NWHL Release

STAMFORD, Conn. -- The National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) announced today that 2018 CCM/American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) First Team All-American and the inaugural United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) Player of the Year, Sarah Hughson '18, has inked a contract with the Connecticut Whale.

Coming off of the heels of a breakout senior campaign, Hughson becomes the first Soaring Eagle to sign a pro contract with an NHWL organization. She is the latest Elmira alumna to reach the professional ranks, joining recent Candian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) draftees Cassidy Delainey '15, Ashley Ryan '15, Ella Stewart '14, Ashton Hogan '15, Katie Gaskin '14, Tanis Lamoureux '14 and Lauren Sullivan '13.

"I'm beyond excited for the opportunity to play at the professional level this coming season," Hughson said. "After the way last season went, I was not ready for my hockey career to be over, so I definitely am excited to see what is in store with the Whale and playing in the NWHL."

"'Hughie' deserves this opportunity," said Tim Crowley, head coach of the EC women's ice hockey team. "She was a great teammate and player here, and continued to get better every year. This year's production shows how much she has dedicated to her game. We are proud that she will continue her career and have confidence that she'll do great things. Connecticut is getting a great player and even better person."

In 2017-18, Hughson was a force to be reckoned with on the ice. She scored career highs across the board with 28 goals and 21 assists for 49 points. The East Haddam, Connecticut, native paced the UCHC in points, goals, power-play goals (9) and game-winning goals (5), while ranking among Division III leaders in several categories. Hughson etched her name in the EC record books in her final collegiate season, sitting eighth in program single-season history and tying for fourth place in goals scored.

Hughson not only guided Elmira's nationally-ranked women's ice hockey team to a runner-up finish at the 2018 NCAA Division III Championships, but she collected numerous awards along the way. In addition to her CCM/AHCA All-America and UCHC Player of the Year honors, the fourth-year forward was named the UCHC Tournament MVP, earned a berth on the UCHC All-Conference First Team and UCHC All-Tournament Team, and was crowned the 2017-18 Elmira College Female Athlete of the Year. For her work in the classroom, Hughson was elected to the Google Cloud Academic All-America® Division III Women's At-Large Third Team, making her just one of four student-athletes in EC history to earn the Academic All-America distinction, as selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

The Connecticut Whale, who play out of the Terry Conners Ice Rink in Stamford, Connecticut, are one of five franchises in the NWHL. The league was founded in 2015 with a "mission of providing strong female role models for the community while fueling the continued growth of the sport and brand of women's hockey." Hughson is set to join a Connecticut roster that features former Division III standouts Kaycie Anderson (Norwich), Emily Fluke (Middlebury), Hanna Beattie (Williams), Keira Goin (Utica), and Grace Klienbach (Neumann) – all of whom she squared off against during her time at EC.

About the National Women's Hockey League
Established in 2015, the NWHL became the first professional women's hockey league in North America to pay its players and share in revenue from select apparel sales. The mission of the league is to promote and develop women's hockey, increase participation and interest in the sport at all levels, and shine a light on the role models that fill the rosters of all of its clubs. The league is made up of the Boston Pride (2016 Isobel Cup champions), Buffalo Beauts (2017 champions), Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters (2018 champions), and Minnesota Whitecaps. For more information, please visit NWHL.zone and follow the league on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @NWHL.