SUPERIOR, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Superior and Yellowjacket Athletics are excited to announce a partnership with Sophie's Squad at its men's and women's hockey games this Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023.
 
The Yellowjacket women's hockey team will play St. Olaf College at 2 p.m. Saturday, followed by the men's game against Northland College at 7:05 p.m. Representatives from Sophie's Squad will be at both contests, distributing information and taking part in other activities, including a ceremonial puck drop and a 50/50 drawing to raise money for the organization. The day is also Alumni Day for both the women's and men's hockey teams.
 
Sophie's Squad was founded in 2021 with the mission of raising awareness of mental health issues and removing the stigma associated with seeking help. The non-profit organization is named for Sophie Wieland, who in 2021 at 14 years old, took her own life. Wieland indicated in a note that she had been struggling with her mental health for about three years, and never once in that time sought help.
 
"Sophie's Squad is excited to partner with UW-Superior to help raise awareness for the importance of mental health," said Matt Lee, director of marketing and public relations for Sophie's Squad. "We have seen tremendous support for Sophie's Squad and mental health initiatives out of the Twin Ports area, and we are thrilled to work with UW-Superior and looking forward to a fun day of hockey. More importantly, it's a chance to work with Yellowjacket Athletics to remove the stigma associated with mental health."
 
Making the day more significant is the fact Wieland's older sister, Rachel, is a member of the St. Olaf women's hockey team, so the Wieland family will be in attendance Saturday.
 
Mental health has been a focus of Yellowjacket Athletics, as student-athletes are required to go through mental health assessments annually. Mental health and suicide prevention have also been part of the athletics department's cause efforts in recent years.
 
"Every year, when our student-athlete surveys come back, one of the things that is always at the top of the list is their mental health. They appreciate the things we are doing to support their mental health – from utilizing the Pruitt Center to dedicating our cause efforts to it, but I also know they wish we had further resources to dedicate to it because it is so important," UW-Superior Director of Athletics Nick Bursik said. "Have Sophie's Squad come to our campus and work with our teams gives them another resource for their own mental health, and it allows us to cast a wider net and hopefully touch lives even beyond our campus."

More information on Sophie's Squad is available here.
 
For more information on this weekend's Sophie's Squad games at Wessman Arena, contact Yellowjacket Athletics at 715-395-4614.