AMHERST, Mass.—Thrifty with words as usual, assistant captain Tom Cavanagh described that early January practice when he slid, feet-first, into the boards during practice and tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee thus: “I knocked something loose.”

Of course, most people would probably play up the pain factor a bit more—but then again, most people probably wouldn’t continue playing Division I hockey with a torn ACL.

Cavanagh did, for 19 more games, until his collegiate career ended last Saturday with a 3-2, overtime loss to New Hampshire in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

The only current Harvard senior to skate in all 138 possible contests, Cavanagh wasn’t about to let one measly torn ligament stop him.

It might have slowed him down a little, sure—he had earned 17 points in 15 games before he sustained the injury, versus just 12 points in the 19 contests after it—but as the curtain fell on the Crimson season last night, Cavanagh still held the lead, or at least a share of it, in every offensive category.

So just how tough is Cavanagh?

According to the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Sport Medicine website, “The ACL...stabilizes the knee to allow pivoting, twisting, and jumping sports.” When the ACL is torn, then, “the knee may feel unstable and give out. The knee usually swells a great deal immediately (within two hours). Over the next several hours, pain becomes more severe and it becomes difficult to walk.”

So what did Cavanagh do?

“I think I took the next day off,” he said, “and then I played that weekend.”

That early January weekend, after all, featured two games against Colgate and Cornell. League games. Very, very important games. Games Tom Cavanagh was not about to miss.

Initial swelling precluded the ACL diagnosis, and so, with what was deemed a hyperextended knee, Cavanagh quietly went about his business.

From the stands, press box, and bench alike, it was apparent that the forward was a step slow, a pace behind. Said teammate and captain Noah Welch, “we knew he was battling at about 75, 80 percent.”

And just before the Feb. 18 home game against Clarkson, an MRI pinpointed the torn ACL.

“We heard about it,” Welch said, “and we honestly thought he was out.”

Harvard coach Ted Donato ’91 couldn’t stave off similar notions.