After helping the Canisius College hockey team to a win over rival Niagara in the Atlantic Hockey First Round, freshman defender Ben Danford was named the league's Rookie of the Week on Monday.

In Saturday's 6-3 victory at Niagara, Danford registered three assists and a plus/minus rating of +4 to help the Griffs advance to the Atlantic Hockey Quarterfinals. All three of Danford's assists came early in the second period as Canisius turned a 1-1 contest into a 4-1 advantage.

Danford has enjoyed a successful rookie campaign this year. The freshman has totaled 25 points during the 2010-11 season, scoring two goals and recording a team-leading 23 assists. Danford has set school records for assists in a single season by a defender and points by a rookie blueliner.

The Stillwater, Minn. native currently leads all Atlantic Hockey freshman defenders with his 25 points and ranks third among all blueliners. In addition, Danford currently places third in Division I among rookie defensemen with 0.71 points per game. The weekly accolade is the second for Danford this season.

Danford and the Griffs return to action this weekend, playing at Holy Cross in the Atlantic Hockey Quarterfinals. The best 2-of-3 series is set to begin on Friday at 7:05 p.m.