#NewMassChallenge

Dear UMass Hockey Family,

Since I was hired I have met MANY former players, alumni, and friends of the program who have all told me how excited they are about the new direction of UMass Hockey. We are off to the best start in the history of the program since it turned Division I in 1993. We have achieved the highest national ranking in the program's history as well. However, this is not enough. We need participation from all of you. As I have stated several times, if we want to be a national contender and a premiere team in Hockey East then we need support from everyone.

In the last few years we have experienced a significant increase in Pond Club membership. However, to compete and maintain success at the national level we need your financial investment. In an effort to continue building resources to the Pond Club, I am very excited to announce that two members of our Athletics Committee of the UMass Amherst Foundation Board Pete Trovato and Paul Carney have created the #NewMassChallenge and agreed to match dollar for dollar every gift that comes in from now until December 31, 2018 (up to $30,000). Pete, an alumnus of the program and Paul a loyal supporter have initiated this challenge to maximize the impact you can have on our student-athletes and the success of our program. I am extremely grateful to Pete and Paul for their commitment and investment in our program. Participation from all of you will make a statement to our current players, administration and future recruits that we are serious about our commitment to excellence in hockey.

It is your turn to help make a difference. Your gift, combined with others will make a true impact on UMass Hockey and our success going forward. I urge you to make a gift today and share this with your former teammates, classmates, season ticket holders and friends. With your participation, upon success of this campaign, our program will have additional resources that will play a key role in our continued growth.

Thank you for your support! Go UMass!