There are few things in life more devastating to an athlete than an injury. Throw the words ‘knee’ and ‘tear’ in there, and it could mean the end of a career.
For junior lacrosse players Lindsey Smith and Tory Bensen, sophomore year was one they would love to put behind them, as both suffered knee injuries that severely shortened their seasons.
The trouble began last fall. Smith suffered a torn ACL and MCL, already brutal injuries, but damage to scar tissue forced her to undergo two additional surgeries and eventually led her to miss the entire 2012 season.
Bensen, on the other hand, went through the fall unscathed and opened the 2012 campaign as a starter. But only three games into the season, she also went down with an ACL injury. The Quakers had to move on without her for the remainder of the schedule.
“Obviously a season-ending injury is difficult for any athlete where we have all invested so much in our teams and sports,” says Bensen.
Back in 2011, Smith started all 16 games in which she played, recording seven goals and two assists while also scooping up 29 ground balls and causing 10 turnovers. Bensen was also a force to be reckoned with, appearing in all 17 games, scoring 14 goals and adding three assists.
The road back from a knee injury is a difficult and sometimes frightening process. The recovery time for a major surgery such as ACL is anywhere from eight to 14 months, but that’s only if the athlete puts in grueling hours of physical rehabilitation.
“It’s tough,” Smith said. “It was so much stretching and rehab, trying to get range of motion and full strength back.”
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“It was a growing experience, but it made me realize how much I truly love the game,” Bensen added.
In a game that requires stamina and the ability to change directions at the drop of a hat, a knee injury is nothing to mess with. One wrong step, one slippery part of the turf, one collision could set a player’s injury back months.
“It’s definitely nerve-wracking,” Smith said. “But once you get those first few reps, the fear goes away and everything comes back pretty quickly.”
Bensen and Smith still aren’t completely back to full strength, but even at their current levels, Corbett knew the team would be better off with them on the field — even if it required a change of position.
“They’re both too valuable not to have out there. Lindsey came here as a defender and Tory as a midfielder, but we moved both of them to more of an attack so we could get them back,” Corbett said. “The energy Tory brings and the stability Lindsey provides the team with were definitely something we missed while they were out.”
And as of now, it’s looking like a great move.
Bensen has nine goals so far, including a heroic, last-second shot to send the Vanderbilt match to overtime, a contest that Penn would ultimately win. Smith has added nine points of her own, scoring six goals along with three assists.
The road was long, but it’s been a sweet comeback.
“I’m just happy to be back out on the field again with my teammates,” Smith said. “It’s amazing.”
Bensen agrees, believing that having Smith on the sideline with her was a true blessing.
“Going through all of this together has made a tough situation a lot easier,” she said. “Anyone that goes through an injury like this comes out stronger on the other side.”
A previous version of this article featured a photo of Meredith Cain that was incorrectly identified as Tory Bensen.
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