Sports Information Department – 112 Dods Hall
Phone (716) 673-3100 / Fax (716) 673-3136

CONTACT: Jerry Reilly,
Sports Information Director

DATE: Thurs., Feb. 17, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hockey

Devils look to grab first-round momentum

FREDONIA, N.Y. – Fredonia State men’s hockey coach Jeff Meredith is happy his team will be playing this weekend and not playing the waiting game.

The Blue Devils (15-4-4) will take on the Cortland Red Dragons (10-13-2) on both Friday and Saturday nights in the first round of the SUNYAC Tournament.

Game time both nights is 7 p.m.

When the first round drew to a close in December, Fredonia State was 7-0-0 in SUNYAC. The second round was a bit rockier as the Blue Devils went 2-3-2 and dropped into third place.

Yet, had Geneseo lost last Saturday to Potsdam – the gamed ended in a 4-4 tie – the Blue Devils would have regained second place and earned a first-round bye.

Instead, the Blue Devils return to the friendly Steele Hall confines for two games, Potsdam visits Plattsburgh in the other first-round series this weekend, while No. 1 seed Oswego and No. 2 Geneseo are idle until next weekend.

Meredith is relieved it turned out this way.

“I am not sure,” he said, “a bye at this point of the season would have been a good thing for us. I think we need to keep playing and have a chance to gain momentum.”

The Blue Devils have some momentum already. They are coming off a 6-3 win last Saturday at Cortland. They also defeated the Red Dragons, 7-3, when the teams met Dec. 4 at Steele Hall.

In fact, the Blue Devils are unbeaten this season on their home ice (8-0-2).

“As in all home games,” Meredith said, “I think scoring first and early is always the key.”

The Blue Devils are 12-1-2 this season when they score the first goal, including a 7-0-1 record against SUNYAC opponents.

The Red Dragons have a senior-laden lineup. Six of their top seven scorers are in their final season of college hockey.

“(Nate) Gagnon, (Kevin) Watters, (Tim) Earl, and (Matt) Schillace have all had great years,” Meredith said of Cortland’s leading men. “I don’t think we want to get into a shootout and go up and down the ice trading odd-man rushes with them.

“I think we want to play the game tight-checking and make the game stay on the boards and down low in their zone.”

The series could come down to special teams. The Blue Devils are the most penalized team in SUNYAC, while the Red Dragons have the third-most infractions. True to form, the teams combined for 42 penalties last Saturday – 15 in the last two minutes.

“They have a very potent power play,” Meredith said. “We have to stay out of the box. Their top five scorers are all on their top unit so our discipline will be important for us.

“On the other end, our power play needs to generate chances and we need to move the puck quickly in order to have success. The fact that we just played them I see as a positive in that we are very familiar with how they want to play.”

The format for the weekend is the same as in past SUNYAC playoffs: A regulation 60-minute game each night, followed by a 10-minute mini-game Saturday if necessary.

The first team to earn three points – two for a win, one for a tie – will advance to the SUNYAC semifinals next weekend at either Oswego or Geneseo.

NOTES: The Blue Devils are ranked No. 14 in the latest USCHO.com Division III poll … Sophomore forward Matt Zeman (Rocky River, Ohio) was chosen First Team All-SUNYAC this week after leading the Blue Devils in scoring (16 goals, 20 assists). Junior goaltender Rick Cazares (San Jose, Calif.) made the Second Team list and senior defenseman Chris Wells (Plattsburgh) was an honorable mention … For Cortland, junior goaltender Matt Meacham received honorable mention … Zeman is expected to return to the lineup this weekend. He missed the game last Saturday after bruising a knee the previous night vs. Oswego … Cazares is expected to make his 21st start in goal Friday. He has posted a 12-4-4 record with a 2.76 goals-against average in his previous 20 appearances … Blue Devil fans attending the games this weekend are asked to wear white shirts to create a Steele Hall White-Out … Cortland’s Watters needs two points and Earl six points in order to become the 9th and 10th Red Dragons to record at least 100 career points. Gagnon reached the milestone earlier this season … Both games will be broadcast live on campus and community radio station WCVF (88.9 FM) with Josh Burrows doing play-by-play and Evan Franchi on the color commentary … At the close of business Thursday, approximately 50 free tickets to the Friday game were available to Fredonia State students who show a college ID card and sign for the ticket at Athletic Department office in Dods Hall. The office will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday … Tickets for the general public will go on sale 6 p.m. Friday at the Steele Hall ticket booth. Tickets to the Saturday game will go on sale during the second intermission Friday night.

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