LOWELL SPINNERS AND UMASS LOWELL HOCKEY INTRODUCE “SPINNERS ON ICE”

Spinners bring “Spinnertainment” to the Riverhawks’ rink

LOWELL, MA – The Lowell Spinners, Class A Affiliate of the 2007 Boston Red Sox, and the UMass Lowell River Hawks announced today that they are teaming up to create “Spinners on Ice” on January 18 when the River Hawks host the Boston College Eagles at the Tsongas Arena.

“‘Spinners on Ice’ enhances our year-round commitment to the Greater Lowell area and solidifies our partnership with UMass Lowell,” said Lowell Spinners Vice President and General Manager Tim Bawmann.

“The ‘See You at the Tsongas’ campaign included taking a page out of the Spinners marketing playbooks, and creating a more vibrant game-day atmosphere,” said UMass Lowell athletic director, Dana Skinner. “What better way to do that than by having a night of Spinnertainment in conjunction with a River Hawk hockey game.”

The “Spinners on Ice” game between the River Hawks and Eagles will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be televised on the New England Sports Network (NESN). Gates open at 6:00 p.m. and the first 500 fans in attendance will receive a NESN University t-shirt and magnet courtesy of NESN.

The first 500 fans wearing Spinners or Red Sox clothing will receive a Lowell Sun poster of former Spinner Jonathan Papelbon and the 2007 Red Sox World Series victory, courtesy of the Spinners and the Lowell Sun.

Lowell Spinners manager Gary DiSarcina, a former MLB All-Star and Billerica-native, will drop the ceremonial first puck prior to the start of the game and is scheduled to sign autographs. The Gentlemen Songsters will perform the National Anthem.

The Spinners will be selling 200 bobblehead dolls of Jonathan Papelbon in a Red Sox uniform, an item never before made available to fans. Spinners season ticket holders and members of Thread Sox Nation will have first access until the end of the first period, after which the item will be available to the general public while supplies last.

The game will also feature Benjamin the Juggler, who will perform in the lobby before the game. Rowdy the River Hawk and the Spinners Canaligator, Allie-Gator and Millie-Gator will also be walking around with giveaway items for fans. The Dogman of Spinners fame will also be in attendance entertaining fans.

Television timeouts will feature t-shirt tosses as well as other surprises and the second intermission will feature the Spinners’ trademark “Spinnertainment”, including dizzy bat, sumo wrestling, t-shirt tosses and more.

Spinners season ticket holders and members of the Spinners Thread Sox Nation fan access package are being offered discounted tickets. Other promotions include a silent auction of sports memorabilia for Lowell Spinners Charities.

The River Hawks, ranked 14^th in the USCHO.com/CSTV poll, have won five straight and seven of eight, and are 9-4-4 on the season. UML is in a three-way tie for third place in the Hockey East Standings at 4-4-4 (12 points).

For more information please contact Jon Shestakofsky, Director of Media Relations for the Lowell Spinners, at 978-805-5117 / jshesta@lowellspinners.com, or UMass Lowell’s Scott Donnelly at 978-934-4988 / scott_donnelly@uml.edu.