Knees are one of the most delicate parts of the human body.

No matter how big an athlete is, a knee injury can bring him or her down to size in a hurry.

Plum native R.J. Umberger is dealing with a knee injury for the first time in his career as a hockey player at any level.

Umberger, who skates with the Philadelphia Flyers, suffered a sprained MCL in the second period of a March 16 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Mellon Arena.

Team doctors said at least two weeks of rest and rehab from the time of the injury would be needed before Umberger could return to the ice.

Though no date or game has been set for his return, Umberger told a team spokesman the day after the injury that he hopes to return for the Flyers' game April 2 at Pittsburgh.

"Hopefully, it heals fast," Umberger said in a brief interview on the Flyers' official Web site.

Umberger has six goals and five assists in five-plus games against the Penguins this season. He had three goals and two assists in the Flyers' 8-2 win over the Pens on Dec. 11.

Injuries are part of the game for any athlete, especially in hockey, where collisions are as frequent as the number of fans in the stands.

The possibility of injury didn't stop Umberger from getting involved with the game when he was growing up in Plum.

He rose to prominence in the local amateur hockey ranks and broke out in a big way as a junior at Plum High School.

This March marks the 10th anniversary of Plum's Penguin Cup championship victory over Pitts-burgh Central Catholic during the 1997-98 season.

Umberger scored the game-winning goal against the Vikings in overtime at Harmarville Blade-Runners to clinch the title for the Mustangs. He finished that season with 60 goals and 56 assists for 116 points in 26 games.

"When we beat Central Catholic, we went wild," Umberger said. "There were so many family, friends and students in the stands celebrating with us. That was a fun season. We had a really talented team."

After that season, Umberger went on to pursue hockey opportunities with the U.S. National Team Developmental Program and later at Ohio State University.

The Plum hockey community recognized Umberger's contributions to the landscape of local ice hockey by retiring his No. 20 jersey in a 2006 ceremony at Center Ice Arena.

Umberger said he fondly remembers his time growing up and playing hockey in Plum and the surrounding area and looks forward to every chance to give back, especially at various youth camps in the NHL offseason.

"Many people did a lot for me while I was growing up," Umberger said. "Plum is going to be my home some day. Plum is a great area, and I want to help the kids growing up there any way I can."

Umberger sees a bright future for ice hockey in Pittsburgh from the youngest levels of organized teams to the older amateur and high school squads.

He was only the second Pittsburgh-area born player to play in the NHL behind Upper St. Clair graduate and Penguins star Ryan Malone.

A third player, Seneca Valley graduate Mike Weber, is skating as a defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres.

"A lot of new things were happening when I was younger," Umberger said. "There were a lot of new opportunities for me. Those opportunities helped me get to where I am today. There is so much talent in the Pittsburgh area that has a chance to do big things."

Umberger said it's all about the numbers.

"The more kids you have playing, the better things are going to end up being," he said.

"Good competition is vital at any level. Pittsburgh has always been a football- and baseball-first town. Hopefully, hockey keeps growing and kids keep wanting to play."