By Derrick Ek

CORNING | "Gordo" has his work cut out for him.

Graydon Locey, the Corning East lacrosse team's standout goalie, will sign a letter of intent in the coming weeks to play for Division I power Johns Hopkins University, one of the most illustrious programs in NCAA history. But as eager as Locey is to get down to Baltimore and suit up for the Blue Jays in '04-'05, he knows he's got a long road ahead of him.

There is the possibility that Locey could miss most, if not all, of his senior season at Corning East due to a knee injury suffered while playing football for the Trojans this fall. He'll undergo surgery on Dec. 30, and the rehabilitation process is expected to take 4-6 months.

Under a best-case scenario, Locey might be ready to play by mid-May, meaning he'd be back for the meat of East's regular season schedule, and the playoffs. Worst case scenario, however, means Locey will miss the entire season.

"It's a cause for a great deal of disappointment from all of the Trojan followers," said East head coach Bob Streeten.

Last season, Locey was the backbone of a defense that never allowed more than 10 goals in game. He posted a 74 percent save percentage, the best since Streeten took over the program in 1982. He made clutch saves, and his stickhandling and ability to roam outside the cage were key to East's transition game. The Trojans went 19-1, and were near the top of the state rankings all season before losing in the state quarterfinals. He was selected as the All-Leader Player of the Year.

"This is without a doubt as severe a blow as we could have in the program," Streeten said.

"That would be the equivalent of the football team losing Felix (Forbes) for two-thirds of the season. The difference is, of course, we have a large number of kids who have been involved in the playoffs and have been involved in playing big games."

This season, East will bring back a wealth of talent, including attackmen Nick Currie and Andy Ruocco, midfielders Mike Hatton and Felix Forbes, and defensemen Jake Tuller and Nate Howitt. All were starters. Expectations will still be high, but no question Locey's absence will have a huge impact.

"Graydon's a great goalie and without him, we've got to have other people step up and fill his shoes," said Hatton, who recently signed to play for Syracuse University. "It's not that good to be missing anybody, but without the starting goalie, we're definitely all going to have to be on the same page with each other."

Vinnie Cuda, a junior, is already being groomed to fill in for Locey. Cuda started for the East JV team last season, and has received votes of confidence from both Streeten and Locey that he'll be able to hold down the fort. How long that will be is anybody's guess.

"At this point, we're going ahead with the expectation that we'll prepare as if Graydon's not going to be there and hope for the best that he will be there, maybe if we're really, really lucky, by spring break," Streeten said.

Locey hurt the knee during the East's football team's 46-15 win over Camden in the Class A state quarterfinals, when he was tackled from behind on a touchdown run.

He tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), to the point where the nerve endings are gone, and he has no feeling in the ACL. He also suffered a partial tear of his medial collateral ligament (MCL), and possible damage to the meniscus, the shock-absorbing cartilage in the middle of the knee.

The injury sidelined Locey, a starting fullback and linebacker, for East's win over Victor in the semifinals, and their loss to Nyack in the state title game.

Locey said he has no regrets.

"Not at all," he said. "I loved our football season this year. I had a chance to be a part of something that no one else has. Even though I got hurt, and even though it jeopardized my senior lacrosse season, or at least part of it, it was still great to be there."

In the surgery, set for Dec. 30, Locey's ACL will be replaced by his patella tendon. The rehab process will probably entail a lot of time on an exercise bike, in the pool, and doing general knee strengthening exercises.

Streeten has seen these types of injuries before.

"From everything I've read and heard, it's a combination of good luck, good healing genes and you have to be very, very aggressive in the rehab," Streeten said. "Whatever they may use to replace those ligaments have to be whipped into shape."

He said Locey's older brother Rocky, who played at Herkimer, made it back in three months. Joe Kostolansky, an East attackman who played for Hofstra, went through the process three times. Greg Raymond, a former East defenseman, had to redshirt his freshman season at Johns Hopkins after tearing up his ACL. When Locey arrives for his freshman year at Hopkins, Raymond - the Blue Jays' captain - will be a fifth-year senior.

"They said with today's technology, after six months, I'll be 100 percent," Locey said. "My real focus is to be ready for fall ball next year (at Johns Hopkins). But I'd like to make it back in time for at least some of my senior season. I've had a lot of big goals, since I was a freshman, for my senior season, and I just don't want to ruin them."