As they have for the last 11 years, the Concord-Carlisle boys and girls hockey teams played Lincoln-Sudbury to honor the memory of a former L-S player.
The annual Warriors 4 Warriors/Patriots 4 Patriots games took place on Saturday, Dec. 17 at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro.
The games raise funds for the Scott Milley Foundation, which supports veterans and their families.
“It’s just an unbelievable event,” said C-C boys coach Rian Murray, who is also a middle school teacher in Sudbury. ” We’re really happy to be a part of it. I know a lot of people on both sides of it and it’s an honor to play in it.
Personally, I think it’s the best high school hockey event on the schedule.”
Coach Rian Murray
Said C-C girls coach Stephanie Jahnle, “It’s great. It’s very well-organized and you couldn’t ask for a better cause.”
L-S won both games on Saturday, with the boys team capturing a 3-0 victory over C-C with an empty-net goal, and the Warriors girls team prevailing over the Patriots, 8-2. Captain Ava Wagner and Brynn Chaffee scored for C-C.
Milley, a 2005 graduate of L-S, played hockey for the Warriors. After graduation, he went to the University of New Hampshire and served as an officer in the US Army. He died in Afghanistan in 2010.
“It means a lot to play for Scott and his family,” said Toryn Jackson, a junior captain for the C-C girls team. “It’s always a huge game for us.”
Said Jayna DiMascio, a senior captain on the girls’ team, “It’s great. The communities really support it and we have really big crowds. Playing for Scott’s memory is really special.”
While the game is in memory of a former L-S player, there have been more than a few former C-C hockey players who have served the country in the military. Brothers Sean, Robbie and Kyle Snook all played hockey for C-C before going to the U.S. Military Academy and serving as officers in the Army. Two other alumni brothers, the Brozowskis, Derek and Nick, also have military backgrounds. Derek served in the Marine Corps, while Nick is in the Navy.
“You hear a bit about them,” said Noah Thorpe, a senior captain on the C-C boys’ team. “This is truly an incredible game with a great message.”
Said Murray, “We certainly have a lot of pride in anyone who has gone on to the service. We’ve also had guys who have become police and firefighters. We have a guy now who’s looking at a career in the military after graduation.”
While the results on the ice were not what either C-C team wanted, they also took away some good things about their games and what happened on the ice.
“It wasn’t our best game,” Jehle said. “We had a good game against Central Catholic and today we came back from a bad first period to do well in the second and third.”
Said Murray, “We competed. You need to get more than four shots in net in the third periods when you’re down two goals, but we’re playing them tougher.”
