NORTHFIELD, Vt. — The No. 3/3 nationally-ranked Elmira College women’s ice hockey team was well represented at this evening’s NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Banquet, as Sarah Hughson ’18 and Kelcey Crawford ’18 were named to the CCM All-American team, as announced by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA). Crawford was tabbed as First-Team All-American, while Crawford earned Second-Team honors, both of which are career firsts for the fourth-year standouts. The senior duo became the first Elmira skaters to earn All-American honors from the AHCA since 2016 and bring EC’s all-time All-American total to 23.
“It’s an incredible accomplishment for both of them,” said head coach Tim Crowley. “They are just two great kids, great character kids who deserve the accomplishments based off of the seasons they had this year.”
Hughson added First-Team All-American honors to a highly-coveted list of accolades during her senior season with the Soaring Eagles. The East Haddam, Connecticut, native was previously named the United Collegiate Hockey Conference’s (UCHC) Player of the Year, All-Conference First Team and the Tournament’s Most Valuable Player, after guiding the Purple and Gold to the league title on home ice at the Murray Athletic Center a week ago.
Hughson enjoyed the best statistical season of her four-year career during the 2017-18 campaign with a team- and conference-leading 47 points on 27 goals and 20 assists. The 47 points are seven more than her previous three-year total combined (38). She has produced at least one point in 22 of 28 games played this season, 14 of which saw Hughson log two-or-more points.
“I can’t say enough about Hughie’s year,” raved Crowley. “She was really coming into her own last year and if you look at her point production this year compared to the previous three years, she’s eclipsed that in just one season. She plays the right way, she does things the right way, she always practices hard and she’s the type of player that you never have to worry about her effort.”
The senior enters Friday night’s NCAA Semifinal matchup on a seven-game goal streak, an eight-game point streak and has at least one point in 11 of EC’s last 12 contests. Additionally, she ranks second in the country in power-play goals (9), fifth in game-winning goals (5), fifth in goals per game (0.96) and seventh in points per game (1.68).
Joining Hughson on the CCM/AHCA All-American team was Crawford, who also adds to a highly-touted list of awards this year. Crawford was tabbed the UCHC Goalie of the Year, an All-Conference First Team recipient and landed a spot on the UCHC All-Tournament Team.
Crawford posted a 21-2-2 record this season for a .880 winning percentage, a mark that ranks third in the country. Her 21 victories placed Crawford in a two-way tie with former EC great, Allison Cubberley, for first place in program history for single-season victories. Nine of Crawford’s wins have come in shutout fashion, placing the Purcellville, Virginia, native in a three-way tie for third place in the nation in that statistical category.
In 25 appearances, Crawford amassed a whopping 555 saves, second most in EC history and the most by a Soaring Eagle goalie since 2009. Those 555 saves have helped her maintain an extremely efficient save percentage heading into the final weekend of the 2017-18 campaign, as Crawford ranks third in the country in save percentage with a .957 mark.
“Kelcey has been tremendous for us throughout the season and she’s certainly somebody that makes us comfortable playing because she’s been so great this year for us,” added Crowley. “She’s been a tremendous leader for us this year and she always does the right things.”
Career-wise, Crawford is among the best goaltenders to ever don the Purple and Gold in its 17-year existence. She ranks second in program history in career wins (52), second in save percentage (.945), second in goals-against average (1.22), third in shutouts (21), third in win percentage (.831) and fourth in saves (1,349).
