Defenseman Luker named SUNYAC Player of the Week

By Brandon Wood
@Brandonwood27

Chris Luker was named Player of the Week by the SUNYAC. Luker, who is a sophomore defenseman for the College at Brockport ice hockey team was awarded this honor after a weekend where he scored two goals and registered two assists. One of his goals was the game-winner Friday, Jan. 31 against SUNY Potsdam.

"Chris had a tremendous week providing offense in both of our games including the game-winning goal Friday against Potsdam," Brockport Head Coach Brian Dickinson said.

Luker had just two goals and two assists last season in 22 games last season, but has come out of his shell offensively this season, so to speak. Luker leads the team in points at 17 and is among the leaders on the team with six goals and 11 assists in 19 games.

"Chris has worked hard on and off the ice to develop his shot," Dickinson said of Luker's drastic change in point production. "He definitely got stronger in the offseason which has made his shot harder and quicker. He has done a great job of finding the lanes and has the confidence to shoot the puck early in power plays which opens everything up after that.

"When we lost Mike Hayward (Brockport '13, four goals, three assists, three power-play goals) to graduation we were looking for someone to step into that offensive defenseman role and Chris has worked hard to take over and excel at it."

Luker plays primarily as the point man on Brockport's first power-play unit. Three of his six goals have been on the power play this season. Brockport's power play is ranked sixth nationally (out of 72 total Division-III teams).

"He has run our top power play effectively which has been a big reason for our success in 2014," Dickinson said.

SUNYAC names a Player of the Week, a Goalie of the Week and a Rookie of the Week every week during the regular season.

Luker is the second Brockport player to be named to any of these categories this season. Sophomore goalie Jared Lockhurst was named Goalie of the Week after recording 42 saves in Brockport's 2-1 overtime win Thursday, Jan. 9 against Western New England College. Brockport hasn't had any players named to the rookie category, despite freshman forward Nick Marinac recording a hat-trick earlier this season against Nazareth College.

With points in both games this weekend, Luker is tied for the team lead for points in consecutive games with sophomore forward Chase Nieuwendyk at six.