From Flagstaff Business News
By Ava Nichols
Amidst financial challenges to building a new ice rink on campus, Northern Arizona University’s Division Three Hockey Team raised over $3,000 for a local referee’s 3-year-old son, Owen, who is fighting liver cancer.
Matthew Sabicer is an on-ice referee and youth coach who plays in an adult hockey league in Flagstaff. The challenges his family is facing throughout Owen’s cancer battle prompted the 28 roster players and four practice players of the NAU Ice Jacks to donate all proceeds from their first game to them.
In addition, the local hockey community rallied together to raise more than $20,000 for Owen’s GoFundMe account.
Meanwhile, the Ice Jacks alumni network also opened its arms to help the toddler. One hockey alum is a tissue and blood match for Owen and offered to donate a piece of his liver. “Three other former NAU Ice Jacks agreed to take time off of work [to help the family], and Adam Vasquez was going to provide a location for the donor to stay in,” said Division III Head Coach Jacob Smets, who played on the team from 2011-2014. “So basically, it was a huge effort from former NAU hockey players.”
Just before the surgery was set to occur, the family found out there was a deceased donor.
Now, Owen is up against another battle that includes chemotherapy and rehabilitation post-surgery. Despite the challenges, Owen keeps fighting. Team Captain Kai Piper explained that the team hopes to see Owen on the ice one day.
“Owen embodies everything it is to be an Ice Jack,” said Piper. “He’s a fighter. He given everything he can. It’s just really motivational to see everything that he’s gone through and how he’s pushing through it.”
Smets says that the team working together to support Owen goes beyond skill level on the ice; it builds a culture that gives back to its community.
“The selflessness of the former players, four in total, willing to give a place to stay, time off work, but most importantly, an active liver, really goes to show the caliber of human beings that we’re trying to bring into our club and we’re trying to nurture in our club,” Smets said.
This is not the only time the team has faced adversity. Last season, the team was rocked by news that a player’s sister died unexpectedly.
“Not everybody gets to hear the day to day of everything that’s going on behind the scenes, but it’s great to see that all of our guys are taking care of each other,” Smets said.
Piper said the decision to support Owen and his family was a “no-brainer.”
“From my perspective, I definitely think it’s beneficial for the boys to see,” Piper said. “There’s a lot of people out there who have it a lot harder than we do. We’re in a fortunate position, so we just want to give back to those who need it.”
The team has a check ready for the Sabicer family when they get back to Flagstaff from California, where Owen is going through rehabilitation after a successful liver transplant surgery.
Smets said the support has not only come from the team and alumni, but it is a cause the entire community supported.
“It was partly us, and the other part was the Flagstaff Youth Hockey Organizations, which Matt is a part of,” Smets said. “Ultimately, I think this is just a great example of the hockey community of Flagstaff really coming together for one of our own.”
In total, they raised almost $25,000 for the Sabicer family.
Smets wants to reach even further than the Flagstaff community, though. The Division III team competes in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). Smets hopes his team’s actions pave the way for other teams in the league to follow.
“Hopefully it encourages and inspires those other teams to do similar things for their community,” he said.
(Originally published at https://www.flagstaffbusinessnews.com/flagstaff-hockey-community-rallies-together-to-help-child-battling-cancer/)
