Galaxy trade goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts

A broken forearm cost Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts several starts this season. And now it has cost him his job with the Galaxy, as the team traded the Jamaican international player to the expansion Montreal Impact on Monday in exchange for allocation money.

Major League Soccer’s keeper of the year in 2010 and a two-time MLS All-Star, Ricketts, 34, was limited to 15 games this season, missing two months after breaking his arm against San Jose in late June. Josh Saunders stepped in and played well enough to make Ricketts expendable, notching eight shutouts in 18 starts and posting a 0.93 goals-against average.

Only Ricketts, with a GAA of 0.92 in 15 starts, had a better mark among MLS keepers.

Allocation money can be used to sign players or allocate against their contracts to keep teams under the league-mandated salary cap, which was $2.675 million in 2011.

—Kevin Baxter

ETC.

Boeheim keeps a low profile amid criticism

Syracuse basketball Coach Jim Boeheim ran a closed practice Monday as sex abuse victims’ advocates questioned whether he should still coach following the firing of longtime assistant Bernie Fine, who has been accused of molestation by three men.

As criticism swirled about Boeheim’s initial support of Fine and his verbal attacks on the accusers, the coach kept a low profile, seeking refuge in his office on the second floor of the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center.

Boeheim, who had been sharply critical of the accusers, has softened his stance 10 days after an impassioned defense of Fine, who spent 35 seasons on the bench next to Boeheim and was fired Sunday.

The Rev. Robert Hoatson, president of Road to Recovery, a group that supports victims of sexual abuse, said the dismissal of Fine was appropriate but didn’t go far enough.

“I think Jim Boeheim should be fired or resign as well,” Hoatson said. “These boys were members of the basketball program. Jim Boeheim’s responsibility is to oversee that program, and the children were not safe on his watch.”

Two former Syracuse ball boys were the first to accuse Fine, who has called the allegations “patently false.” And a third man came forward last week, accusing Fine of molesting him nine years ago.

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Minnesota forward Trevor Mbakwe will miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, a devastating blow for the Golden Gophers.

Mbakwe’s knee bent awkwardly when he was fighting for rebound position in a loss Sunday to Dayton during the championship game of the Old Spice Classic at Orlando, Fla. He left the arena in tears and on crutches, and on Monday the university confirmed the diagnosis.

The senior will have surgery to repair the injury sometime in the next few weeks. Mbakwe is Minnesota’s leading scorer and rebounder, named to the preseason All-Big Ten first team last month.

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Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty was suspended three games by the NHL for a hit to the head of Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang.

Pacioretty, who wasn’t penalized during the game for the hit, will sit out Wednesday at the Ducks, Thursday at San Jose, and Saturday at the Kings.

He is eligible to return Dec. 6 against Columbus.