ITHACA, N.Y. — ECAC Hockey announced Tuesday that Cornell freshman forward Jeff Malott has been named the league's Rookie of the Week after he recorded a nautral hat trick in Friday's game at Princeton.
 
A regular in the Big Red's lineup all season, Malott scored his first three collegiate goals in memorable fashion. In a span of just 8 minutes, 44 seconds, he staked Cornell to a 3-1 lead against the Tigers in a game the squad would ultimately win, 5-1. His first goal was unassisted, when he intercepted a pass behind the Princeton goal, stepped out to left of goal and beat the goaltender with a shot inside the near post. His last two goals weer redirections of point shots from senior defensemen Holden Anderson and Patrick McCarron.
 
Malott became the first Cornell freshman with a hat trick since Matt Moulson — currently with the NHL's Buffalo Sabres — scored three goals against Dartmouth on Feb. 7, 2003. He also joined sophomore Mitch Vanderlaan as the second Big Red player with a hat trick this season, a first for the program since 2004.
 
This marks the second time this season that Cornell has been awarded the ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week. Defenseman Yanni Kaldis garnered the honor on Nov. 8 after doling out three assists against Harvard.
 
The Big Red — now ranked 14th in the USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine poll and 15th in the USCHO.com poll — will play nine of its final 13 regular-season games at home, starting with visits from Clarkson at 7 p.m. Friday and St. Lawrence at 7 p.m. Saturday.