Union captain Glenn Sanders suffered a lacerated spleen in the Dutchmen’s 1-1 tie with Dartmouth on Nov. 14 and had surgery the next day to remove the spleen.
As a result, Sanders, a senior forward, could miss the rest of the season, although one doctor’s prognosis had him missing only six to eight weeks.
“He said he wasn’t feeling good after the game,” Union coach Nate Leaman told the Schenectady Gazette. “Then it started to feel tight breathing, so he went to the hospital with our team doctor and his parents, and they found out he had a lacerated spleen.
“They kept him overnight because they weren’t sure how bad it was. They had to do surgery to remove it.”
The Dartmouth game marked Sanders’ return to the lineup after missing four games with a shoulder injury. The spleen injury occurred just one shift into the game.
“It’s too bad because he’s such a good kid,” Leaman said. “Not a lot of people knew about it, but our thoughts were with him. He’s a lot of heart and soul of our team. Any time your captain goes down, it’s not good.”
Sanders, a defensive specialist, plays on Union’s top penalty-killing unit. This season, he has two assists in six games. Over his career, Sanders has four goals and 13 points in 83 games.
Should Sanders be unable to return this season, Union will likely apply to the NCAA for a medical redshirt to obtain an extra year of eligibility for him.
The Dutchmen are off to a terrific start this season at 7-2-2 overall, 2-1-1 in the ECAC.
