UMass Athletics Launches New Community Outreach Program
Big IssuesSports March 3, 2026 The New England Classic
CONTE FORUM — As the holiday season kicks off, athletic departments across the country are rushing to fit in their mandatory service programs. From toy drives to food packing, these idiot jocks have been making a difference across the community.
Massachusetts flagship institution, UMass Amherst has chosen to take a different approach to seasonal service through fulfilling the needs of local senior citizens, an often underrepresented and overlooked demographic.
While their other teams visited nursing homes and fundraising, men’s hockey took a trip to Chestnut Hill, and, in what seems to be a gross misunderstanding of the definition and context of the word “senior,” gifted two Boston College seniors with what can only be described as a lifetime of wishes come true.
Senior forwards Paul Davey and Will Traeger have been pillars of the prestigious Eagles Hockey program for four long and uneventful years, with career highlights including smacking the boards with their sticks when excited and skating a mean warmup lap.
However, this past weekend, in a magical two game series dripping with holiday cheer their luck changed thanks to the bleeding hearts of the UMass Minutemen. Both players scored their first (and likely last) collegiate goals provided by the charitable initiative of their opponents.
The Classic interviewed Circle Tavern owner, Shaw Tapoorer, who shared that, “The boys were buzzing. The Minutemen did a good thing this weekend, sharing joy like that, and the Eagles did a good thing sharing their wallets with my bar.” Tapoorer further commented that this was the most successful “Circy Sunday” the establishment had ever experienced.
The teams ended their weekend duel by participating in the UMass annual tradition of a “Teddy Bear Toss,” which in continuation with the university’s service focus shift looked a little different this year. While in prior years the audience throws stuffed animals onto the ice, this year the teams opted to throw sophomore forward Teddy Stiga from the ice into the locker room! 
