If the Baltimore Thunder is going to reach the Major Indoor Lacrosse League championship game again, it will have to be without star goalie Jeff Gombar.

Only a few weeks before its opener against the Boston Blazers Dec. 27 at the Baltimore Arena, the Thunder learned that Gombar will not return from British Columbia.

Gombar wanted to enroll in a master's degree program in business at an area college and obtain what he called a "meaningful" job here for the indoor lacrosse season, but was unable to do either.

Thunder general manager Darrell Russell and coach John Stewart have recruited another goalie from Canada, Steve Dietrick of Toronto. Dietrick, 21, who played for Canada's junior league championship team, joins four-year veteran Tom Manos (Towson State) and rookie Charlie Toomey (Loyola).