By: Mark Vasey, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Junior forward and alternate captain Annie Katonka (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) of No. 1 Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey has been named the 2020 Northeast Women’s Hockey League (NEWHL) Player of the Year, as announced by the conference office.
Katonka, who was also named to the All-NEWHL First Team for the second consecutive season, has tallied 20 goals, 20 assists, 40 points, nine power-play goals and five game-winning goals over 25 games played this season. Katonka leads the NEWHL in goals, points and power-play goals. In addition, Katonka is tied with sophomore forward Sara Krauseneck (Saginaw, Mich./Northern Cyclones) for the second-most game-winning goals in the NEWHL (5), while tying with, junior defenseman and team captain Erin McArdle (Macomb, Mich./Belle Tire) for the third-highest plus-minus (+27).
Nationally, Katonka ranks second in NCAA Division III women’s ice hockey in points per game (1.60), third in power-play goals, tied for fourth in game-winning goals, fifth in goals per game (0.80) and tied for 15th in assists per game (0.80).
It is the second time Katonka has eclipsed 40 points in a season after tallying 54 points in 2018-19. Earlier this season, Katonka tallied her 100th career point in the Cardinals’ 9-1 win over SUNY Canton on Jan. 17. In her career, Katonka has tallied 63 goals and 54 assists for 117 points over 86 games played.
Katonka was a two-time NEWHL Player of the Week in 2019-20.
This marks the third consecutive year that a Plattsburgh State student-athlete has grabbed the league’s highest honor. During the inaugural season of the NEWHL in 2018, Melissa Sheeran was selected as the Player of the Year, while last year it went to Courtney Moriarty. Katonka is the first non-senior to garner the award.
