WINTHROP, Mass. – Following a spectacular regular season that saw him break several program records and sit at or near the top of several statistical categories within Atlantic Hockey and throughout Division I, Niagara freshman Ludwig Stenlund has been named to the AHA’s All-Rookie team, as announced on Wednesday.
Stenlund made an immediate impact with the Purple Eagles, scoring twice – including the overtime game-winner – against AIC on opening night. He proceeded to go on a tear in the month of November (3 G, 5 A) and earned an AHA Rookie of the Week Award, NCAA Third Star of the Week, and the AHA Rookie of the Month for his eight-point performance. The Swedish rookie’s November included six points (3 G, 3 A) in the Battle of the Bridge against Canisius, with a two-goal, two-assist night capping off the weekend in a thrilling, 9-6 victory over the Golden Griffins on November 17.
In January, Stenlund went on a scoring spree that was unprecedented at Niagara. Beginning with a two-point (1 G, 1 A) night against Holy Cross on January 11, the freshman scored at least once in eight consecutive games. He tied the program record of five straight games with a goal on February 1, then surpassed Ryan Murphy’s seven-year-old mark the following day in Springfield against the Yellow Jackets. When his streak came to a close, Stenlund had amassed nine goals and five assists in just eight games. For his efforts, Stenlund was named the AHA’s January Rookie of the Month for the second time, and also became the second freshman in program history to earn Hockey Commissioners’ Association Rookie of the Month honors.
Stenlund’s February saw him score eight times in nine games while adding four assists for a 12-point month. Those tallies included four power play goals and a shorthanded strike, and Atlantic Hockey recognized him as the conference’s Rookie of the Week on February 5 and named him February’s Player of the Month on March 5.
Stenlund finished the regular season leading the nation’s freshmen with 19 goals, nine power play goals, 34 points and three shorthanded goals. Following the team’s first-round takedown of Canisius, he now has 20 goals and 16 assists in 37 games, including 10 power play goals (most among all Division I skaters).
Stenlund is the 14th freshman to be named to a conference’s all-rookie team in program history, and just the fourth since the team joined Atlantic Hockey for the 2010-11 season. The last Niagara rookie to do so was Keegan Harper (’18), who was named to the AHA’s All-Rookie Team in 2015.
The Purple Eagles return to the ice on Friday, March 15 at 9 p.m. ET to open the quarterfinals round of the Atlantic Hockey playoffs. Niagara will be traveling to Air Force for a best-of-three showdown, the team’s second trip to Colorado Springs this season.
