Eric Rex (Contributed/Canisius College)

Fairview native Eric Rex, a junior forward for the Canisius College men’s hockey team, had family members and friends watchingtheGolden Griffins play Mercyhurst College Friday night. Unfortunately, Rex watched the game, too.

“I grew up on this ice,” said Rex, 22, before Game 1 of a best-of-three Atlantic Hockey Association quarterfinal series at Mercyhurst Ice Center. “It was a little strange not being in there.”

Rex was a healthy scratch in the Golden Griffins’ 5-1 win. He has watched many games this season. He has appeared in only nine of the team’s 35 games. In contrast, he played in 26 games as a freshman in 2007-08 and 31 more in 2008-09.

“We have a lot of guys who play good hockey,” said Rex, who played with the United States Hockey League’s Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets before signing with the Buffalo, N.Y., school. “It’s very competitive. I need to make sure that I keep mistakes to a minimum. I have to keep working hard and playing well.”

- Victor Fernandes