is the third year that this game has been played for the Coaches Foundation. The first game played prior to the 2000 season raised over $3,500 for Shawn Walsh. Each Notre Dame player will play the game in memory of a friend or family member who has been stricken with cancer.

Fans attending the game will receive a free Notre Dame hockey schedule magnet, free pizza from Papa John’s Pizza (while supplies last) and a chance to win tickets to the Notre Dame-Stanford game on Oct. 5 in an on-ice contest between halves.

This season’s Blue-Gold intrasquad game will be played in two 20-minute periods and will give the coaches and fans a chance to see the Irish in action this season.

“I’m really looking forward to this season and the Blue-Gold game is the first chance we have to see the team in game conditions,” said head coach Dave Poulin.

“The game also gives us a chance to play for a great cause – the Coaches Foundation. Cancer has affected everyone in some way and each of our players will play in honor of someone that they know who has battled this disease,” added Poulin.

Six freshmen will make their first appearances for the Irish in the 2002 Blue-Gold game. The group includes goaltender Rory Walsh (Milton, Mass.), defenseman Chris Trick (Troy, Mich.) and forwards Matt Amado, (Surrey, B.C.), Tony Gill (Rochester, Minn.), Tim Wallace (Anchorage, Alaska) and Mike Walsh (Northville, Mich.).

The Irish roster features six seniors, seven juniors and eight sophomores and will be led by all-CCHA and all-American candidates Evan Nielsen (Sr., Evanston, Ill.) and Connor Dunlop (Sr., St. Louis, Mo.). The Irish return 20 of 23 letterwinners from 2001-02 and 12 of their top 13 scorers along with goaltender Morgan Cey (So., Wilkie, Sask.), who turned in an outstanding rookie season.

Following Sunday’s intrasquad game, the Irish will play host to the University of Toronto on Friday, Oct. 4 in a preseason game that will begin at 7:05 p.m. at the Joyce Center. The Irish then open the regular season the following week when they travel to Duluth, Minn., to face Minnesota-Duluth on Oct. 11-12.