Patriots’ D Lauer commits to SUNY Cortland
By Jamie Neugebauer
Toronto Patriots defenceman Cory Lauer has committed to the State University of New York at Cortland to play for the SUNY Conference’s (NCAA Division III) Red Dragons beginning next season, the club announced Thursday.
Lauer, 20, hails from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee and has scored two goals and 13 points in 55 games this year for the Pats after being acquired at the beginning of the campaign from the Pickering Panthers.
“He has battled adversity and rounded his game to be a premier shut down defenceman in this league,” said Patriots head coach Jason Fortier.
“He is also a great team player and really cares about his teammates. He is a great leader on and off the ice.”
A rugged defender, Lauer is a solid 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds and has been a fantastic pillar of strength thus far in the post-season.
This commitment is also quite the accomplishment as he began the season as a healthy scratch for Pickering (a team that ultimately finished as a No. 8 seed and was beaten in the first round of the playoffs). This playoffs he has played a key role in tandem with Toronto captain Tyler Enns.
“This year started out really rough in Pickering for sure,” Lauer said, “but I am really thankful that (Patriots general manager) Mike Tarantino and Forch brought me here. When I first came here nobody expected us to go far so I just decided to work my hardest and do anything I could to help this team win. In the end obviously everything is working out great and I wouldn’t rather be on any other team in this league.”
Being from a non-traditional hockey market like Tennessee, Lauer’s accomplishments go beyond himself as he carries the hopes of his state’s hockey community with him.
“I think the biggest thing is just trying to be a role model for the kids getting into the sport back home,” he said.
“My dad is a youth hockey coach and I just hope the kids see this and it makes them realize that they can make it to the NCAA one day too.”
SUNY Cortland is located off the I-81 in New York, between Syracuse to the north and Binghamton to the south.
Lauer becomes the 10th Patriot this year to commit to playing hockey at a post-secondary institution.
