SPORTS
11
WWW.GUlLFORDIAN.COM
By Mara McLaurin In the early , goings of the first half it
Staff Writer was all-Quakers, with the Emory & Henry
-y Wasps' defense under constant pressure.
As the rain cleared at 1 p.m. on Oct. The Quakers were able to get off five ^hots
25, more fans began to show at Haworth on goal in the first 25 minutes by beat-
Field, the home of Guilford's men's soc- ing the Wasps' defense with quick sharp
cer team. The team took to a slippery passes, great ball handling, and commu-
field in crisp white uniforms, which only nication.
awaited a muddy undertaking. Guilford held Emory & Henry scoreless
The excitement surrounding the game for 27 minutes before a crowded goal box
was building for the men as an Old resulted in a goal for the Wasps. The goal
Dominican Athletic Conference (ODAC) was scored off of junior midfielder Erik
tournament seat was resting on the match Olson's head. Freshman goalkeeper Peter
ahead. Standing in the way of the Quakers Truitt seemed unnerved by the goal but
win was Emory & Henry College. had confidence that the Quakers would
The first half came
to a close and the
'^ Quakers remained
scoreless. Five minutes into the second
half, Truitt left the game with a head inji!ry
and was replaced by veteran goal-keeper
Patrick Childs, who brought energy to
his defense. Well into the second half the
Wasps held a 1-0 lead, but the Quakers con
tinued to charge the Wasps' defense.
The Quakers were able to finally break
down the Wasps with seven minutes
left in the game. A long ball from senior
Scott Meguid resulted in a goal tapped in
by first-year forward Jordan Alexander.
Alexander, who has eight goals this year,
is Guilford's leading scof^r, and is ranked
amongThe highest scorers%f the league.
At the end of regulation, the Quakers
and Wasps were tied 1-1. For the fifth time
this season, the Quakers went into over
time.
During overtime, coaches, players, par
ents and fans, were all on the edge. Fans
were nail-biting after the Wasp's two shots
on goal in the first three minutes, which
were blocked. A corner kick by the Wasps
left the sidelines breathless. Finally, in the
96th minute, a breakaway goal was scorld-
by Emory & Henry forward EJ. Flepspm ^
The goal was devastating, as the Quakers
" were defeated.
, The game tested not only physRaj^
stamina but also sportsmanship. It, vv^ '
exciting from beginning to finish becat^^
of the competitive nature of both'teams^
Emory & Henry and Guilford fans were
both vocal about pushes, trips, and grabs,
and the referees agreed issuing three yel-:
low cards, and 15 fouls to the Wasps. '
"We try and set the tone with a physi
cal game, while at the same time we try:
and keep our rholitlis shut about calls the
referees make and focus on our own go^
and not let our issues get in Qie way of
the game,", said AlexanSder.
The Quakers lost another close game
on Tuesday, Oct. 28 agihnst Hampton
Sydney College. The 2-0 defeaf put the
final nail in tiie season's coffin.
"It was a sad ending to an up a»d
down season," saM junior forward Jeff
Floyd. "We had a Inhidf close games
just didn't goOur way."
The Quakers may be excluded from an
ODAC tournament run, but tri^.siaying
positive, there's always next year.
Season-ending injury: Down but not out
This season has been the culmi
nation of my life as a soccer player
to this point: my senior year, as a
captain. I've played and trained
my whole life dreaming of college
soccer and a chance at a conference
championship. What's more. I've
labored beside my fellow seniors
for three years, wins and losses
together. This was our last season,
our last chance, and mine ended
four games early.
It took a few days to really hit
me. I was weaning myself off the
morphine drip Td had since sur
gery when I realized the extent of
it all. What seemed like just a regu
lar hit to the leg had swelled with
internal bleeding until doctors were
worried my skin would burst and I
was rushed to surgery. A week and
two liters of bloo.d later, my leg is
drained and sqtured closed, and
it's still hard to believe.
But accidents are inevitable and
injuries can plague athletes and
non-athletes alike. They're painful
and a hassle; and they usually cost
a pretty penny. Watching from the
sidelines, it's hard not to rush my
recovery along. It's hard to forget
the 'coulda, shoulda, woulda' and
stop thinking 'what if?' It's hard
to stay positive. Remembering the
bigger picture is imperative.
"Yeah, your season is definitely
over," Dr. Wainer told me before
the surgery. "But we got it in time
and there's no permanent muscle
damage. You'll live to play another
day and you've got years of soccer
ahead of you."
He was brutally honest and the
truth hurt like hell, but Wainer was
right. My season is over and I can't
change what happened. Instead of
wishing I could, I need to forget
what might've been, accept the
situation I'm in and fully com
mit myself to the recovery process.
Like Wainer said. I've got years
ahead of me and what 1 do now
will determine how strong my leg
will be then.
The whole ordeal is far from
over; it'll be months before I can
even start to run again. Recovery
is hard work and, while blame and
lamentation may be easiest, perse
verance is the key to revival both
physically and mentally.
I've got to be diligent with phys
ical therapy and do what's best
for my body's long-term health.
Cutting corners and rushing back
may get me on the field quicker.
my feet and on the couch, my brain
seems to have a mind of its own
and everyday is a battle against
dejection.
Psychologically, energy put
toward positive outlets helps to
relieve the pain and avert depres
sion. Now, my job as a captain is
to support my team and encourage
my replacements. 1 may be injured,
but I haven't lost my experience or
Recovery is hard work and, while blame and lamenta
tion may be easiest, perseverance is the key to revival
both physically and mentally.
but a mistreated injury can worsen,
spread or cause permanent dam
age. Thoroughness and extra care
now will prevent repeat injuries
and debility down the road.
They say recuperation is hard
est on athletes and I'm proof. I've
gone from running to hobbling,
independence to reliance. I can't
drive, walk my dog or carry my
groceries. With so much time off.
knowledge. Where my team has
been for me in the past, I now need
to be for them.
Trading roles like this is a pow
erful experience. I've gone from
starting every game to not play
ing a minute, from having peo
ple rely on me to being almost
totally dependent. My month of
using crutches and needing help
for everyday chores is what some
people deal with their whole lives.
I'm glimpsing another world and
it's making me look at my own life
through new eyes.
Despite all that's gone wrong.
I've never been more appreciative
in my life. I've realized that the
players who love the sport most
are those that work day after day
in practice, scarcely play in games
and yet would do anything for
their team. I've realized that good
friends don't care what time it is
when you need their help; your
family will drop everything and
travel any distance to be at your
side; and the people that love you
most will stay with yc>u for days
and still feel bad when they need
to get some rest.
Most importantly, I've learned
that life can be disappointing and
that we all get hurt. But there's
always tomorrow and success
often looks nothing like what
we've imagined. Althougli my col
legiate career is over, there are
many games yet to play and there's
lots of time still left on the clock.
I guess it's like they say, what
doesn't kill you only makes you
stronger.