Keene, NH- The Keene State College Owls Men's Ice Hockey Club announced on Tuesday that they are partnering with The UMass Amherst Men's Club Hockey Team to host Slip into a Sled night at Keene ICE on Wed, March 4th.

The event is intended to raise awareness in the Monadnock Region of sled hockey and other adaptive sports programming that Northeast Passage offers.  At 6pm, several players from the KSC and UMass club teams will "slip into sleds" with leaders from the Northeast Passage program to get a demonstration/practice on playing sled hockey.  The event will feature Mark Priest, a Monadnock High School Ice Hockey Alum who has become an accomplished sled player.  At 7pm, Several KSC players (along with some NE Passage players) will face off in a sled hockey exhibition game against several UMass players who will also be assisted by some NE Passage players.  Followign the sled exhibition, members of NE Passage will be available to talk with visitors.  The UMass and KSC teams will then have a hockey scrimmage at 8:30pm.

"i think it will be humbling for our guys and the UMass guys, who are very good hockey players, to experience the challange of playing in sleds," commented Keene State Coach, Bobby Rodrigue.  Rodrigue added, "This should be a lot of fun and will raise some funds for Northeast Passage; we were planning to get together with the UMass team for a scrimmage to help prepare for the National Tournament already so this event just compliments the whole thing really nicely.  It's going to be great to see Marky out here on our home ice."

The event is free for the public to attend however doantions will be accepted and both teams have offered items to be raffled off as an additional fundraiser for Northeast Passage.  The event is partially funded by a Pepsi Grant partnership from Keene State.

People may visit nepassage.org to learn more about sled hockey and other adaptive sports programs that are offered through the University of New Hampshire.  Highlights from a Team USA Sled Hockey gold medal game can be found HERE.