Matt Erredge is a hockey player.

Tuesday, September 14, 1999

Matt Erredge is a hockey player. He isn’t concerned with hottest color schemes or the latest marketable mascot.

Not that a hockey player isn’t allowed to be concerned with how he or she looks streaking across the blue lines, its just that when it come to hockey, Erredge is just concerned with when and where.

After standout careers at Austin High School and St. John’s University, the when for Erredge begins this fall, and the where is in Fayetteville, N.C.

Erredge, 23, signed with the Fayetteville Force of the Central Hockey League in July. After getting married to fellow Austin native Jessie Stratton this month, he will be headed to North Carolina in October to begin training camp.

"I’ve heard it’s a great place to play," Erredge said. "They get crowds similar to Omaha in the junior leagues, which is around 6,500.

"Fighting is allowed and I’ve never played without a mask so it’ll be an adjustment," he added. "I just have to prove myself because I’m confident I can play in the league."

Erredge, who will be the youngest player on the team, isn’t concerning himself too much with the rule changes from college to pro hockey. He’s just pleased with the opportunity to continue skating.

"I keep thinking, ‘I can’t believe I’m getting paid to play this,’" he said. "I’ve always dreamed of doing something like this. I’m excited and very grateful."

The original Central Hockey League was founded in 1963 and was in existence until 1984. The puck dropped once again in 1992 and in the last six seasons the CHL has entertained over seven million fans.

The CHL is independently run, consisting of the following teams: the Indianapolis Ice, the Oklahoma City Blazers, the San Antonio Iguanas, the Topeka ScareCrows, the Tulsa Oilers and the Wichita Thunder in the West Division and the Columbus Cottonmouths, the Fayetteville Force, the Huntsville Channel Cats, the Macon Whoopee and the Memphis River Kings in the Eastern Division.

During the summer, Erredge worked with free weights as well as biked and ran near his Minneapolis home.

"Mentally it’s going to be a grind," he said. "This is all new to me. I’ve never played that long of a schedule."

Erredge, who played on Austin’s last team (1992-93) to reach the state playoffs, will be playing for David Lohrei.

Lohrei, who has coaching experience at the junior level in Sioux City, S.D., is an acquaintance of John Harrington, Erredge’s coach at St. John’s.

Erredge, who graduated last spring with a degree in elementary education, joins a team in its third season. The Force missed the playoffs last year after finishing 35-27-8.

Fayetteville’s colors are green and black and the team logo is a bruiser-type hockey player sporting a scowl with his stick cocked for a slap shot.

Erredge said he has already taken some good natured ribbing from his friends about the logo.

"I didn’t look into the mascots of the teams I was interested in signing with," said Erredge, who also looked into playing in the East Coast Hockey League. "I just wanted to play."