Brendan Bernakevitch’s return might not be imminent after all.

Sidelined since sustaining an inner-thigh contusion during Harvard’s 4-2 loss at St. Lawrence on Nov. 26, the senior forward was expected to return to action on Friday against Union, according to Crimson coach Ted Donato ’91. Bernakevitch had, after all, skated in practice last week and appeared on his way to recovery.

But against both the Dutchmen and Rensselaer, freshman Alex Meintel skated in Bernakevitch’s stead on the first line, and rookie Mike Taylor, among others, filled in on the power play’s first unit.

And, despite Donato’s optimistic appraisal of Bernakevitch’s outlook last Thursday, it is more likely than not that he will miss his fourth straight game tonight against No. 10 Vermont (9-4-3, 4-0-2 ECAC).

“I think it’s up in the air,” Donato said Saturday night. “Hopefully we’ll get him back, but if I was guessing, I would say that he wouldn’t be available.”

Harvard’s offense has not faltered in Bernakevitch’s absence. The Crimson has converted on three of its 12 man-advantage opportunities, and the first line, anchored by assistant captain Tom Cavanagh, has added three tallies.

“He’s a big part of the team and he’s a force offensively,” Cavanagh said. “But injuries are part of the game. So I think it just gives other guys a chance to step up.”

WELCH FOR ALL-AMERICAN

Harvard captain Noah Welch’s contributions to Friday’s 4-1 win over Union don’t exactly leap from the stat box. One shot, a penalty for cross-checking and a front-row view of the Dutchmen’s lone goal. But at least one person in attendance found Welch’s performance to be nothing short of award-winning—Union coach Nate Leaman.

“I will say one thing. Noah Welch is an All-American,” the former Crimson assistant said. “He was on the ice at least 30 minutes. He’s a credit to our league, and he clearly played like an All-American tonight.”

Welch wasn’t the only one who drew praise from Leaman, who cited Harvard’s six NHL-drafted defensemen when explaining his squad’s inability to punch home rebounds in front.

“They did a pretty good job of making it tough to get to their net,” Leaman said. “We didn’t get as many second chance opportunities as we usually do.”

PENALTY KILLERS