Cuce, Granato Win EC Athlete of the Week Honors For Third Time in 2017-18

2018 Jan 26

Two ice hockey players have been recognized as Elmira College Athletes of the Week, as second-year forward Matthew Cuce '20 of the men's team and third-year forward Katie Granato '19 of the women's team have garnered the honor for the week ending January 21. The award is the third of its kind for both Cuce and Granato so far in 2017-18.

Cuce tickled the twine on five occasions in two games for the Soaring Eagles over the weekend. He not only led the team in goals scored, but he also finished first in power-play goals (3), in addition to notching the game-tying tally in a 4-4 overtime draw versus Manhattanville on Friday and the game-winner in Saturday's 6-1 win over King's (Pa.).

The Fort Myers, Florida, native played a crucial role in EC's tie versus the Valiants by netting two goals, which allowed the Soaring Eagles to secure one point for the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) standings. The following night against the Monarchs, Cuce posted a career performance with his first collegiate hat trick. All three of his career-best three goals were earned on the power play, making him the first Soaring Eagle to register three man-up goals in a game since Rusty Masters '10 did so on January 17, 2009, in a 10-1 win over Morrisville.

In his second year donning the Purple and Gold, Cuce is turning in another stellar campaign. The 2016-17 ECAC West All-Rookie Team honoree has doubled last year's scoring output with 12 goals and has already surpassed his freshman point total with 26 this season. The sophomore ranks third in the UCHC in points and goals and is tied for fourth place in assists (14).

Cuce and the EC men will hit the ice on Friday, January 26, when the Soaring Eagles open a four-game UCHC homestand against Nazareth College at the Murray Athletic Center. The opening puck drop is slated for 7:00 p.m.

Granato continued what is shaping up to be the best season of her collegiate career with another standout performance during Saturday's 3-3 overtime draw against No. 3/2-ranked Norwich University. With a pair of goals against the nationally-ranked Cadets, she pieced together her fourth multi-goal game of the year and her sixth with multiple points. Her first score came on the power play in the opening period, and she was responsible for Elmira's third goal late in the second stanza.

The junior from Naperville, Illinois, has amassed new single-season career-highs in goals (16) and power-play goals (5), and with total 25 points, she needs only two more points to establish a new personal record in that category, too. Granato ranks second in the UCHC in points, goals, and power-play point (11), and on the national stage, she is tied for 10th in points per game (1.56) and fourth in goals per game (1.00).

The Soaring Eagles return to action on Tuesday, January 23, with a non-league matchup with the Bantams of Trinity College (Conn.) in Hartford, Connecticut. The road game will serve as EC's final non-conference contest of the season and will begin at 7:30 p.m.