Sarah Hughson '18 has asserted herself as one of the nation's premier goal scorers in her senior campaign, and this weekend's home-and-home series with Utica College was no different. The East Haddam, Connecticut, native paced the No. 1/3-ranked Soaring Eagles with four goals and five points in the two-game sweep of the Pioneers, including her second hat trick of the season in Friday night's home bout at the Murray Athletic Center.
The 5-0 win in the series opener was fueled by Hughson's three-goal performance. Her first two goals – the first came at the end of the opening period and the latter was tallied just 23 seconds into the third – both came from the right-wing side and both beat Utica goalie Bria Reilly high on her glove side. Her final score came on the power play, as she buried a cross-crease pass from Katie Granato '19 past a sprawling Reilly at the 8:55 mark of the final stanza.
Hughson also played a big role in Saturday's 5-2 victory in Utica, as she broke a 2-2 tie with the eventual game-winning goal on the power play in the second period. It not only marked her second game-winner in as many nights, but the extra-skater tally moved the senior forward into first place in all of Division III with her eighth power-play goal of the year. She also earned an assist in the final minute of regulation on an empty-netter from Louisa Lippiatt Durnell '18.
On the season, Hughson is tied for sixth in the country in goals per game (1.00) and eighth in points per game (1.67), while leading the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) in total points (25).
The No. 1/3 EC women will remain home for a non-conference matchup against the No. 3/2 Norwich University Cadets on Saturday, January 20. The opening puck drop for the matchup between the two national powers is slated for 3:00 p.m. at the MAC.
