UUPers lead on and off the ice at SUNY Plattsburgh

The SUNY Plattsburgh Cardinals hockey team has done it again. Proving themselves the stronger team, they beat Rochester Institute of Technology team on the opposition’s home ice. This is both a victory and a thrill not only for the Plattsburgh Division III champs, but for their coaches, the college and UUP.

UUP? Yes. Robert Emery, the head coach, is an active UUP member.

Since 1989 -- when he joined Plattsburgh -- Emery has seen nothing but greatness from his team. “The success has been there,” he says in reference to the high ranking Plattsburgh has achieved since his arrival. The Cardinals placed third in the country last year and in 1998. In 1999, Plattsburgh made it to the final eight. Prior to their recent triumph, the team won the national championship for their first time with Emery in 1992, when they beat Stevens Point of Wisconsin.

Kevin Houle, Plattsburgh’s associate hockey coach, is also a UUPer. So is Peter Luguri, the college’s athletic director. Making UUP shine, these members have earned and continue to receive the positive recognition that reflects on them personally, and certainly embodies their union.

The efficacy Emery emits on the ice is applicable to what he is strives to achieve in the field. He carries a strong concern for those also involved in his profession and has become an outspoken -- and, typically, hard-working -- advocate for coaches.

Weighing his coaching in relation to his dedication to UUP, Emery believes “success breeds success.” It is clear that his victory on the ice is a representation of what the union and its members are capable.

-- Allison Price