DRACUT, Mass. – On a beautiful day at Four Oaks Country Club in Dracut, Mass., a field of UMass Lowell ice hockey alumni, coaches, players, staff and friends of the program gathered for the 24th annual River Hawk Hockey Golf Tournament, presented by UKG on Friday, July 19.
"It went great," said alumnus Craig Brown, who played for the team from 1996-2000. "I don't think we could've had a better day. Top to bottom it was a great experience and a lot of fun."
The tournament featured 18 holes with a scramble format and shotgun start, followed by a lunch and silent auction hosted by Assistant Coach Dylan Zink with some remarks from Head Coach
Norm Bazin inside a jam-packed Grand Oaks Ballroom.
"It's easy to support this program because it is a bunch of character people across the board, from administration, to operations, to the players," said former River Hawk captain, Dave Gatti, who played from 1988-1992. "Anytime you can lean into a culture like that, it breathes oxygen into the rest of your life and in addition, is a lot of fun."
On top of an amazing showing, the event also gives alumni a way to reunite with former teammates and coaches, making it an annual date to circle on the calendar.
"Yeah, it's great to get together," said former captain from the Class of 2019,
Connor Wilson. "Especially for hockey and sports, not everybody comes from Massachusetts or Boston, so this is the time of the year where I see those guys and I see if they're still playing or if they've moved on and done something else. So, this is where I actually come and have that reunion with them and it's my reason to see my friends back from college."
The tournament clearly wears many hats and serves a plethora of purposes that draw these alumni back to the area to participate, but it most importantly helps grow the program that they all hold so closely to their heart.
"I think it helps from so many angles and perspectives," added Wilson. "From my perspective, it's great to come back and see the support. When I was a player, you always see the alumni and support, and I wish I could go back and realize what it takes to put on a program like UMass Lowell Hockey, UMass Lowell Athletics and the university. So, from this perspective now, it's to make a point to come back and be in that role but also, like I said, this is the reason for a reunion and I like being close to the team or at least attach part of my pride to Lowell and the Hockey team, so I'll continue coming back and I know a bunch of the guys I played with will, and it means a lot for all of us."
