BABSON PARK, Mass.—The Babson College and Fitchburg State University men's ice hockey programs will open the 2025-26 season with a home-and-home series on Friday and Saturday while recognizing Beavers' senior Jake Thibeault and raising money for the Thomas E. Smith Foundation. 

Both teams will be wearing special jerseys in support of Jake and all money raised will go to the Thomas E. Smith Foundation. The Beavers will travel to Fitchburg to face the Falcons inside the Wallace Civic Center at 6 p.m. on Friday before returning to the Babson Skating Center for their home opener on Saturday at 4 p.m. 

Thibeault, who grew up in Fitchburg, suffered two broken vertebrae and partial paralysis in an on-ice collision on September 4, 2021. He graduated from Milton Academy in 2021 and started his first semester at Babson, the only college he applied to, in the fall of 2022, and has been an inspirational member of the hockey program. 

Babson head coach Jamie Rice '90 and Fitchburg State head coach Dean Fuller have both been a driving force behind the recovery efforts of Jake, who puts himself through three-hour physical therapy sessions multiple times a week at Journey Forward in Canton, Mass., with the goal of walking again. 

"We are thrilled to be able to play Fitchburg State in our opening two games of the 2025-26 season in support of Jake," said Rice. "Jake is an amazing young man who embodies the best qualities of our program; loyalty, dedication and a NO QUIT attitude. He possesses relentless positivity, an immeasurable love of his teammates and courage beyond measure." 

"Our team would also like to thank former Babson hockey player Nik Tasiopoulous '14 for creating and donating the special jerseys we'll be wearing. Please come out and support Jake and all people living with spinal cord injuries as we raise money for the Thomas E. Smith Foundation on Friday and Saturday."

Babson, which is beginning its first season in the Little East Conference, returns 21 players from a team that finished 13-11-2 overall and 11-8-1 in New England Hockey Conference play in 2024-25.