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MSOCCER: Injuries dismantle the Judges midfield
by Jeffrey Pickette
Senior writer
Sports | 9/18/07
Posted online at 1:48 AM EST on 9/18/07
/ Last updated at 8:53 PM EST on 9/18/07
Just four games into its season, the men's soccer team has already lost a big chunk of its midfield to injury.
Kevin Murphy '09, Alex Ball '09 and Tyler Morrill '10-all season-opening starters for the Judges-have suffered injuries in the team's first four games.
They join reserve midfielders Jamie Batista '10 and Justin Joyce '10, who was already declared lost for the season, on the sidelines, depleting coach Mike Coven's lineup very early in the season.
"[Ball, Batista, Murphy and Morrill] are my strongest, most aggressive ball winners," Coven said.
"They win everything in the air; they clean up. These guys do the dirty work, and they do it well. Without these four guys, it's thrown [the team's] whole balance off."
Murphy suffered a calf injury in the Judges' second game of the season, a 3-1 win against Babson College Sept. 4, while Morrill suffered his concussion in the next game, a 3-1 loss to the Wentworth Institute of Technology Sept. 6.
Ball didn't even last that long, dislocating his shoulder in the season-opening draw against Endicott College Sept. 1, while Batista and Joyce have yet to play this season after suffering a torn quadriceps muscle and hamstring injuries, respectively, in the preseason.
Coven said Monday that Morrill's concussion, the sixth of his soccer career, has ended both his season and his soccer career.
Morrill sat down with Coven and his family last weekend, and they all decided that it would be too dangerous for him play competitive soccer again.
"[Morrill's injury] is a tragedy," Coven said. "He was only a sophomore, and was one of our better players. He had a whole career ahead of him."
Coven said a return date has not been set for Murphy, Batista, and Ball, calling them "day to day."
Murphy said he was very disappointed about his situation.
"I've played with [these guys] for the last three years. They're like brothers," he said. "To sit on the sidelines and watch-it's one of the most frustrating things I've done."
Kevin Murphy '09, Alex Ball '09 and Tyler Morrill '10-all season-opening starters for the Judges-have suffered injuries in the team's first four games.
They join reserve midfielders Jamie Batista '10 and Justin Joyce '10, who was already declared lost for the season, on the sidelines, depleting coach Mike Coven's lineup very early in the season.
"[Ball, Batista, Murphy and Morrill] are my strongest, most aggressive ball winners," Coven said.
"They win everything in the air; they clean up. These guys do the dirty work, and they do it well. Without these four guys, it's thrown [the team's] whole balance off."
Murphy suffered a calf injury in the Judges' second game of the season, a 3-1 win against Babson College Sept. 4, while Morrill suffered his concussion in the next game, a 3-1 loss to the Wentworth Institute of Technology Sept. 6.
Ball didn't even last that long, dislocating his shoulder in the season-opening draw against Endicott College Sept. 1, while Batista and Joyce have yet to play this season after suffering a torn quadriceps muscle and hamstring injuries, respectively, in the preseason.
Coven said Monday that Morrill's concussion, the sixth of his soccer career, has ended both his season and his soccer career.
Morrill sat down with Coven and his family last weekend, and they all decided that it would be too dangerous for him play competitive soccer again.
"[Morrill's injury] is a tragedy," Coven said. "He was only a sophomore, and was one of our better players. He had a whole career ahead of him."
Coven said a return date has not been set for Murphy, Batista, and Ball, calling them "day to day."
Murphy said he was very disappointed about his situation.
"I've played with [these guys] for the last three years. They're like brothers," he said. "To sit on the sidelines and watch-it's one of the most frustrating things I've done."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jeff Skeen
posted 9/19/07 @ 12:45 AM EST
I feel very sorry for Morrill. The truth is that concussions in soccer are a major problem. Peer reviewed medical studies have shown that over half of the college players likely experience a concussion PER SEASON! Stories like this occur on a daily basis, just type in soccer+concussion+college in a google alert and you will read them. (Continued…)
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