(Amherst, NY) – Buffalo Junior Sabres defenseman and team captain Derek Patterson will enroll at SUNY Plattsburgh next fall, the team announced.
Patterson, currently in his second season with the Jr. Sabres, will bring size and strength to his future alma mater and looks forward to joining one of NCAA Division III hockey’s more competitive sides.
“I think Plattsburgh has a tremendous winning tradition and the academic program offers a lot of programs that interest me,” said Patterson. “I hope that I will be able to offer a physical presence on the back end and add to an already sound defensive core.”
First, though, the defenseman looks ahead to unfinished business – helping the Jr. Sabres, ranked #7 in Canadian Jr. “A” Hockey this week, as they hope to secure a first place finish in the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s West Division and advance in the playoffs.
“I think that the Jr. Sabres have taught me that it’s not easy to win, but if you buy into the system, put the work in and play for each other as a team you can accomplish your goals,” said Patterson. “I hope that my most memorable moment as a Jr. Sabre is still to come, but I think that just the memories of hanging out with the team and all fun we have had together will last forever.”
Patterson, whose father Colin played ten seasons in the National Hockey League including two with the Buffalo Sabres (1991-93), resides in Calgary, Alberta in the off-season.
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(File photo of Derek Patterson courtesy OJHL Images)
