ERIE, Pa.—The Sarah Backstrom Memorial Tournament, one of the longest-running all-girls hockey tournaments in the U.S., returns to Erie this weekend with an expanded two-weekend schedule that reflects continued growth and high demand.
The 32nd annual Sarah Backstrom Memorial Tournament, hosted by Lake Effect Hockey, begins Friday, Feb. 6, and runs through Sunday, Feb. 8, with additional games scheduled for Feb. 13–16. This year, the tournament will be held over two weekends for the first time.
Thirty teams will compete during the opening weekend, with games played at Erie Insurance Arena, Flo Fabrizio Ice Center, and Mercyhurst Ice Center. More than 60 additional teams are scheduled to compete during the second weekend, with games taking place at Erie Insurance Arena, Flo Fabrizio Ice Center, Mercyhurst Ice Center, and LECOM Sports Park.
The tournament will host over 90 teams and more than 1,600 athletes from 12 states, as well as from Ontario, Canada. Teams are coming from as far away as Colorado, Florida, and Montana, highlighting the tournament’s significance as a major sports tourism event for the region.
Games will be played daily from approximately 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at each venue. At least two divisions in every age group, ranging from 10U to 19U, will compete throughout the two weekends.
“We are grateful for the continued growth of this event, and the community that unites around it, contributing to both its success and the positive economic impact it brings to the Erie region,” says Jason Fowler, owner of Lake Effect Hockey. “A special thank you goes out to all of our hotel partners who go to such great lengths to make this tournament bigger and better every year.”
The tournament honors Sarah Backstrom, a former Erie Lady Lion hockey player who died from leukemia in 1999. Organizers say the event, which began as a small local effort, has grown alongside the expansion of girls’ hockey nationwide.
Lake Effect Hockey is again partnering with the Mario Lemieux Foundation, with a portion of tournament proceeds benefiting pediatric leukemia research and awareness.
