The first couple games of the 2021-2022 season did not go how goalie Luca Durante wanted. As a junior, he was finally getting his first opportunity to start for Cortland.
In the first game of the season, he allowed four goals to Lebanon Valley in a 6-4 victory. One week later, Durante gave up six goals, and the Red Dragons lost to Plattsburgh in overtime.
Durante chalked up the performances to rink rust; he hadn’t played a game since February 15, 2020. Once he shook the rust off, though, he played through a memorable season, one that ended with him setting single-season school records and earning a number of postseason accolades, including an AHCA All-American selection.
“It means a lot,” Durante said of the recognition he earned. “I’ve been playing hockey since I was four years old. I’ve been playing goalie since I was about six. To get recognition not just at the conference level but nationally, it means a lot. The work that you put in your whole life, there’s no better feeling than to have all that hard work get recognized.”
