FREDONIA, N.Y. -- Fredonia men's hockey coach Jeff Meredith will send out a veteran group when the 2017-18 season opens Friday at nationally ranked Utica. The Blue Devils, coming off a 13-11-2 season, are picked for fifth in the SUNYAC Pre-Season Coaches Poll.

"For the first time in a number of years," Meredith said, "we return an older, veteran group and we are hoping that it pays dividends. That older group has been responsible for the uptick in the program the last couple of years and this year the team is looking to make another jump up the ladder and has its sights set on the top rung."

The roster breaks down this way: 4 seniors, 10 juniors, 8 sophomores, and 6 freshmen. The combined 14 juniors and seniors is larger than every season since 2012-13 when there were 15 in that category.

Here's quick look at each veteran group:

SENIORS: Defenseman Jamie Young (Russell, Ohio), forward Oskar Gerhardson (Åhus, Sweden), and goaltender Nick Harper (Baldwinsville, N.Y.), are four-year Blue Devils. Young has appeared in 72 games and Gerhardson -- a converted defenseman -- has appeared in 70. He had 17 points last season, his best season so far ... The fourth senior is forward Sam Wilbur (Saginaw, Mich.), a three-year Blue Devil and a 2016-17 Third Team All-SUNYAC selection. Wilbur led the Blue Devils last season in all three scoring categories: goals (14), assists (20), and points (34). He also led the team with three game-winning goals. He has 51 points in 50 collegiate games ... A back-up since he was a freshman, Harper has earned the respect of his teammates. "He's our glue guy," Meredith said ... Young is the team captain and Gerhardson and Wilbur the assistant captains.

JUNIORS: Eric Bogart (London, Ont.) returns to the Fredonia net for the third straight year. A Third Team All-SUNYAC choice as a sophomore, Bogart has two-year totals of 14-15-1 with a 2.88 goals against average and a 92.3 save percentage in 31 games. His 2016-17 average of 32.68 saves per game set a new Fredonia school record ... Jimmy Morgan (Highlands Ranch, Col.) had 27 points last season, second on the team, and has 43 points in 45 games. Next on the career scoring list is forward Bobby Polachek (Kingston, Pa.) with 40 points. He was the 2015-16 Fredonia Male Rookie of the Year ... Other 2016-17 regulars are forwards Todd Schauss (Terrville, Conn.), Kyle Jelinski (Edmonton, Alberta), and Luke Rivera (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) and defensemen Jon Carlson (Fort Frances, Ont.) and Mike Freeman (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) ... Max Ross (Arvada, Col.) provides depth on defense ... Rivera will be sidelined indefinitely due to an injury.

SOPHOMORES: A quartet appeared in 20 or more games as freshmen. Defenseman Brandon Spognardi (Warrington, Pa.) was the only Blue Devil to appear in all 26 games, one more than Sean Leonard (Rockaway Park, N.Y.). They are among seven returning defensemen as a whole, another plus cited by Meredith ... Jacob Haynes (Newmarket, Ont.) was Fredonia's third-leading scorer last season with 10 goals and 15 assists in 21 games. He tied a school record with five assists in a game and was named SUNYAC Rookie of the Week on Jan. 23 ... Tommy DeFelice (Tolland, Conn.), had 12 points in 21 games at forward ... Also seeing significant playing time as freshmen were forwards Ryan Dunn (Rockland, Mass.) and Gavin Nickerson (Corvalis, Ore.) and defenseman Max Blitz (Chino Hills, Calif.) ... Anton Rosén (Orsa, Sweden) is the goaltender in the group. He appeared in seven games and posted a 3-2-1 record.

Meredith expects several newcomers to vie for playing time. That group consists of sophomore forward Tyler Riter (Orchard Park, N.Y.) and six freshmen: forwards Ryan Dunner (Glassboro, N.J.), Jasper Korican-Barlay (Oakland, Calif.), Victor Tracy (Stockholm, Sweden), Colin Valentine (Turnersville, N.J.), and Josh Biasillo (Orchard Park, N.Y.); and defenseman Tommy Martyn (Westchester, Ill.)