ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Elmira College women’s ice hockey’s Katie Granato ’19 and Stephanie Martin ’22 received United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) Weekly accolades, following EC’s two-goal win against reigning NCAA national champion, and former No. 1/1-ranked, Norwich University. Granato was voted as the league’s Player of the Week, while Martin claimed Goalie of the Week honors.
Granato deposited three goals in Elmira’s 4-2 victory over Norwich in the 2018-19 season opener. She scored 16 seconds into the first period, the fastest goal in a season-opening game in EC women’s ice hockey history, and added a pair of goals in the third frame, which helped Elmira clinch the two-goal win. Of her three goals, the game-winning tally came on the power play at 10:38 into the third period. It marked the third hat trick of her collegiate career and the second consecutive season that a Soaring Eagle has opened the year with a hat trick, as former AHCA First-Team All-American Sarah Hughson ’18 did so against Oswego State at the start of the 2017-18 campaign.
Martin made her collegiate debut against the nationally-ranked Cadets and withstood a barrage of shots en route to her first-ever win. The Yorktown, Virginia, native made 22 saves, including an 11-save third period, in 60 minutes of action between the pipes. Martin became the first EC freshman goalie to win in a season-opening game since Lauren Sullivan ’13 posted seven saves in a 3-0 shutout win over Buffalo State on November 6, 2009.
Granato and Martin’s efforts not only aided Elmira in the win, it also propelled the Soaring Eagles to the No. 1 ranking in both the U. S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) and D3hockey.com national polls. It marked the first time since March 2, 2015, that the Elmira women were No. 1 in both national rankings.
Granato, Martin and the rest of the Soaring Eagles return to action this Friday, November 2, when they open UCHC play against Neumann University. The opening puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
