Lions Twin State Cup celebrating 50 years of all-star success with matches and memories

HANOVER — Something is going to have to give on Saturday when the best of New Hampshire and Vermont’s graduated senior boys and girls soccer players face off in the 50th anniversary edition of the Lions Twin State Soccer Cup at Hanover High School.

The Lions Twin State Soccer Association, a group of individuals from the New Hampshire and Vermont chapters of Lions Clubs International, organizes the games.

The collective has 1.4 million members in 49,000 clubs, and its mission is to empower its members and partners “to improve health and well-being, strengthen communities and support those in need through humanitarian service and grants that impact lives globally and encourage peace and international understanding,” its website states.

Saturday’s festivities will feature two matches, one between the boys’ teams from the two states and another between the girls’ teams, each comprising 22 graduated senior players who tried out for their respective squads.

“After the high school season is over, all the all-state seniors are invited to try out. … They spend the morning scrimmaging and trying out, and the coaches meet and they select the teams,” said Rob Grabill, who coaches girls soccer at Sunapee Middle High School and has been around the Lions Cup since its inception in 1975. “They try to have divisional representation, so it’s not just kids from Division I and Division II.”

After the teams were selected, Grabill said each is allowed one practice, which took place this past Saturday, noting that some tremendous athletes will be on full display during the games.

Among the 88 players with the distinction of being participants in the Lions Cup is Lebanon High School grad Otto Bourne. Bourne was named Gatorade’s New Hampshire Boys Soccer Player of the Year, among other accolades.

Bourne wrote in a text message that he was excited and grateful to be able to participate in the game.

“It’s fun to play with the all-state players from New Hampshire and compete with Vermont,” he wrote. “But at the same time, there’s a bigger reward for the community. A lot of friends and family show up to support us, and it is a great opportunity to raise money with some soccer.”

“With the anniversary coming up, it’s a special occasion and I’m hoping that we can make the most of it.”

Bourne is not the only standout athlete representing the Upper Valley this weekend. For the Granite State, Dominic Calandrella (Lebanon High) and Sam Ames (Hanover High) will play for the boys, and Isabella Bovell (Stevens High) will represent the girls.

As for the Green Mountain State, Cavan Benjamin and Tighe Hrabchak, both graduates of Hartford High, will play for the boys.

While the day allows recent graduates to have one more high school hurrah, it is also a vehicle to raise money for larger causes.

Grabill explained that money is raised from the game through admission, concessions and programs. Moreover, the Lions Cup has sponsors, which include the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation and Delta Dental.

The money raised is then divided evenly between the states and will be distributed to the Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation of New Hampshire and the Green Mountain Lions Camp for the deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

“We let the players and coaches know: This is a fundraiser — yes, you’re being showcased, but bottom line is we’re raising money to do good things for people who need it,” said Paul Pearsall, the outgoing president of Merrimack (N.H.) Lions Club and a member of the Lions Twin State Soccer Association.

“It’s been a productive fundraiser over the years,” he added, noting that over the game’s lifespan, more than $500,000 has been raised.

Additionally, this year, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Lions Cup, a booklet written by Grabill covering the history of the game will be sold for $20.

The booklet will also include what Grabill referred to as back stories, providing fun information about the event. One fact he relayed was that Jack Edwards, the former voice of the Boston Bruins, who attended Oyster River High School in Durham, N.H., played in the Lions Cup.

The booklet is not the only item celebrating the 50th anniversary. Members of the first-ever Lions Cup teams will also be recognized between the games.

The first edition of the game took place in 1975 at Middlebury College in Vermont, and several years later, in 1983, the first girls match took place in Keene, N.H. Still, despite its success over the years, the Lions Cup did not get off the ground easily. The NCAA initially barred the game from being played on a college campus because it would violate recruiting regulations.

However, the coaches associations from each state traveled to the NCAA convention in Florida, successfully convincing the organization to alter its rules.

“Because of the Lions Cup — high school all-star games — that’s one of the things that got spawned from the Lions Cup,” Grabill said.

Over the years, the event has had its changes. In its early stages, the Lions Cup was played at several other locations, such as Keene State College in New Hampshire and areas like Concord and Burlington.

Nowadays, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the game has been played at Hanover High due to its central location.

With Saturday on the doorstep, Pearsall indicated that they are on track for a “good” financial year, in terms of fundraising.

“We’re optimistic this year,” he said.

The girls game will begin at 1 p.m., and the boys game will follow at 4 p.m. The admission price is $5.

For more information about the Lions Twin State Soccer Game, visit the Lions Twin State Soccer Association’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/p/Lions-Twin-State-Soccer-Association-100064749064335/.

Michael Coughlin Jr. can be reached at mcoughlin@vnews.com.