MATT VOLZ
Sports Editor
In international hockey, some countries are known as powerhouses.
Canada is perhaps best known for the sport, but they’re often challenged by the United States, Sweden, Russia, Finland and occasionally some others.
But who knew that China played the game as well?
On Friday, Jan. 24, the Chinese National Team faced off against the Fredonia State Blue Devils in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
The team was based in Toronto for their training camp in preparation for the Asian Winter Games, which will take place from Tuesday, Feb. 4 to Friday, Feb. 14.
Blue Devils head coach Jeff Meredith explained that because the Chinese players could not obtain visas to play in the United States, China assistant coach Cole Bell contacted NCAA Division III teams in close proximity to Toronto to see if the college teams could come north of the border to play.
“[Bell] called us in September,” said Meredith. “We had a date that worked for both of us immediately, and we jumped right on it.”
Bell previously served as an assistant coach for another Division III school, Stevenson University, and he compared the quality of the Chinese National Team to a “middle-of-the-road Division III program,” according to Meredith.
Entering the arena, Meredith took note of the size of China’s staff, which included a team masseuse and a designated skate sharpener.
“They probably had six or seven coaches, and we rolled up to the rink with me and [assistant coach Conor Foley],” said Meredith.
The team wasn’t quite sure what to expect, Meredith said, but their roster was noticeably younger than that of the Blue Devils.
Hockey is a bit different from some other college sports because the players don’t come straight from high school.
Most players play multiple years of junior hockey after high school, so they’re a bit older once they get to college.
Meredith said that some players on the Chinese roster were born in 2005, while the players he and Foley are currently recruiting were born in 2004, indicating the youth of China’s team.
On the other hand, the youth of Fredonia’s team has been a driving force for them all season.
Out of the 27 players on the Blue Devils roster, 17 are freshmen.
“They’re probably 65 to 70 percent of our lineup,” said Meredith. “So it’s really important to get contributions from those guys.”
Freshman forward Nolan Ring scored twice in a 27-second span to put the Blue Devils ahead 2-0 at the end of the first period.
China scored the first goal of the second period, but Fredonia rattled off four unanswered goals before the end of the frame, with two of them coming from freshman forward Riley See.
The third period was scoreless, as the Blue Devils prevailed by a final score of 6-1.
Fredonia used all three of their goalies in the game, with junior Charles-Anthony Barbeau getting the start, freshman Jameson Kaine playing in the second and fellow freshman Jake Williams finishing it off in the third.
The difference in style of play between the two teams may have had a significant impact on the game.
Foley described China’s style of play as perimeter-based, as they use their speed and skill to try to create offense from the outside.
The Blue Devils play more of a North American style, highlighted by winning puck battles in the corner and getting to the front of the net.
“I think they’re not used to getting into a tough, corner battle-type of game and that’s kind of where we succeed,” said Foley. “I think staying the route and playing the way we like to play helped us.”
The game was an exhibition matchup, so it doesn’t count towards Fredonia’s overall record.
While the overall record doesn’t jump off the page, their conference record puts them in the mix for a potential SUNYAC playoff spot.
As of Friday, Jan. 31, the Blue Devils are fourth in the conference, and the top three seeds earn first-round home games in the SUNYAC playoffs.
The team has one more home weekend this season, as they host Oswego on Friday, Feb. 7 and Canton on Saturday, Feb. 8.
The game against Oswego will be the team’s annual Pink the Rink game, where they don pink jerseys that bear the names of those who have been afflicted with cancer.
Meredith believes that playing with confidence will be a key to finding success as the season heats up.
“We feel we have a formula of how we have to play, and it works for us,” he said. “We’re playing with confidence, and confidence is like rocket fuel.”
