Cherniwchan ready for hockey season
Recovering from a major injury is never an easy thing to do. Andrew Cherniwchan, a former hockey player at Northern Michigan University, is trying to do just that for a second time.
Cherniwchan tore the medial collateral ligament in his right knee back in November while playing for his current team, the South Carolina Stingrays of the East Coast Hockey League. He suffered the same injury during his playing days at NMU.
The former Wildcat forward hopes that his latest injury is the last major injury that he will have to deal with for quite a while.
“After tearing my MCL at Northern, I went through the same treatment while I was here and I knew what needed to be done. Not everything heals the same way,” said Cherniwchan.
“I felt I was a bit behind where I was with my last knee injury. But once you get on the ice the biggest thing is just trying to forget about it and act as if nothing really happened,” Cherniwchan added.
Although his 2012-13 season was cut short by his knee injury, Cherniwchan was still a productive player for the Stingrays. He scored 7 goals and 14 assists in 50 games for South Carolina.
Cherniwchan is aiming to surpass those totals this upcoming season.
“I had a good start, then I ended up tearing my MCL. I came back from the injury not where I wanted to be,” said Cherniwchan. “I’ve spent the summer rehabbing my knee, trying to get back to where I want to be and have a good season,” he said.
Cherniwchan and the Stingrays begin the regular season on Oct. 19.