Friday, February 12, 2016

Father vs. son when Brockport visits Friday

FREDONIA, N.Y. - If Fredonia men's hockey coach Jeff Meredith has one regret in his 28 seasons behind the Blue Devil bench, it's this: He has missed most of his son Matt's college hockey games.

"That is the saddest thing to me," the elder Meredith said. "I haven't gotten to see him play a lot."

The Merediths will have a mini-reunion Friday when Matt and his Brockport teammates come to Fredonia to play his dad's team. Game time is 7 p.m.

Matt Meredith, a sophomore winger, was in the lineup against Fredonia two other times - both times in Brockport. That makes Friday's game his first time back on the Steele Hall, where Jeff Meredith has coached since 1997.

There's a lot on the line Friday, especially for the Blue Devils, who trail the Golden Eagles by three points for the sixth and final SUNYAC playoff berth.

A Brockport win or a tie would be damaging to Fredonia's chances.

It is the third straight weekend blood has run thicker than Steele's frozen water. When Potsdam was here Jan. 30, it was a rematch of the Rivera brothers from Pacific Palisades, Calif. - freshman Luke of Fredonia vs. senior Jake of Potsdam. They also met earlier this season in Potsdam.

Last weekend, the Casales from Lewiston, N.Y. were on opposite sides - Benjamin, the Fredonia freshman, against Joe, a senior for SUNY Canton - both Friday and Saturday nights.

Fredonia and Potsdam split their two games. So did Fredonia and SUNY Canton. Having lost at Brockport 4-3 last Nov. 20, Jeff Meredith will be happy with a split against his son's team - a game which leaves his wife, Joanne, in an unenviable place.

"She told me she wants Matt to do well, she wants him to score a goal," Jeff said. "But she wants us to win. After all, she has to live with me."
  • Updated Pink The Rink dollar totals are in. The sale of game-worn pink Blue Devil jerseys, officials shirts, and other donations netted $7,461, bringing the total since 2008 to $67,529.16. Collections made in 2007 - the first year of Pink The Rink - are not included.All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society of Western New York ... After playing at home Friday, the Blue Devils are on the road Saturday when they travel to Geneseo.

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