First-year blueliner
Luke Santilli was named the ECAC's ADAPT Nutrition Defender of the Week, while fellow newcomer
Rasmus Svartström was named the league's Rookie of the Week, as announced by the ECAC league office on Monday morning.
Santilli exploded offensively for the Saints in the Route 11 Rivalry, doubling his season total of three points with two goals and an assist from his post on the blueline against the Knights. The defender scored his first career goal in short-handed fashion on Friday against Clarkson and added an assist on
Isaac Tremblay's second-period tally as part of a career day. He followed that effort on Saturday, giving the Scarlet and Brown a 2-0 lead with a first-period goal.
Svartström was also an offensive force for St. Lawrence over the weekend, scoring four goals and adding an assist in the two-game set against the Knights. The hulking winger struck twice in Cheel Arena on Friday, netting a power-play goal before finishing a breakaway to help the Saints secure a key pair of ECAC points. On Saturday, he again made his mark with two power-play goals and an assist on the game's opening tally. His first goal built a 4-1 advantage, while his second put the Route 11 Rivalry on ice late in the third period.
Svartström now leads the Saints with 13 goals and is tied with
Cayden Casey for second on the team with 18 points. His goal total is the highest by a Saint since
Felikss Gavars scored 13 during the 2023-24 season, and he sits just two goals shy of matching Mike Marnell '18, whose 15-goal campaign in 2016-17 stands as the program's high-water mark over the past 12 seasons.
The Skating Saints will be back at Appleton this weekend as they host Quinnipiac on Friday, January 30, and Princeton on Saturday, January 31.