Like a beacon of light leading the way to port, the Babson College Men’s Ice Hockey team has stepped up to host the Inaugural Cape Cod Lighthouse College Hockey Invitational Tournament over Thanksgiving Weekend at the Hyannis Youth & Community Center on Saturday and Sunday, November 26 and 27 and Donate Life America is the lead sponsor.  Tournament tickets go on sale Friday, August 26 at 9:00am at the HYCC Box Office for $15 in advance.  The price will increase on November 26th to $20. Individual day tickets will be sold for $12 at the gate.  Groups of twenty or more and hockey teams can take advantage of a discount by purchasing tickets in advance. For details, please contact Ed Gallagher at edward.m.gallagher@gmail.com or call the HYCC at 508 790 6345.

Local businesses are encouraged to contact local organizer and Babson Alum, Ed Gallagher to inquire about sponsorships, program ads and promotional involvement. Also, youth hockey teams can take advantage of group rates to raise money for their organizations. The four local teams that sell the most group tickets will be paired with one of the participating teams, have reserved seating for their group, and wear their game jerseys to line up with their team during the National Anthem at the start of the playdown games on Saturday.  Ed can be reached by email at edward.m.gallagher@gmail .com.

Jamie Rice, head coach for Babson College has invited Salem State, Hobart and Amherst Colleges to face off on Saturday, November 26 with Amherst and Salem State taking the ice at 2pm followed by Hobart and Babson at 5pm.  The winning teams will play for the Inaugural Lighthouse Trophy on Sunday, November 27 at 3pm preceded by the Consolation game at 12:00pm.  “We are thrilled and excited to be a part of this great event which will bring four great college hockey games to the Hyannis/Cape Cod community over Thanksgiving weekend,” said Jamie Rice, head coach for Babson College.  “All four teams have consistently been top 20 teams in NCAA DIII hockey for the last five plus years, and it will also feature two coaches who have over 300 career wins; Bill O’Neill Salem State 487 and Jack Arena Amherst 352.  When we were asked to be a part of this event, one of our immediate goals was to have a field that would provide some of the best DIII teams and players who play at the highest level nationally, and represent 4 different conferences.”  Coach Rice went on to say, “The opportunity to associate ourselves with such a great organization as Donate Life America makes this event even more special.  College Hockey, and in particular, the experience of DIII athletics has always emphasized the role of the student-athlete and the commitment to give back to the local communities in which we reside and be involved in charitable endeavors.  I am hopeful that not only will the local hockey fans see four great games, but that the event will raise a significant amount of money for this worthy charity, and one that is close to the man who spearheaded this whole tournament, Ed Gallagher.”

Sponsored by Donate Life America, the nationally recognized non-profit group devoted to increasing organ, eye and tissue donation in the United States, the Cape Cod Lighthouse College Hockey Invitational Tournament hosted by Babson College will present spectators with the opportunity to register as a donor with representatives at information stations in the main lobby. More information is available about the organization at www.donatelife.net. 

“Adding the Cape Cod Lighthouse College Hockey Invitational Tournament in Hyannis to the growing number of events that Donate Life America sponsors will continue to strengthen our reach within the community,” said David Fleming, CEO.  “By supporting our efforts to register more people, it will surely save lives. I don’t know of a better way to honor a loved one than giving life.”

Patti Lloyd, Vice President of Sales at the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce said, “We are extremely proud to support the Cape Cod Lighthouse College Hockey Invitational Tournament through our member businesses with competitive rates for hotel rooms and restaurants to accommodate the traveling teams during the busy holiday weekend.”

“This is another great example of how our town’s premier sports facility can be utilized to showcase a high quality event with distinguished college teams from the Northeast, inspiring young players to reach for the stars,” said Lynne Poyant, Director of the Town of Barnstable Community Services Department which manages and operates the Hyannis Youth & Community Center.  “We are extraordinarily grateful to Donate Life America for helping make the tournament possible and we hope that the citizens of Barnstable and Cape Cod and beyond will come out to support the cause, as they enjoy what are sure to be fast and exciting games throughout the weekend.”

The Hyannis Youth & Community Center is a 105,000 square foot full service facility that includes two NHL regulation hockey rinks, a gymnasium with two full basketball courts and an elevated walking track, nine locker rooms, community meeting rooms and a 1500 sq. ft. Teen Center with pool tables, arcade games and a computer lab.  Ardeo’s Restaurant operates the café and concessions in the building and the United Cultures Resource Room offers literature, materials and educational resources.  The Lyndon P. Lorusso Youth Center offers affordable memberships (Barnstable Residents $20/year; Non-Residents $40/year) that include use of the walking track, computer lab, open gym time and after school programs.  The mission of the HYCC is to provide state-of-the-art accessible facilities for a variety of recreational programs and special events, competitive sports organizations, after-school activities and opportunities for the community at large to foster educational excellence and physical growth across all generations.  The HYCC was built on the site of the former Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Memorial Skating Rink which was funded by a donation from The Kennedy Family and opened in 1957 as an open-air skating centre to honor their eldest son, a Navy pilot who was