ELMIRA, N.Y. — A trio of Soaring Eagles were named to the D3hockey.com National Team of the Week on Tuesday afternoon in recognition of their outstanding performances for the No. 2/2-ranked Elmira College women’s ice hockey team against a pair of top-10 opponents at the 2017 UNO Classic over the weekend.
The United Collegiate Hockey Conference’s (UCHC) Player of the Week, Emma Crocker ’21, and Goalie of the Week, Kelcey Crawford ’18, were joined by Kristin Chivers ’19 on the Team of the Week, this after all three were included on the UNO Classic All-Tournament Team. All three were instrumental in EC’s run to the tournament championship, as the Soaring Eagles swept contests against No. 6/6 Middlebury, 4-1, and then-No. 2/2 Plattsburgh State by a 4-2 final score.
Crocker paced the Soaring Eagles with four points (3g-1a) in the two bouts and netted both game-winning goals against the nationally-ranked Panthers and Cardinals. In the tournament opener against NESCAC powerhouse Middlebury, the rookie from Abington, Massachusetts, produced season highs in points (3) and goals (2). She broke a 1-1 stalemate by netting back-to-back goals and assisting on the final tally. Against the four-time defending national champion Cardinals, Crocker then tipped in the game-winner in the second period that put EC up 3-2. On the season, the freshman forward ranks second in the nation in freshman scoring with 1.29 points per game.
Chivers played a role in Elmira’s success on both ends of the ice. The junior defender helped EC limit Middlebury to just one power-play goal on five extra-skater chances and was instrumental in holding Plattsburgh’s top-10 scoring offense to just two goals. In the offensive zone, the 2015-16 All-America honoree posted three points on one goal and two assists. Chivers padded the Soaring Eagles’ lead over the Panthers with their fourth and final goal on Saturday, before dishing out a season-high two assists in the win over Plattsburgh. With seven points on the year, the Antioch, Illinois, native is tied for fifth place in scoring among UCHC defenders.
Last but certainly not least on the D3hockey.com National Team of the Week is Crawford, who was tabbed as the UNO Classic Tournament MVP following a pair of remarkable performances between the pipes. The senior captain went 2-0-0 with 95 saves, a 1.50 goals-against average and a .969 save percentage over the weekend. She made 33 saves against the Panthers, while helping Elmira’s penalty-kill unit hold the Middlebury power play scoreless on four of its five extra-skater opportunities. Crawford then put on a goaltending clinic to backstop the Soaring Eagles to their stunning win over the Cardinals. The Purcellville, Virginia, native established a new program record with 62 saves, including 22 in a third-period shutout to preserve the narrow lead. Crawford also climbed the program’s all-time saves list and now ranks fifth with 957 career stops.
Also making this week’s D3hockey.com National Team of the Week were Chatham defender Kasandra Petersen, Middlebury forward Jessica Young and Adrian forward Tory Harshman.
Crocker, Chivers and Crawford will lead the No. 2/2-ranked EC women in a pair of UCHC contests on the road against Chatham this weekend, beginning with a 7:00 p.m. tilt on Friday, December 1, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
