On Saturday, January 6th, the Pingree boys’ and girls’ varsity hockey teams held the first annual Thomas E. Smith Foundation games.
Through financial and emotional support, the foundation aims to better the lives of those affected by, and living with, paralysis. Smith is a Pingree hockey alum whose post-Pingree career was plagued by spinal cord injuries. After years of injury and recovery, Smith found that his purpose was somewhere beyond the ice and he dedicated himself to creating his foundation.
A few weeks earlier, in December 2023, the boys’ varsity hockey team ran the 50/50 raffle tables during the Boston Bruins’ victorious bout against the New Jersey Devils. The team raised over $5,000 for Smith’s foundation. “We felt a deeper connection to the foundation as Smith is a Pingree alum, which drove us to raise the most money we could,” said captain Nick Hubbard when discussing what the experience meant to the team.
On January 6, the girls varsity team kicked off the pair of games with a hard-fought victory over Kents Hill. Todd Angily, the anthem singer of the Boston Bruins, performed the Star-Spangled Banner at center ice before the start of play. “It was a very cool experience to have him sing the anthem because of his background,” said junior Jazelle Yepez. “With him being the Bruins singer, it further cemented the purpose of the day.” The Highlanders wasted no time, coming out with a relentless effort to sway the momentum in their favor while junior Aby Amigo netted a hat-trick on the team’s way to victory.
The five o’clock game saw the boys varsity Highlanders soar past Kents Hill with a substantial 6-0 rout, adding a much-needed tally to the win column. The game began with a ceremonial puck drop from Smith with the team’s respective captains, Ryan Kavanagh (Pingree) and Tanner Cole (Kents Hill) on the faceoff. Kavanagh described the ceremony as a surreal experience as he was chosen to represent the program. The Highlanders came out flying with a demanding three-goal first period. Senior captain Nick Hubbard stood tall in the net with a shutout and junior Marco Mottola completed the second hat-trick of the day to cap off a high-spirited night.
Throughout the games, an abundance of volunteers were hard at work. The volunteers, an assembly of family, faculty, players, and students, operated the raffle tables and chuck-a-puck contests. In the end, the fundraising day saw Pingree and its extended community members raise over $2,000 for the Thomas E. Smith Foundation. It was a special day for all involved.
