lOJJFriday, Sept. 3, 2010 Duo makes return to By Andrew Robinson COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER Meghan Gill stood on the side line waiting, calm in comparison to her energetic teammates who had earlier entered the game. Finally, the horn sounded and the redshirt junior took her first step into a game since November 2008. A little over four months earlier, on an astoundingly cold late April day, her teammate Bri Garcia ripped a ball from 20 yards out that shot through the air and land ed in the back of the net and held as the decisive score. However meaningless that game, a 2-1 exhi bition win over Pitt, being on the field was something the redshirt junior had been robbed of for the past year. After missing the entire 2009 season because of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears. Gill and Garcia have returned to the Penn State women's soccer .team and are working their way back onto the field. "It w'as definitely indescribable to be able to come back in your first game and score a goal,” Garcia said of her return in April. "Granted, it s an exhibition game and we re ttying to get new people in different places but just being able to put a ball in the back of the net and hear the net swoosh and everybody cheer, it’s definitely amazing." Gill played in the Nittany Lions’ exhibition win over Villanova on Aug. 14 but made her official return Sunday afternoon against J BOOTS SUB SHOP ”1 ■ Buy 1 Cheeseburger, 1 Small Fry, 1 Small Fountain Soda j | Get one tree Cheeseburger j J —bo - oTs-usTho? | { Buy any size sub 4/n n ff j i get second sub I \ L 111 I | Fantastic Location, directly across the street from PSU campus! Fully Furnished, Carpeted & Air Conditioned Apartments with GREAT views! CATA Loop Stop at Entrance! An Awesome Apartment Conveniently Located in the Midst of Local Restaurants, Nightlife, Shopping, and Entertainment! Walking Distance to Beaver Stadium and the Bryce Jordan Center! On-Site Laundry Fabulous Fitness Center! 24 Flour Spacious and Quiet Study Lounge with FREE Wireless Internet! 200 + Reserved Parking Spaces Available! Roommate Matching Service Available! 24 Hour Emergency Maintenance Service! On-Site Professional Management that Cares! Now is the time to ensure you have ideal living for your 2010-2011 year! NOW LEASING for next Call us for more Info 814.231.9000 www.meridiancollegeavenue.com William & Mary. Standing on the sideline at midfield preparing to check in, Gill said there were a number of emotions racing through her head. “Excitement, nerves, anxious, everything you can think of,” Gill said. “I was going back, a flash back almost, to the last time I was on the field and I just said to myself ‘Calm down, relax and have fun out there. Never take for granted every moment you get out there. So every minute just give it your all.' ” Rehabbing an ACL tear is a long and grueling ordeal, one that requires hours of rehab each day isolated from the team. Both said the worst part of the rehab was all of the work in the training room then not being allowed to partici pate in practice. For Gill and Garcia, going through the same rehab helped them push each other to get back and just get through it. “You definitely get to know a person really well when you're with them 24/7,” Gill said. “That's an exaggeration, but we were always on the sidelines. We could always talk to each other when we were watching and try and keep our minds into the game, talk about the different things, forma tion, strategy, all of that.” Garcia said she played the role of the “guinea pig,” because she was further ahead in the rehab schedule. By going through the steps, the redshirt sophomore said she was able to serve as a mentor for Gill, giving her team ear Held after season of knee rehab Bri Garcia (9) and Meghan Gill (27) celebrate a goal during the Blue-White scrimmage earlier this season mate advice on the best wav to get training, both players have some- with the team struggling on the through rehab. ■ ‘ thing most of their teammates field, Walsh turned to her bench, “Sire was able to learn from mv don't knowledge of what it's like which included Gill and Garcia, mistakes and I could coach her to lose an entire year. That per- “When you’ve got a game like through diflerent things." Garcia spective makes Gill and Garcia we had on Sunday, that it’s just said. “Granted we're pushing each unique and it has made an appear- pure heart and effort, you need other- through but because of the ance on the field. players that understand and are difference we were at it was more Lions coach Erica Walsh said really grateful for the opportuni ot a. 1 was there now. vou re here, both players always give a top ty,” Walsh said. “I thought they it's gonna be ok and you're gonna effort in training and that Gill has both would be, and they were.” get through it.' " been defined by her effort in her Finailv back on the field and Penn State career On Sunday, The Daily Collegian To e-mail reporter: adrso79@psu.edu
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