ROCHESTER, NY - The United Collegiate Hockey Conference has announced its end of season award winners and All-UCHC honorees for the conference's inaugural 2017-18 season. The year-end honors are voted on by the league's head coaches through an extensive voting process, with performance in regular season UCHC games serving as the primary guideline for selection.
Among the conference's major awards, the Elmira College Soaring Eagles stand at the forefront with three of the five top awards. They are joined by honorees from Neumann and William Smith, who both qualified for the UCHC postseason.
This first ever UCHC Women's Player of the Year is Elmira College forward Sarah Hughson. The senior from East Haddam, Connecticut enjoyed an eye popping breakout season to lead Elmira to the league's regular season title and current No. 3 national ranking in the D3hockey.com poll. She upped her overall point total from 20 as a junior, to a 40 point senior campaign. 33 of those 40 points, at a 17 goal, 16 assist clip, came in United Collegiate Hockey Conference action as Hughson won the league's points per game and assist titles. She also has become one of the nation's sternest power play threats, as she led all scorers in UCHC play with six power play goals and has nine total to rank second in the country. She is tenth on the overall scoring list nationally as the Soaring Eagles get set for the UCHC semifinals.
The Elmira College contingent also includes this year's UCHC Women's Defensive Player of the Year, Rachel Grampp. Grampp has been an anchor player of one of the toughest defensive units in the nation, and in the UCHC. She appeared in 21 games for the Soaring Eagles this winter on a blue line group that allowed just 0.75 goals against per game in conference play to lead the UCHC, while also holding strong in the overall picture at 1.04 goals against per game and a No. 3 ranking while playing one of the toughest out of conference schedules in the nation.
The triumvirate from the regular season champions is concluded by senior goaltender Kelcey Crawford, the 2018 UCHC Women's Goaltender of the Year. As the Soaring Eagles posted an unbeaten 15-0-1 record in conference play, Crawford was there to backstop Elmira at every turn. In 13 appearances she allowed just 10 goals against, posting a 12-0-1 record, a conference best .958 save percentage, and a UCHC leading 0.78 goals against average. She shut out her opponents five times in UCHC play.
Neumann's representative in the annual awards voting is the UCHC Rookie of the Year, Katelyn Brown. Grouped on a prolific top line that included star forwards Bek Lucas and Jackie Schneider, Brown proved to be an almost ideal compliment as she posted UCHC rookie leading marks in goals (9) and points (17) while helping to guide the Knights to their first conference playoff appearance since the 2012-13 season. She was one of seven freshmen overall nationally to compile a point per game or more across all contests.
One of the most notable storylines this season in the UCHC was the continued emergence of the program at William Smith College. In just their fourth season of competition, the Herons reached new heights this season by doubling their previous best win total with a record of 16-5-4. That figure included a 7-0-2 record entering the holiday break. With the program's continued growth and progress, and a sizeable leap onto the national radar this season, the UCHC Coaches have voted William Smith head coach Jaime Totten as the 2018 UCHC Women's Coach of the Year.
Full results, including the All-UCHC and All-Rookie teams, are below.
Women's Annual Awards
UCHC Player of the Year: Sarah Hughson, Elmira College
UCHC Defensive Player of the Year: Rachel Grampp, Elmira College
UCHC Goaltender of the Year: Kelcey Crawford, Elmira College
UCHC Rookie of the Year: Katelyn Brown, Neumann University
UCHC Coach of the Year: Jaime Totten, William Smith College
First Team All-UCHC
| Goaltender |
Kelcey Crawford |
Elmira |
| Defense |
Kasandra Petersen |
Chatham |
| Defense |
Rebecca Begley |
William Smith |
| Defense |
Rachel Grampp |
Elmira |
| Forward |
Sarah Hughson |
Elmira |
| Forward |
Bek Lucas |
Neumann |
| Forward |
Katie Granato |
Elmira |
Second Team All-UCHC
| Goaltender |
Maggie Salmon |
William Smith |
| Defense |
Kristin Chivers |
Elmira |
| Forward |
Chelsea Blackburn |
Stevenson |
| Forward |
Krista Federow |
William Smith |
| Forward |
Nicole Mensi |
Manhattanville |
ALL-UCHC Honorable Mention
| Defense |
Maura Mulligan |
William Smith |
| Defense |
Meg Lahey |
Elmira |
| Forward |
Shannon Strawinski |
Elmira |
| Forward |
Louisa Lippiatt Durnell |
Elmira |
UCHC All-Rookie
| Forward |
Katelyn Brown |
Neumann |
| Forward |
Devyn Gilman |
Elmira |
| Forward |
Emma Crocker |
Elmira |
| Forward |
Lexi Stanisewski |
Utica |
| Forward |
Julia Mings |
William Smith |
| Defense |
Emily Martino |
William Smith |