Capers upset Red Storm in race for 1st ‘Fix Cup’
Posted by Sentry Editor at 2/2/2007 10:14 AM 
Categories: Fundraisers, Happenings, Cape News, Sports, Ward Peck
Categories: Fundraisers, Happenings, Cape News, Sports, Ward Peck
By Ward Peck
Editor
The sudden snowstorm that hit the Portland area was not the only unexpected event on Monday night as the Cape Elizabeth boys ice hockey team upset the Scarborough Red Storm 3-2 in the opening round of the inaugural Fix Cup Tournament.
With the win, the Capers are in position to make history. On Monday, Jan. 29 they will play Falmouth at the Cumberland Country Civic Center to see who will be the first team ever to take home the Fix, named in honor of the late Frank Fixaris, the long-time sportscaster who was killed in a fire at his Falmouth home one year ago.
Scarborough will also be back on the ice on Monday in a consolation match when they play Cheverus, who lost to Falmouth 3-1 earlier in the evening.
Gary Prolman, a former Kennebunk hockey coach who met Fixaris 15 years ago, organized the event to help raise funds for the Frank Fixaris Memorial Endowment at Saint Joseph’s College. The fund, established in July of 2006, seeks to fund opportunities for students interested in sports, journalism and education. Among the projects the endowment will fund are the establishment of academic scholarships and internships in the field of broadcast journalism; attracting prominent national sports figures to an annual lecture event; providing stipends to enable middle school and high school students to attend sports camps at St. Joseph’s and enhance the college’s radio station in the area of broadcast journalism.
Fixaris was a fixture in southern Maine sports broadcasting community for decades. He began a long stint as a sportscaster for WGME-TV in 1967, where he worked until 1992, retiring as the station’s sports director. At the time of his death he was the co-host of a sports talk show on WJAB radio. Fire marshals at the time theorized the blaze may have been caused when Fixaris fell asleep with a lit cigarette, according to the Associated Press.
“He [Fixaris] did so much for high school hockey,” Prolman said. “When I started as a coach, there was not a lot of exposure for high school hockey, but his involvement opened a lot of doors.”
Prolman said he hopes the tournament, which was conceived “in the last couple months,” will develop into a local high school version of the annual “Boston Beanpot” tournament between Boston College, Boston University, Harvard and Northeastern.
“We picked four traditionally strong teams that are perennial contenders,” Prolman said. “These communities also have a history of supporting their teams.”
While the Capers have been contenders in the recent past– winning back-to-back Class B Championships last year and the year before, they have struggled this season, posting a losing 4-9 record as of Jan. 20. Cape is the only Class B team in the tournament.
But their upset win over Class A Scarborough (8-3) may suggest a new momentum. The Capers shut down a ferocious offensive assault by Scarborough, stopping 29 of 31 shots on goal and efficiently using their few scoring opportunities (16 shots on goal) to put the puck in the net three times.
They will need that momentum as they face Falmouth (9-2) on Jan. 29. Falmouth easily contained the faltering Cheverus Stags (4-7) in the first round.
While the Fix Cup games do not count toward the team’s official records, pride and bragging rights are still on the line.
In addition to proceeds of ticket sales ($7 adults, $4 students for both games), a silent auction will be taking place on Monday night. Fans can bid on a number of items including: tickets to the Comedy Connection, a “meet and greet” with Bob Marley and an autographed Marley CD; catered Super Bowl appetizers for 10 people; an autographed Philadelphia Flyers hockey jersey; an autographed Boston Bruins Legends hockey jersey; a half-hour guest host spot on WJAB 1440 Sports Radio; an hour spot to be a guest commentator for one period at a Portland Pirates home game with Greg Glynn and more. Prolman said 100 percent of the tournament and auction proceeds will go to the endowment. More information about the Frank Fixaris Memorial Endowment Fund can be found on the St. Joseph’s website at: www.stcme.edu/fixaris.
The Scarborough-Cheverus consolation game begins at 6 p.m. at the Cumberland County Civic Center, with the Cape Elizabeth-Falmouth Championship game following at 8 p.m.
(Update– Cape Elizabeth lost to Falmouth 10-1)
Editor
The sudden snowstorm that hit the Portland area was not the only unexpected event on Monday night as the Cape Elizabeth boys ice hockey team upset the Scarborough Red Storm 3-2 in the opening round of the inaugural Fix Cup Tournament.
With the win, the Capers are in position to make history. On Monday, Jan. 29 they will play Falmouth at the Cumberland Country Civic Center to see who will be the first team ever to take home the Fix, named in honor of the late Frank Fixaris, the long-time sportscaster who was killed in a fire at his Falmouth home one year ago.
Scarborough will also be back on the ice on Monday in a consolation match when they play Cheverus, who lost to Falmouth 3-1 earlier in the evening.
Gary Prolman, a former Kennebunk hockey coach who met Fixaris 15 years ago, organized the event to help raise funds for the Frank Fixaris Memorial Endowment at Saint Joseph’s College. The fund, established in July of 2006, seeks to fund opportunities for students interested in sports, journalism and education. Among the projects the endowment will fund are the establishment of academic scholarships and internships in the field of broadcast journalism; attracting prominent national sports figures to an annual lecture event; providing stipends to enable middle school and high school students to attend sports camps at St. Joseph’s and enhance the college’s radio station in the area of broadcast journalism.
Fixaris was a fixture in southern Maine sports broadcasting community for decades. He began a long stint as a sportscaster for WGME-TV in 1967, where he worked until 1992, retiring as the station’s sports director. At the time of his death he was the co-host of a sports talk show on WJAB radio. Fire marshals at the time theorized the blaze may have been caused when Fixaris fell asleep with a lit cigarette, according to the Associated Press.
“He [Fixaris] did so much for high school hockey,” Prolman said. “When I started as a coach, there was not a lot of exposure for high school hockey, but his involvement opened a lot of doors.”
Prolman said he hopes the tournament, which was conceived “in the last couple months,” will develop into a local high school version of the annual “Boston Beanpot” tournament between Boston College, Boston University, Harvard and Northeastern.
“We picked four traditionally strong teams that are perennial contenders,” Prolman said. “These communities also have a history of supporting their teams.”
While the Capers have been contenders in the recent past– winning back-to-back Class B Championships last year and the year before, they have struggled this season, posting a losing 4-9 record as of Jan. 20. Cape is the only Class B team in the tournament.
But their upset win over Class A Scarborough (8-3) may suggest a new momentum. The Capers shut down a ferocious offensive assault by Scarborough, stopping 29 of 31 shots on goal and efficiently using their few scoring opportunities (16 shots on goal) to put the puck in the net three times.
They will need that momentum as they face Falmouth (9-2) on Jan. 29. Falmouth easily contained the faltering Cheverus Stags (4-7) in the first round.
While the Fix Cup games do not count toward the team’s official records, pride and bragging rights are still on the line.
In addition to proceeds of ticket sales ($7 adults, $4 students for both games), a silent auction will be taking place on Monday night. Fans can bid on a number of items including: tickets to the Comedy Connection, a “meet and greet” with Bob Marley and an autographed Marley CD; catered Super Bowl appetizers for 10 people; an autographed Philadelphia Flyers hockey jersey; an autographed Boston Bruins Legends hockey jersey; a half-hour guest host spot on WJAB 1440 Sports Radio; an hour spot to be a guest commentator for one period at a Portland Pirates home game with Greg Glynn and more. Prolman said 100 percent of the tournament and auction proceeds will go to the endowment. More information about the Frank Fixaris Memorial Endowment Fund can be found on the St. Joseph’s website at: www.stcme.edu/fixaris.
The Scarborough-Cheverus consolation game begins at 6 p.m. at the Cumberland County Civic Center, with the Cape Elizabeth-Falmouth Championship game following at 8 p.m.
(Update– Cape Elizabeth lost to Falmouth 10-1)
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