Eno almost a go

The Sentinel-Tribune (Bowling Green, OH) offered an injury update on Falcon goaltender Nick Eno, who has yet to see action in 2008-09 due to a high ankle sprain.

“That was the worst thing about getting hurt. — I felt like I was playing the best hockey I’'ve ever played,” said Eno, a member of the CCHA’'s all-rookie team last season. BG, per NCAA rules, started it's official practices Oct. 1, but Eno was hurt during one of it's unofficial practices organized by the players. Eno was working on rebound control and had several of his teammates firing pucks at him from close range. He was down on the ice in his butterfly and reached across his body to his left/glove side to make a save and felt his left ankle pop. “I didn'’t know what it was at first. Then I stood up on it and kept playing for a little bit and it kept hurting,” Eno said. He eventually was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain that usually takes longer to heal than the traditional ankle sprain. Eno was able to walk and ride the stationary bike, but the high ankle sprain made it hard for him to go up and down and move side to side. He reinjured the ankle Oct. 22 near the end of practice and that led to the diagnosis of the high ankle sprain. He finally was held out of all workouts and the ankle was placed in a protective boot for a month. He was cleared to start practicing Dec. 1. “You go on the ice one day and it feels good and you go out the next day and it kills you,” Eno said, adding the injury was the first time he had ever been hurt. “You just need time and patience to recover.” Eno is in great physical shape and now his challenge is to return to hockey and goaltending shape. His last game action was March 15. “It’'s just a matter of me getting my muscles used to skating again and playing hockey again, and doing the things a goalie has to do in a game,” he said. “It’'s been tough, but it’'s awesome to be back on the ice. “I'’ve had a soreness after I skate, but I haven'’t had the pain in the ankles. The only pain I feel is the soreness of the muscles that I haven'’t used for a while, and I’ll only get used to it by having the practices and games.”

Expect to see the Howell, MI native in the BGSU crease the weekend of January 9-10 when the Falcons host Ohio State.