University of Denver captain J.P. Testwuide missed practice again Tuesday and could be a spectator Friday when the Pioneers open the NCAA Tournament against Miami (Ohio) at the West Regional in Minneapolis.
Testwuide, a rugged senior defenseman who leads the team at plus-17, will make the trip in the Pioneers’ 23-player traveling party. They depart for the Twin Cities today after a workout at Magness Arena.
Junior center Tyler Ruegsegger surprisingly participated in some practice drills Tuesday, donning full equipment and an orange “no crush” sweater. Ruegsegger’s season was deemed over when he partially tore a ligament in his right knee March 13 against Alaska-Anchorage.
“We’ve been working really hard with rehab, and I’m wearing a custom brace right now that helps stabilize it,” said Ruegsegger, who is tied for the team lead with 15 goals. “We originally thought 4-6 weeks, and it still might be that time, but it doesn’t feel too bad.”
Ruegsegger is doubtful for Friday but said he will pay his own way to Minneapolis if he’s not included in the team’s travel party. “I couldn’t miss this,” he said.
Bozak ready.
DU standout center Tyler Bozak, who had a team-leading 21 points before he suffered a knee injury in the 18th game of the season, is practicing on a line with the team’s top two scorers: Anthony Maiani and Rhett Rakhshani.
Bozak will return from a 21-game absence Friday.
“It doesn’t look like he’s missed a beat,” Rakhshani said.
Footnotes.
DU (23-11-5) is 8-1 in its past nine NCAA Tournament games. . . . Miami is 2-4-1 in its past seven games. The RedHawks (20-12-5), who began the season 12-3-3, were idle last weekend after being eliminated from the CCHA playoffs by Northern Michigan in a three-game series.
Mike Chambers, The Denver Post
NCAA Division I Tournament
First-round regionals
Northeast, Manchester, N.H.
Saturday: North Dakota (24-14-4) vs. New Hampshire (19-12-5), noon; Boston U. (31-6-4) vs. Ohio State (23-14-4), 3:30 p.m.
East, Bridgeport, Conn.
Friday: Michigan (29-11-0) vs. Air Force (27-10-2), 1 p.m.; Yale (24-7-2) vs. Vermont (20-11-5), 4:30 p.m.
Midwest, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Saturday: Northeastern (25-11-4) vs. Cornell (21-9-4), 2 p.m.; Notre Dame (31-5-3) vs. Bemidji State (18-15-1), 5:30 p.m.
West, Minneapolis
Friday: Denver (23-11-5) vs. Miami (Ohio) (20-12-5), 3:30 p.m.; Minnesota-Duluth (21-12-8) vs. Princeton (22-11-1), 7 p.m.
