Kara Lang, co-captain of the UCLA women’s soccer team, tore her ACL and will be out for the remainder of her senior season, the team announced today.
Lang, a redshirt senior, has been a major contributor to three of the team’s five consecutive trips to the College Cup. She missed the entire 2006 season with an ACL injury, which forced her to redshirt.
“I think, actually, because I have done this before, the surgery and the rehab is really not my biggest concern,” Lang said. “I think that the most disappointing thing is that Friday night was my last game in a Bruin jersey.”
“I’m so disappointed and so sad for Kara and also for us as a team,” coach Jillian Ellis added. “But she’s a strong person, and we are going to play hard for her.”
Lang suffered the injury while closing in defensively on a player in Friday’s win over Cal State Northridge. Lang planted her right foot, attempted to block a shot with her left, fell to the ground, and had to leave the game.
“I went one way, and my knee went the other,” Lang said.
The Bruins lose one of their leaders with the injury to the Canadian Olympian. Lang started the first nine contests and had already scored three goals and tallied an assist in the young season. In addition to being a superb ball striker, Lang played the defensive midfield this year and was thriving.
“I just need to say that I think she was having her best season,” Ellis said.
“She was scoring from outside, she was giving us so much defensively, she was doing everything for the team. It is a big loss, but she will be there with us on the sidelines. She is still a captain, and she will still contribute.”
Lang said that she plans to be vocal from the sideline and do as much as she can to help the team succeed.
“I’m afraid (my role) is going to be one from the sidelines, but I’m going to try to embrace it,” Lang said.
But Lang never planned on having her career end at UCLA. She wants to continue playing in the Women’s Professional Soccer League, although she may no longer be able to try out for the upcoming season. Her primary goal however is to be ready to hit the field as a part of the Canadian National Team in 2012.
“I’m optimistic that if it took five months last time, and that was without ever having done it before, then I can do it at least in five months, if not less,” she said.