Freshman and her family develop friendship with Sharks goalie

At a first glance at their names, freshman Madison Gress and Sharks goalie Thomas Greiss could almost be related. Although they are not, Gress and Greiss have become friends.

At the age of 26, Greiss, who was not even playing in the NHL last season after being deemed the odd man out between the pipes, played like a legitimate NHL-caliber goaltender this year. 

On April 21, the Sharks lost to the St. Louis Blues in the critical fifth game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, knocking them  out of the playoffs. Greiss has filled in for Antero Niittymaki as the team's backup. His plays as of late May might earn him a full-time role if he can keep it up. His overall save percentage is .910 with 833 shots saved in his career.

As a loyal fan of the Sharks team since she was young, Gress says meeting Greiss has “definitely made Sharks games much more fun and exciting knowing Thomas.” 

“Especially when he is playing, my family and I cheer super loud for him,” Gress said.

Gress and Greiss’s worlds collided when Gress’s dad, Jason Gress, met him at a Sharks golf tournament that her dad’s company helped sponsor.

“My dad was paired up with Thomas and they starting talking and realized that they both mountain bike,” Gress said. “They went mountain biking together once and then it became a regular thing.”

Gress was intimidated of meeting Greiss at first, but soon discovered that he was quite the family man.

“I had seen his picture and seen him in all his goalie gear, so I didn’t know what he would look or be like in person,” she said. “The biggest surprise was probably his voice since he has a pretty thick German accent.”

One of Gress's fondest memories with Greiss includes playing hockey with him in her backyard.

“He was playing goalie and my brother and I were shooting on him,” Gress said. “He let us score at the end, so I like to tell people how I scored on a Sharks goalie.”

According to Gress, knowing a professional athlete has its perks. 

“He brought me and my brother both signed hockey pucks that all the Sharks players signed,” Gress said. “He also gave us one of his goalie sticks that was also signed by everyone.” 

In addition to generous gifts, Gress's relationship with the goalie has also brought in the envy of her friends. “Whenever he visits, I tell my friends and they all want to come over to meet him!” 

Greiss has also shown to be a role model for Gress. She admires Greiss for his hard working attitude and dedication when he played goalie for Germany in the Olympics in 2008. 

“I also admire that he is modest and he never talks about the Sharks or his hockey accomplishments until my family asks him questions about it,” Gress said.

Although he can be pretty intimidating with all that hockey gear and padding, Greiss has proven to be a sweet and kind guy. 

“He’s really nice and laidback,” Gress said. “He’s kind of quiet, but really funny!”