:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/27174023/unhpresser.0.jpg)
Durham, NH -- The University of New Hampshire hockey team will be without two of its biggest stars when the Wildcats take on archrival Maine this weekend in a home-and-home series.
Junior defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk, one of the top college free agents in the country, is out for the season after injuring his left ankle in an ugly collision near the sideboards during Saturday's game against Union, according to a source close to the team. Trevor is the brother of James van Riemsdyk, a Toronto Maple Leafs star and member of the USA olympic team for Sochi. The Middletown, NJ native has four goals and 19 assists in 26 games played for the Wildcats this season.
Junior forward Grayson Downing, the team's second line center, injured his shoulder after being hit in the neutral zone later in the game. The Abbottsford, British Columbia native had 15 goals and 16 assists last season. He suffered a concussion in the NCAA Northeast Regional semifinals against Denver and did not play in the regional championship game against UMass Lowell. He played every game this season, despite being banged up with two different ailments, scoring nine goals and seven assists. His timetable to return is within the month, so a much better prognosis than van Riemsdyk.
New Hampshire is 13-12-1 overall and 5-5 in Hockey East following last weekend's two losses to Union in a nonconference series at the Whittemore Center. Dick Umile's team hosts Maine on Friday night at 7 p.m. before traveling to Orono to take on the Black Bears at Alfond Arena on Saturday night at 7 p.m. Both games can be seen nationally on Fox College Sports.
(Both videos come from Mike Lowry at the UNH Hockey Blog.)
Jeff Cox covers college, junior and high school hockey, NCAA recruiting, NHL Draft prospects and the AHL for SBNation. Follow him on twitter @JeffCoxSBNation.