[01/17/02]St. Aloysius’ All-State goalkeeper Andy Gough is expected to miss at least one more game after reinjuring his knee Saturday against Florence.

Gough, who tore the medial collateral ligament in his right knee before the holidays, strained the same ligament in a goalbox collision during a 4-3 win.

He missed Tuesday’s non-division game against Callaway, and St. Al coach Shirley Agostinelli said she would keep him out of today’s division game against Crystal Springs to rest him for Tuesday’s division finale against St. Andrew’s.

“The team we need to beat is St. Andrew’s,” Agostinelli said, adding there was a chance that Gough wouldn’t be ready to play by Tuesday. “We just want to make sure it’s healed.

“We don’t want to tear that ligament anymore than it’s already torn. He’s only a junior, so he’s got all of next season to play yet.”

Gough said he would be ready for St. Andrew’s.

“I re-strained it. I’ll rest up (today) and be ready for Tuesday,” Gough said. “It’s a little sore. I’ll be fine. Sometimes you have to learn to play through stuff.”

Gough also missed the Flashes’ first meeting with Crystal Springs, an 11-0 St. Al win on Dec. 11 behind backup goalie Steven Rottman’s first varsity shutout.

Agostinelli said she would rotate Rottman and Brett Bailess in goal this week.

The Flashes also have other injuries to worry about.

Striker Michael Head, the team’s top scorer with 23, suffered a bone bruise on his ankle in a 5-0 win over Callaway on Tuesday. He’ll miss today’s game, but said he’d be ready to play Tuesday.

Starting wing Beau Theobald won’t, however. Theobald, who has nine goals this season, pulled a hamstring last week against Madison-St. Joe and could be out until the playoffs start on Jan. 29, Agostinelli said.

With three of their top players injured, more pressure will be put on the Flashes’ defense to limit scoring chances in the last two games.

If the Flashes win both, it would win its second straight division title, but goal differential is a key tiebreaker if they should lose one.

“It’s going to make the defense have to step it up a lot, because Andy is a big part of it,” starting defender Vincent Banchetti said. “We’re going to have to make it so they can’t get any shots on us.”