Hockey's Ryan Corry Earns Prestigious Award from SUNY

October 05, 2010

Senior Defenseman Honored for Initiative, Community Service

ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 5, 2010)--Plattsburgh State men's hockey player Ryan Corry has earned the annual ACT Student Initiative Award for Region III, which recognizes a student or student group that identified a need on campus or in the community and initiated a solution to address that need.The Association of College Trustees promotes effectiveness, constructive government relations and advocacy for quality public higher education in SUNY.

"I've always said our program strides for a great deal more than winning hockey games. Ryan's accomplishment is another example of that," Cardinals head coach Bob Emery said. "Ryan is a true leader. We are extremely proud of what Ryan has accomplished to date at Plattsburgh and couldn't be happier for him and his family."

A senior defenseman from Calgary, Alberta, Corry anchors one of the nation’s best defenses, has appeared in two NCAA Division III Frozen Four tournaments, played on two State University of New York Athletic Conference championship teams and has helped the Cardinals win 81.6 percent of their games since the 2007-08 season. He was named to the All-SUNYAC First Team as a sophomore and placed on the USCHO.com All-America Freshman Team in 2008 when he led the team with 24 assists.

A three-time Academic All-SUNYAC and Commissioner’s List recipient, Corry also shines in the classroom. He posted a perfect 4.00 grade-point average for the spring semester and carries a 3.63 GPA as an entrepreneurship major. For the 2009-10 academic year, he was nominated to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America program for a second time, received the Provost’s Award and was inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, which is a national honor society for college athletes.

But Corry's real passion is helping others. Among his community service projects, he primarily served as the student liaison for the Cardinal Hockey Charity Dinner that benefits the local Make-A-Wish Foundation. He also participated in the annual Buddy Walk for the North Country Down Syndrome Association and worked for a food pantry in his hometown.

The Cardinal Hockey Dinner is a widely known popular fundraiser in the North Country. Corry was charged with organizing his teammates who served as “waiters”, putting together an entertainment performance program, working with the on-campus dining service on a menu, collecting donated memorabilia (by the National Hockey League and from local businesses) for auction, directing the set-up and tear-down of the facility, and filing monetary receipts. The results were impressive as a record of 300-plus guests attended the event and proceeds grew to over $25,000 for Make-A-Wish.

Corry's generosity is further evidenced by his time commitment on the project. The Dinner was held during the holidays in a time when most students are on Winter Break. He volunteered to stay in Plattsburgh instead of going back for an extended stay at home, establishing the groundwork for a successfully-run event.