Xtreme use final marquee spot on goalie Jeremy Friederich

The Adelaide Xtreme have decided to use one of their two marquee spots on a goaltender.

A day after signing forward Joey MacDougall, the Xtreme have gone with 19-year-old Jeremy Friederich as their man between the pipes as their final marquee player.

Friederich has been dominant as of late, only padding to his impressive resume that he’s built up as a teenager.

He led the Premier League in every major statistic this year by posting a 17-2 record, a 1.50 GAA, a staggering .938 save percentage and an eye-popping eight shutouts.

He started an AIHL game as a 16-year-old, led South Australia to an Under 18 championship, won a Premier League title in 2020 and has played for Team Australia’s Under 18 and Under 20 teams.

Xtreme General Manager Tash Farrier says while it may not be common to use a marquee spot on a goalie, she wanted to build the team from the net out.

“In my opinion Jeremy is very deserving of a marquee spot. It also allows us one less battle at draft time,” she says. “Jeremy is one of – if not the best – goalie in South Australia. He also wants to get better and is looking to level up and take his game beyond where he is now. He is goal orientated and as a young guy that has great leadership capacity.”

“He’s the competitive beast you want in a goalie,” she says.

Friederich credits the chance to work with “great hockey minds” as one of the big reasons he decided to sign with the Xtreme. The club has former AWIHL points leader Tash Farrier on-board as GM, former national team goalie Eric Lien as the Head Coach, and veteran leader Joey MacDougall as their marquee player.

“For a young guy like me working with some people like that is a dream come true,” he says. “It was such an easy decision for me.”

Friederich says he’s hoping this environment can keep pushing him forward.

“So far everything that I’ve seen from the people involved in the club convince me that this club will be a professional environment where people will not only grow as hockey players but also as people. We have such a wealth of knowledge and maturity in the system and there’s so much to learn from all the people,” he says.

One of those people is head coach Eric Lien – a former AIHL goaltender, Australian national team goalie, and long-time coach.

Lien says the signing is not just about Jeremy the goaltender. It’s about Jeremy the person.

“I think people hearing Jeremy on the broadcasts [on NITV] this season has given an insight in to the character of the man beyond what you see on the ice. He is articulate, has a high hockey IQ and he enjoys being at the rink. Those aren’t things you coach into a player but rather qualities you look for in a player you want to coach,” he says.

“Don’t get me wrong – Jeremy Friederich is a marquee player because of his ability as a goalie but he and Joey MacDougall were highly sought after because they will provide a foundation for the culture we want to create.”

Meanwhile, marquee player Joey MacDougall says having a goaltender you can trust in net is a huge thing for a team.

“It’s going to give us players the freedom to play a more aggressive, free, up-tempo style. Not every mistake is going to result in a goal against,” he says.

Friederich says he’s ready to get to work.

“I believe a professional environment will put me in a good position to better focus on my commitment to the sport – not just on the ice but in the gym and as a general mindset,” he says.

With their two marquee players locked in, a Head Coach signed and General Manager busy at work, the Xtreme will turn their attention to next month’s draft to fill out their roster.