MATT VOLZ
Sports Editor
Photo by MATT VOLZ | Sports Editor
On a chilly December weekend in Fredonia, there are certain people you’d expect to see at Steele Hall Ice Arena.
Students, parents and other hockey fans are plenty used to packing the stands to watch the Blue Devils play hockey.
It might not be unusual to see some Fredonia alumni in attendance, either, especially on Alumni Weekend.
But nobody would anticipate an NBA Hall of Famer in the stands.
On Friday, Dec. 6 and Saturday, Dec. 7, basketball legend Charles Barkley was on-hand for games against Plattsburgh and Potsdam.
Barkley, an 11-time NBA All-Star and the most valuable player of the 1992-93 season, is perhaps known more for his post-playing career.
After retirement, Barkley has been a mainstay on Inside the NBA, the Association’s primary analysis show, where he gained even more popularity as a result of banter between him and fellow insiders Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny “The Jet” Smith.
Barkley has also served as an analyst for March Madness, making his presence felt at several Final Fours over the years.
He made his presence felt in Fredonia on Alumni Weekend, too.
Barkley’s connection to Fredonia was made through one of the team’s most recognizable alums, Craig Conley.
Conley was a member of the 1993-94 and 1994-95 Blue Devils teams that set school records and tore through the rest of Division III.
The 1993-94 team lost just one game all season long, a 4-3 loss to Wisconsin-River Falls in the Frozen Four.
In 1994-95, Fredonia reached the national championship game, losing to Middlebury in a 1-0 game.
Conley was named an All-American, and he and the rest of both teams were inducted into the Fredonia Athletics Hall of Fame.
The story of those teams was told in a two-part series published in The Leader last spring.
Conley and Barkley worked together on a project, and Conley brought the man known as “Sir Charles” or “Chuck” to Fredonia to witness Alumni Weekend.
In addition to them, many members of those mid-‘90s teams and other alumni stood behind the glass to take in two nights of SUNYAC hockey.
The Blue Devils didn’t miss the opportunity to impress them, either.
On Friday, against Plattsburgh, freshman Riley See scored after a netfront scramble midway through the first period.
The young Blue Devils defense, composed of mostly freshmen, shined against the Cardinals offense, helping goalie Charles-Anthony Barbeau keep Plattsburgh at bay.
Freshman Luke Morris, a Fredonia native, scored an empty-net goal to seal the victory, a 2-0 final score.
It was a landmark win for a Blue Devils team looking to find their footing, as head coach Jeff Meredith’s squad features 17 freshmen.
Plattsburgh, although they’ve struggled at times this year, is typically a team that is near the top of not only the SUNYAC, but the entire country.
They’ve been a top SUNYAC team since those years in the mid-‘90s, as many of the Blue Devils alumni saw the Cardinals as their biggest challenger in the conference.
It was a much needed effort for Barbeau, too, as he began his first year as a starter with an 0-6 record and allowing more than four goals per game.
He decided that a stellar performance on Friday wasn’t enough, though.
On Saturday, the Blue Devils completed the Alumni Weekend sweep with another 2-0 win, this time over Potsdam.
Morris scored his second goal in as many nights, a power-play marker in the second period.
Just 13 seconds later, fellow freshman Gavin Bloder brought the fans to their feet again, scoring to put the Blue Devils up by two.
Barbeau stood tall once again, turning away Potsdam at every chance to earn his second shutout in as many nights.
The postgame celebration extended outside the arena, too, as Barkley and the alumni went out on the town following both games.
On Friday night, Barkley hopped on the microphone at Old Main Inn, thanking Fredonia for how he had been received and informing all patrons that he would be picking up the bill for all of their beverages.
The weekend probably still feels like a dream for players and fans alike, and it likely couldn’t have been any better for the Blue Devils.