11/29/30
Under-18 Team Banged Up
The U.S. Under-18 team coming east for a pair of weekend games at Harvard and Brown is pretty banged-up.
Phil Kessel, who’s been out with a wrist injury since the Oct. 8-9 weekend, will be on the shelf again. There’s concern about ligament damage, which could lead to Kessel missing the World Junior Championship, which beings Dec. 26 in Grand Forks, ND.
Concerning Kessel’s injury, Under-18 head coach Ron Rolston said, “We’ve had a couple of different opinions. We’re trying to figure out the best plan of action.”
Nathan Gerbe, who’s been out with a sprained shoulder for a couple of weeks, will miss this weekend’s games. He’s expected back for the Under-18 Four Nations Tournament Nov. 8-12 in Ann Arbor.
Andreas Vlassopoulos has a groin injury and will also be out this weekend.
On defense, Mike Stuart, who’s been out since the beginning of October after a skate cut on his arm became infected, probably won’t be back in the lineup until early December.
Jack Johnson, who missed last weekend’s games at Manhattanville College due to disciplinary reasons, will be back in the lineup this weekend.
The Under-18 Team plays at Harvard on Saturday (7 pm) and at Brown on Sunday (2 pm).
Note:
The Under-18 Team will be adding Gov. Dummer forward Benn Ferriero to the lineup, both to have another healthy body, and to take a look at the Essex, Mass. native for possible inclusion on the US roster for the IIHF World Under-18 Championship next April.
