The Saint Ignatius Varsity Gold hockey team returned to the ice in September to begin their 2024-2025 season.
While the team has many important games coming up, they are playing for a more important cause this year. The “Back the Pack” game occurs annually to raise awareness and funding for the prevention of drunk driving.
On Sunday, September 29, the team hosted Loyola Academy at Fifth Third Arena. For many members of the team, however, this game had more significance than any other SHL league game. Prior to the game, the team hosted a fundraiser at The Barn Hockey Bar on the West Side. All proceeds from this fundraiser will support a cause to help end drunk driving. This issue hits close to home for the hockey team as they once had to suffer its consequences.
In November 2022, the JV hockey team’s bus was struck by a drunk driver as they made their way home from an away game in Indiana. Several team members sustained significant injuries and were unable to return to play following the accident. Senior Jackson Bossert said, “The Back the Pack game is really significant for me because I was in the bus crash 2 years ago.”
Drunk driving has been covered more heavily in the news since NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother were killed in an accident caused by a drunk driver. Bossert said, “It has been a heavy topic of discussion since then.”
Will Lyons ‘25, another student injured in the bus crash, attended the event last Sunday. He said, “Drunk driving is a really big issue. I think everyone needs to be aware of it in order to help prevent it in the future.”
For further information about Johnny Gaudreau’s death, read: https://apnews.com/article/johnny-gaudreau-35de1641d040f02ecd83a9638e6aca32.
