{shortcode-3e21d57a54345b3d111ac22c32635eb208a6a9f5}

UPDATED: February 13, 2016, at 6:52 p.m.

Harvard men’s hockey co-captain Jimmy Vesey has been ruled out of tonight’s contest against Union with an undisclosed lower body injury.

Vesey skated with the team prior to the game on Saturday but was left out of the lineup as a precautionary measure, according to Assistant Director of Athletic Communications Brock Malone. Vesey picked up the injury on Friday, when he registered 13 shots on goal in a 2-1 loss to No. 18/- RPI.

Vesey, one of the frontrunners for the Hobey Baker award—given to college hockey’s Most Valuable Player—leads the No. 9/9 Crimson (13-8-3, 9-5-3 ECAC) in scoring with 18 goals and 35 points through 24 games. The Nashville Predators prospect has also been nominated for the Walter Brown award, which Vesey earned last season for being deemed the top American-born college hockey player in New England.

With Vesey missing his first game since Feb. 15, 2013, freshman Ryan Donato will assume the senior's spot on the first line alongside co-captain Kyle Criscuolo and junior center Alexander Kerfoot. Meanwhile, junior forward Luke Esposito will move up to the second line, where he’ll be joined by junior Sean Malone and senior Colin Blackwell.

—Follow the action between Harvard and Union live with @MeagherTHC.

—Staff writer Jake Meagher can be reached at jake.meagher@thecrimson.com.