By: JERRY REILLY, Sports Information Director
FREDONIA, N.Y. – Fredonia State's run of games against nationally ranked opponents resumes this weekend when the Neumann Knights visit for a pair of games.
The Knights (11-3-0) are No. 6 in this week's USCHO.com Division III rankings. On Tuesday, the Blue Devils fell 2-1 to No. 11 Elmira. Games vs. No. 2 Oswego and No. 3 Plattsburgh are down the road.
“Not to be redundant,” Blue Devil head coach
Jeff Meredith said, “but we need to keep playing these types of teams to progress.”
The Blue Devils (6-5-3) and Knights square off at 7 p.m. Friday, and again at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Steele Hall Ice Arena doors open one hour before face-off before each game.
The games will feature one of NCAA Division III's seventh-best penalty killing unit against the seventh-best power plays. Fredonia State has been successful 89.5 percent of the time in killing penalties (68 of 76), while Neumann scores 30 percent of the time with a man-advantage (21 of 70).
Three players on each team are among NCAA statistical top 10s.
For Fredonia State, senior forward
Bryan Ross is eighth in assists (14), freshman forward
Jared Wynia is tied for fifth in power-play goals (5), and sophomore goaltender
Mark Friesen is third in time played (762 minutes, 22 seconds).
Neumann senior forward Cory Park is third and junior forward Jordan Zalba is tied for fifth in power-play goals, with six and five, respectively. Senior goaltender Ross MacKinnon has two shutouts, tied for third most in D-III.
“Neumann,” Meredith said, “got to be No. 6 in the country by being tough and gritty. They are a strong hockey team from the goaltender on out.”
