Published January 29, 2010

On Friday night, Appleton Arena went silent as the Saints’ newest defensive talent went down on the ice. Sophomore Peter Child broke into the starting line up as a sophomore this year and suffered a season-ending injury during the game against Brown last weekend.

A walk-on candidate for the Saints last year, Peter’s only action as a rookie occurred in an exhibition game against Guelph, in which he endured a shoulder injury that kept him out of the line-up. Child came back to the team this season with something to prove, vying for a top spot on the team and becoming an essential part of the Saints’ defensive line.

Child spoke about his success this season and the injury: “I worked really hard to crack into the line-up this year. I was having an awesome time and playing really well with my teammates. This is a huge upset, but all I can do now is focus on getting better.”

Spending much of his time in the training room, the Saints leading defenseman is determined to get back onto the ice. This season, he led the Saints’ defense with six goals and nine assists; at the time of the injury, he was ranked second in the ECAC. “He was having a tremendous season,” captain Derek Keller said. “But his leaving opens an opportunity for other players to step up.” Although Child’s prognosis states his injury will keep him off the ice for eight to twelve weeks, Child hopes to return in only six.