Stoa will miss rest of hockey season

The Gophers junior winger had 12 goals last year and playing on the top line in victories over RPI and Michigan last weekend.

Last update: October 16, 2007 - 1:49 AM

Ryan Stoa will miss the rest of the Gophers men's hockey season after suffering a knee injury Saturday. He will have surgery, according to a university press release.

Stoa, a junior winger from Bloomington, had 12 goals last season and 11 as a freshman. He played on the Gophers' top line in victories over RPI and Michigan in the season-opening IceBreaker Classic last weekend at Xcel Energy Center.

Stoa played in all 41 games as a freshman and 41 of 44 games last season. Including his goal and assist last weekend, he has 23 goals and 28 assists for 51 career points.

He was a second-round pick (34th overall) by Colorado in the 2005 NHL draft.

"I'm really disappointed for Ryan," Gophers coach Don Lucia said in a statement. "He worked extremely hard this offseason and had really taken a step in his development."

• The Gophers moved up to No. 3 in the U.S. College Hockey Online poll. North Dakota remained No. 1.

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