By: MARSHAL KIESSLING ’18, staff writer

A senior center will step onto the ice this winter with a surgically repaired ACL after reconstruction surgery last season.

Russ Armbruster was diagnosed with a torn ACL in November 2016. He joined a unique group of 33 percent of athletes who are able to play with a torn ACL. However, later that same month, he became the other part of the statistic – those who cannot play with a torn ACL. That game was against the Utica Pioneers.

“I got an MRI about a week later thanks to LVC and our relationship with Hershey Medical Center,” Armbruster said. “I found out I tore my meniscus and ACL in my right knee and needed surgery in order to play hockey or sports in general again.”

Two weeks after his MRI, Armbruster underwent surgery in order to expedite his return to the ice. With the help of the LVC athletic training staff, Armbruster was able to start physical therapy immediately.

“Without the help from LVC, the training staff, the doctors at Hershey and the two doctors at Select Physical Therapy, my recovery process would not have been so seamless and productive,” Armbruster said.

Armbruster’s outlook on his senior campaign is to have the best season of his career. He’s enthusiastic and passionate. To him, nothing will stop him from playing hockey.

“It was not an easy road to recovery because the process was slow,” Armbruster said. “I was not able to play the sport I have played my whole life for almost eight months, but I knew that was all I wanted to do so I kept my mind on the prize to play hockey again and got back to life as I knew it.”

That mindset allowed Armbruster to return to the ice. He will once again wear the LVC jersey once again come November.