Oct. 6, 2005
Notre Dame, Ind. – The 2005-06 Notre Dame hockey team gets its first taste of game action on Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Joyce Center when new coach Jeff Jackson divides his team for the annual Blue-Gold intrasquad scrimmage. The opening faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m. Admission to the game is free, but donations will be taken to benefit the “Hockey Coaches Care” Foundation, the primary charitable foundation of the American Hockey Coaches Association (ACHA).
The foundation provides assistance to hockey coaches and hockey families in need due to illness, accident, natural disaster or other hardship. The foundation was started in memory of former University of Maine hockey coach Shawn Walsh who died in September of 2001 after a long bout with cancer.
This is the sixth year that the game has been played with donations going to the “Hockey Coaches Care” Foundation. Each Notre Dame player and coaching staff member will play the game in memory of a friend or family member who has been impacted by cancer.
This season’s Blue-Gold game will be played in two 25-minute periods and will give the coaches and fans their first opportunity to see the Irish in action this seasons.
Irish head coach Jeff Jackson looks forward to his first chance to see his team under game conditions.
“This is an important event for this team. Guys better be ready to play. This will determine who is going to play next week versus Waterloo,” says Jackson.
“This is the purest form of evaluation we have. This won’t be your ordinary scrimmage. We’ll get a good idea of who’s ready to play.”
He added, “As important as us getting to evaluate players, is the fact that we are playing for a great cause – the Hockey Coaches Care Foundation. I think its great for the program to be able to help those who have been affected by cancer or other adverse situations. It hits close to me, being friends with Shawn Walsh. It’s a great cause and a way for us to give back to a great organization that helps people involved with college hockey and gives our players and staff a chance to honor someone they know who has battled this disease.”
The Blue-Gold game will be the first chance for Irish fans to see the seven new players on the Notre Dame roster. That group includes four forwards – Eric Condra (Livonia, Mich.), Christian Hanson (Venetia, Pa.), Garrett Regan (Hastings, Minn.) and Justin White (Traverse City, Mich.) – who will be looking to find a place in the regular lineup. Two defensemen – junior Tom Sawatske (Duluth, Minn.) and freshman Jamie Silverson (Thunder Bay, Ont.) will be joined by freshman goaltender Jordan Pearce (Anchorage, Alaska) on the Irish defense.
Following Saturday’s Blue-Gold game, the Irish will face the University of Waterloo in their lone exhibition game of the year on Friday, Oct. 14 at the Joyce Center. Game time is 7:35 p.m.