FREDONIA, N.Y. -- Men's NCAA hockey returns to Steele Hall Ice Arena for the first time this fall when Fredonia State plays host to SUNY Canton at 7 p.m. Friday.
The Blue Devils (1-1) opened their season last weekend by splitting SUNYAC road games, yet not in what most was say was the expected order. They defeated No. 8 Oswego on opening night, 3-2 in overtime, before falling 4-2 to unranked Cortland.
"We did some good things (last weekend)," Blue Devil head coach
Jeff Meredith said, "and this Friday we have to do them even better. Areas we are looking to get better at are our forecheck and our neutral zone, offensively and defensively."
The Fredonia State special teams were heard from last weekend. In addition to scoring a power-play goal in each game, the Blue Devils killed all five penalties against them.
"While you look at 5 for 5 as good," Meredith said, "there are areas of that part of the game that we need to improve upon."
Fourteen players -- 13 freshmen and one sophomore -- will be experiencing their first Steele Hall home game. Among the group is goaltender
Christopher Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass.), the starter in both games last weekend and the reigning SUNYAC Goaltender of the Week.
"It's early in the season and we still are trying to figure out what our best line up is," Meredith said. "We have lots of options and I think last weekend was a start to figuring it out, but we still have a ways to go."
The teams have met just once before. The Kangaroos (0-2) visited Fredonia State last season and lost 5-2 on opening night. Fredonia State's
Mat Hehr had two goals in that game. He returns to Steele Hall on Friday as a Canton assistant coach.
"It'll be great but different to have him back on the visitor's bench," Meredith said.
The Steele Hall ticket office opens at 6 p.m. For those unable to attend, live in-game coverage will be available at www.fredoniabluedevils.com.
