ERIE, PA- The 28th Annual Sarah Backstrom Memorial Girls Hockey Tournament is scheduled for this weekend, with 70 girls’ hockey teams from across the country expected to compete. The event will begin on Friday, Feb. 18 and run through Monday, Feb. 21 with games played at six locations: ERIEBANK Sports Park, the Flo Fabrizio Ice Center, THE Meadville Area Recreational Center, Mercyhurst Ice Center, Erie Insurance Arena and Northwest Arena in Jamestown, N. York.
The event honors the memory of Sarah Backstrom, a former Erie Lady Lion hockey player who died of leukemia in 1999. The tournament has since become one of the longest-running girls’ hockey tournaments in the U.S. and Canada. The 2022 tournament will be among the largest Backstrom tournaments ever hosted.
The event is operated by local hockey tournament company Lake Effect Hockey.
“It’s really an honor to host a tournament with such longevity,” said Jason Fowler, owner of Lake Effect Hockey. “Girl’s hockey is growing, and that will be on full display this weekend with talented teams from all over the country competing. We have multiple top 20 teams attending from each division, so the competition is going to be the best we have seen in many years.”
The event will feature 70 girls’ teams with players ranging in age from nine to 19. Teams will travel from as far away as Alaska and Oregon to compete in the event this year.
“To see that teams are traveling literally across the country to this tournament really speaks to its prominence, as well as Erie’s ability to be a host destination for youth hockey,” said Mark Jeanneret, executive director of the Erie Sports Commission. “Erie is widely regarded as a summer destination, but major youth sporting events truly thrive here in all seasons. Lake Effect Hockey has done an outstanding job showcasing that through their tournaments, including this one.”
Games will begin at 8 a.m. daily, with ERIEBANK Sports Park serving as the tournament headquarters. A complete schedule can be found online here: https://gamesheet.app/seasons/1294/stats/schedule.
For more information, visit https://www.lakeeffecthockey.com/tournaments-new/2022-sarah-backstrom-memorial-tournament.
