Harvard & Union to Face-off at Fenway Park
BOSTON – Harvard University, Union College, ECAC Hockey and Fenway Sports Group (FSG) announced that the men's ice hockey contest between Union and Harvard on January 13 at 7 p.m. will now be played outdoors at Fenway Park as part of Sun Life Frozen Fenway 2012.
The game, originally scheduled for Bright Hockey Center, will now be played as part of a doubleheader, following a Division III game between Babson and Norwich at 3:30 p.m.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to play at Fenway Park with all its history and tradition,” said Ted Donato ’91, the Robert D. Ziff ’88 Head Coach for Harvard Men’s Ice Hockey. “We’re looking forward to an incredible environment and the experience of a lifetime for our players.”
“It is an honor for our team to be involved in the first outdoor ECAC Hockey game at an historic venue such as Fenway Park,” Union head coach Rick Bennett said. “This will be an unforgettable experience for our student-athletes, staff, and fans.”
“I am truly thrilled for this opportunity, in many ways,” stated Jim McLaughlin, Director of Athletics at Union College. “As the Director of Athletics at my alma mater, I am proud that Union College will have the opportunity to play in such an historic venue, and be a part of only the 13th outdoor NCAA college hockey game in history. As a native of suburban Boston, I am excited to be able to witness our program play Harvard at a park where I have enjoyed many memorable moments throughout my life. We appreciate the Fenway Sports Group and Harvard University for this opportunity. This is outstanding news for our players, past and present, our staff, our fans, our alumni, and also our students, and we look forward to seeing all of us come together for a Union College Frozen Fenway event.”
The game will be the fourth NCAA Division I men's ice hockey game ever played at Fenway Park and the 10th outdoor NCAA Division I men's ice hockey contest.
"It's a pretty neat experience to be able to play at
Fenway Park," said Union senior captain Nolan
Julseth-White. "For those of us who went to a Red Sox game
last summer, it was a great atmosphere. While we're focusing on
games this weekend, we're really excited to take part in this
event."
It will not be the first outdoor game for Harvard. The team played many games outdoors before the completion of Watson Rink in 1954 and hosted games at Harvard Stadium from 1905 until 1910.
Union played varsity intercollegiate hockey outdoors from 1919 to 1949. Union played home contests at a rink constructed in Schenectady Central Park for College use until 1934, when an outdoor rink was created near the current Memorial Field House. In 1939, an outdoor rink was created on Graduate Council Field, where hockey was played until the end of the 1948-49 season.
Fenway Park, which opened in 1912, is Major League Baseball’s oldest ballpark. Sun Life Frozen Fenway 2012 will be a 16-day ice event that will include two free community skate days, eight high school hockey games and six college hockey games.
Tickets are available by phone at 877-REDSOX9 and online at
redsox.com/frozenfenway.
