Ohio was dealt a blow Tuesday with the news that two key players will not be returning this season.
Both junior forward Alex DiMassa and senior defenseman Jake Holzemer will miss the rest of this year’s campaign, coach Dan Morris said. DiMassa has been out since the Nov. 5 game against Ohio State with a lower-body injury, while Holzemer hasn’t seen action since suffering a knee injury Oct. 1 against West Virginia.
Both players had surgery over winter break with the hopes of coming back some time later in the season but have been ruled out in the past couple of days.
The news will be especially hard for Holzemer, who will be graduating this June and won’t be back next season. DiMassa will be able to redshirt this season, and so will have two years of eligibility remaining.
“Unfortunately we’re not going to get Jake Holzemer back and we’re not going to get Alex Dimassa back,” Morris said Tuesday morning. “It’s tough for Jake because he’s a senior and it’s a tough way to go. Alex is a junior so he’s going to redshirt and he’ll still be available for two more years.”
With the news that Holzemer won't be coming back, Ohio will have to play the rest of their schedule with only six natural defenseman on the roster, a potential hazard if injuries or suspensions rear their heads later in the year. The Bobcats should be able to withstand the loss of DiMassa a little bit easier, as an already strong and deep group of forwards was bolstered by the return of John Luciana this past weekend after he was out for nearly three months with a lower-body injury.
cd211209@ohiou.edu
