Hockey programs participate in Be the Match Registry Drive

MEQUON, Wis. – On Saturday at the Ozaukee Ice Center members of the Concordia University Wisconsin Men's and Women's Hockey Teams participated in the North Shore Conference Marrow Registry Drive, as a part of the Be the Match movement.

Be the Match is an organization that organizes the largest and most diverse marrow registry in the world. Those who sign up, including the Falcons hockey players on Saturday, are added to the registry in hopes of finding matches for patients with life-threatening diseases. Many times, those patients don't have a fully matched donor in their family, and many times they may depend on Be the Match.

"Tony Navarre is the head hockey coach and Homestead High School and a few years ago he needed a bone marrow transplant to save his life," said Falcons head Men's Hockey coach Jasen Wise. "He asked for our support so we all registered. It's as simple as hockey people helping hockey people."

Navarre knows first-hand the value of the Be the Match events and has been organizing one in the area for the last six years. Over 200 individuals have participated during that time, adding their name to the registry.

"Every person that registers increases the chances of finding a match," stated Women's Hockey head coach Steve Fabiilli.  "It is great to see the players volunteering and potentially saving a life."

The Falcons participated in the Be the Match event, which was organized by the Homestead Hockey Team during the team's conference tournament this past weekend. The Falcons had a home doubleheader at the Ozaukee Ice Center Saturday, so the men's team joined the registry before their game, with the women's team participating after.

For more information on Be the Match, click here.

Click here for a YouTube link on the event.