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SUNY Fredonia hockey player Bryan Ross, left, lends his support to Matt Webber, at the 2010 “Pink the Rink” game in February. Ross wore a jersey honoring the memory of Matt’s sister, Jessica Webber, a SUNY Fredonia student and Kenmore, N.Y. native who lost her battle with cancer in January.

The SUNY Fredonia men’s hockey team announced that Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011, has been set as this year’s “Pink the Rink” game. The Blue Devils will take on SUNY Plattsburgh in their last SUNYAC regular season home game before the playoffs. The action begins at 7 p.m. in Steele Hall Ice Arena.

This will be the fifth year the team has held the annual cancer-benefit game, during which the Blue Devils don bright pink jerseys and socks as a means of raising both awareness of the need and funding for breast cancer research.

This year the team is once again selling the authentic, game-worn jerseys in advance of the event for $250, with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. Once donors have made their contribution, they are entitled to have the last name of a loved one printed on the back of the jersey, which will be worn by SUNY Fredonia players during the game.

To purchase a jersey or learn more about the event, contact the SUNY Fredonia Athletics Department and Coach Jeff Meredith at 716-673-3334 or email meredith@fredonia.edu 

“This generous tribute will be seen by everyone in attendance,” said Head Coach Meredith. “It’s wonderful to see how proudly our players wear those jerseys and skate in the honor and memory of people’s loved ones. Some choose the names of those who they’ve lost, while others choose to honor a cancer survivor. To us, it’s all beautiful, regardless, and we feel so fortunate to be able to impact our community in such a meaningful and positive way.”