Former Syracuse University star Casey Powell does not have a tear of his anterior cruciate ligament.

That's the good news. The bad news is that Powell, the projected top pick in next month's NLL draft, did tear his medial collateral ligament, but it is an injury of much lower severity.

This news came earlier in the week, after the top indoor lacrosse prospect injured his knee in a tuneup game for the upcoming World Lacrosse Championships, to be held later this month in Baltimore.

Powell spent the early part of this week anxiously awaiting results of an MRI that would reveal whether he had torn the ACL in his left knee. Luckily for Powell, the injury is not as severe as first feared.

It's "luckily" for the Rochester Knighthawks, too, since they hold the first overall pick in the NLL Draft and intend to draft Powell with that pick.

"We're glad the injury wasn't more serious," said Rochester general manager Jody Gage, "but our intention to make Casey the No. 1 overall pick in the National Lacrosse League draft never changed. We'd have waited a year for him if we had to."

Powell, who was fitted with a brace on Wednesday and has begun rehabilitation, will possibly miss the World Games, where he was planning to compete for Team USA. However, he does not project to miss much else, and should be healthy by draft day, tentatively scheduled for 13 August.