FREDONIA, N.Y. — The captain and assistant captains for the 2017-18 Fredonia Blue Devil men’s hockey team have been named.
Senior defenseman Jamie Young (Russell, Ohio / Gilmour Academy) has been chosen captain. He will be assisted by senior forwards Oskar Gerhardson (Åhus, Sweden / Malmo Borgarskola) and Samuel Wilbur (Saginaw, Mich. / Nouvel Catholic).
Young, an assistant captain during the 2016-17 season, has appeared in 72 games — the most among returning Blue Devils. Gerhardson, converted from defense to forward, had his best season in 2016-17 with 17 points. Wilbur made Third Team All SUNYAC after leading the Blue Devils with 34 points as a junior. He has 51 points in 50 games as Blue Devil.
In making the announcement, Fredonia Head Coach Jeff Meredith extolled the virtues of all three players.
“Jamie has shown,” Meredith said, “great leadership ability since he walked on this campus three years ago as a freshman. His ability to guide, delegate, and implement team initiatives has proved to enable our team to make large strides over the past few years and I am excited for him to have this captain role for our team this upcoming season.”
Meredith on Gerhardson: “Oskar is one of those student-athletes that does everything the right way. The example that he sets for his teammates in the classroom, on and off the ice, is one that is professional and extremely organized. He had the best year of his career this season and we are excited for him to continue that next year.”
Meredith on Willbur: “Sam Wilbur worked so hard last off season to transform himself into a stronger and more fit hockey player. In my 30 years of coaching, I cannot think of another person who made such a marked transformation over the course of one summer. His dedication paid off as he had a career year and was an All-SUNYAC selection and I am excited about having his leadership and dedication in our lockerroom.”
