The hockey season kicks off this Friday, and there's already an injury report from the Harvard men's team.

The Crimson--ranked ninth nationally in a preseason poll--will be without last year's top freshman Steve Martins probably until December.

Martins tore ligaments in his right ankle less than an hour into the team's first official try-out scrimmage on Oct. 15.

The speedy center, who was Harvard's third-highest scorer with 13 goals and 27 points last year, said he finally learned this week that the ankle won't need surgery. "That was the best news of all," said Martins, who missed seven games last year with a shoulder injury. "The doctor said it seems to be healing well. I'm trying to keep upbeat but I'll be out for six or seven games."

The Cabot House sophomore tore the ligaments when he fell to the ice near center ice after a collision during the scrimmage.

"It was a real fluke," Martins said. "My skate just got caught in the ice, I guess. It hurt really bad, I thought it was broken at first."

While preparing for several games without Martins, including tomorrow's exhibition match against Dalhousie, Coach Ronn Tomassoni said he hopes the Gatineau, Que., native won't be out of the line-up for too long.

"He's an electrifying hockey player," Tomassoni said. "We just gotta go to work with what's available. Hopefully he won't be out for a great length of time.

"I feel really bad for him. We just have to work hard and try to keep his spirits up," Tomassoni said.

Entering the season with high expectations, the relatively lightweight Crimson will have to intensify its physical game to compensate for the loss of Martins, a small but hard-hitting forward. "Pound for pound, he's probably the strongest guy on the team," Tomassoni said. "He's probably one of the strongest in all of college hockey."

Right now, Martins is hobbling about on crutches with his ankle in a cast and taking the handicap bus from the Quad to his classes in the Yard. Until he gets back on the ice, Martins said he'll continue to work with weights to keep his strength up.

"It's very frustrating because the team looks fantastic," Martins said. "It's going to be a great season. I just can't wait."