Blast says Panzetta is out rest of season

Blast defender Angelo Panzetta, who suffered a knee injury in the team's 9-6 win over Wichita Sunday, will miss the rest of the Major Soccer League season after a test showed that he had torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, the team announced today.

Panzetta, a 23-year-old defender, also tore cartilage in the knee, and will undergo arthroscopic surgery on Friday. Reconstructive surgery to repair the torn ligament will be performed in the next few weeks. Panzetta is not expected to resume playing soccer for another 8-12 months, team doctors said.

The injury is similar to that suffered by Blast midfielder David Vaudreuil, who tore the anterior cruciate in his left knee last January 30. Vaudreuil was expected to miss the entire season, but returned to action in September and has played in 23 games.