Draft Day Photo Gallery

LOWELL, Mass. – UMass Lowell Field Hockey Head Coach Shannon Hlebichuk officially welcomed Isabelle Johnson to the squad through a Draft Day event on Thursday. Johnson, who is a seven-year-old from Bedford, Mass., was matched with the River Hawks through Team IMPACT, a Boston-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing chronic illnesses.
 
"We are really excited that Isabelle made the decision to come to UMass Lowell," said Hlebichuk. "We think that she will bring a lot of inspiration to our squad and become a vital part of our team chemistry."
 
Johnson "chose" to be a part of the UMass Lowell field hockey team during a special Draft Day press conference. She was greeted by the River Hawks' mascot, Rowdy, a message on the video board and her very own UMass Lowell jersey upon arriving at the Tsongas Center in Lowell.
 
"Meeting the girls" on the team was what Johnson said she was most excited about during the question and answer section of the press conference.
 
Johnson was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, the most common life-threatening and chronic lung disease found in children, when she was just nine days old. Since the diagnosis, her life has been dominated by treatments. Despite having to complete chest physical therapy, nebulizer breathing treatments and several medications every day, the outgoing child loves to have fun and stay busy. In addition to field hockey, Johnson enjoys yoga, dance and attending UMass Lowell ice hockey games.
 
ABOUT TEAM IMPACT:
Team IMPACT is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of team.  Team IMPACT children are drafted on to local college athletic teams and, in effect, become official members of the team from Draft Day through to Graduation. At Team IMPACT, they envision a future where the lives of children facing the hardships associated with adverse issues and events will have access to expanded team-based support networks in order to significantly enhance their quality of life and to fill their lives with more love and laughter. Team IMPACT also strives to provide team-based organizations everywhere an easy and efficient way to have a powerful impact on the lives of children in their community. Established in 2011, Team IMPACT has already matched over 400 children with collegiate teams, improving the quality of life of hundreds of courageous children and touching the lives of over 10,000 student athletes. For more information, please visit:www.goteamimpact.org.