The St. Joseph-Metuchen High School ice hockey team will be adding a new color to its green-and-white scheme for Wednesday night's game against Central Conference Red Division rival Ridge pink.

The Falcons will be doing their part in the fight against cancer when they play host to the Red Devils at 8 p.m. Wednesday night at the Woodbridge Community Center, with admission to the contest being donated to various cancer charities and treatment facilities.

The brain child of team parent Peggy Russo and coach Ryan Carter, the idea was inspired by the NHL's "Hockey Fights Cancer" program, and cultivated during a conversation about how the team could give back to the community.

Between Russo, a former PTO president at Edison High School and veteran fund-raiser, and Carter, whose wife, Ruby, is in remission after being diagnosed with cervical cancer five years ago at age 26, the "Falcons Hockey Crushes Cancer" event was born.

"Since my wife was diagnosed with cancer, we've been very active with the community and trying to give back," Carter said. "As a coach, I thought this was a great chance for these kids to give back to their community and understand that life isn't always perfect. Cancer is something that effects most families, so I thought this was a chance for our boys to understand life a little bit."

The Falcons players have embraced the idea, led by senior assistant captains Jake Russo and Steven Geffre.

The St. Joseph players, as well as players from Ridge, which also sports green as its primary team color, will be wearing pink all over their uniforms, a tribute to the fight against breast cancer, which has stricken family members of several Falcons players.

Geffre, who went so far as to paint his facemask pink, also bought "Live Strong" bracelets for his teammates, while Jake Russo purchased green "Falcons Hockey Crushes Cancer" bracelets to wear.

For Jake Russo, the cause hits even closer to home. His good friend and fellow St. Joseph senior Ben Prohaska is, himself, a cancer survivor.

"It was huge because it showed us we could help him and support him and try and fight cancer," Jake Russo said. "It helped knowing someone who went through it, to see how it effects people."

Prohaska was diagnosed in August of 2007 with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare cancer most common in adolescent males that takes root in bone or soft tissue. What started as what he thought an infection in his right thumb, was later thought to be a benign tumor, before finally being properly diagnosed.

The senior went through nine months of chemotherapy before ultimately having about half of his thumb amputated.

Prohaska will be there tonight for the ceremonial dropping of the puck to start the game a pink puck, of course, paid for by Jake Russo out of his own pocket and it will be signed by the team and given to Prohaska.

"I was really excited, a soon as they told me about it I was on top of it, I was gonna get my friends to come," said Prohaska, whose mother was diagnosed with breast cancer two weeks after his own diagnosis, and is finishing up successful treatments. "It means a lot to me, I'm going to support it as much as I can."

It is no coincidence the fund-raiser will be held against Ridge.

The Red Devils are not only the defending state Public A champion, but have developed quite a rivalry with St. Joseph, having lost to the Falcons twice in the regular season last year, before beating the Falcons in the McInnis Cup final.

"Where are we going to have the best attendence this year," Peggy Russo said. "If we're going to do it, I want to have it where we're going to make the most money."

After drawing around 200 fans for the home opener, Peggy Russo said she expects around 300 on Wednesday, especially with alumni home for the holidays.

To read the rest of the article click here.