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Dick
Meiss’ introduction to the game
of high school ice hockey
couldn’t have been much later.
His association with the Rome
Free Academy Black Knights began
in the 1963 when he was their
team manager. A 1965 RFA
graduate, he would spend only
half a season during his senior
year wearing the uniform of the
team he would later lead
finishing with a career record
of 203 wins, 58 losses and 8
ties.
After four years of service in
the United States Air Force,
Meiss returned to Rome and
attended Herkimer County
Community College and Cortland
State. Dick played on the first
ever Cortland State first club
level team and scored the first
goal in the then newly opened
Cortland PER Ice Arena.
Along with the two division I
state championships; the Black
Knights won six league
championships and three Section
II titles in Meiss’ 13 years as
head coach. The Black Knights
reached the semi-finals of the
inaugural state tournament in
1980. RFA would advance to the
state tournament in seven of the
next nine years winning state
championships in 1986 and 1988.
The
1988 championship completed a
perfect 25-0 season Those 25
straight victories were followed
by 24 more straight victories
before a loss in the 1989 state
championship game. The 49 games
win streak was the third longest
for high school hockey in the
United States.
Dick
resigned as hockey coach after
the 1988-89 season, continuing
to teach physical education and
later becoming the Director of
Health, Physical Education and
Athletics for the Rome City
School District.
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Dick
was inducted into
the New York State
High School Hockey-
Hall of Fame, March
2002, for his
dedication to the
sport as a truly
great coach who has
contributed
noteworthy service
to New York State
high school hockey. |
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