After playing in all 22 games last season, junior forward Jordan Tyler won’t see any action this year for the Nittany Lions. He has a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Tyler, who was named to TopDrawerSoccer.com’s Honorable Mention All-Rookie Team in 2010, severely hurt his left knee over the summer.
Despite this, he didn’t realize the tear until after logging valuable minutes in preseason games against Hartwick and Drexel.
The junior said after his knee gave out multiple times, he finally got an MRI that revealed the season-ending injury.
Minus the unfortunate tear, Tyler has avoided any major injuries over the course of his career — something that’s difficult for soccer players.
“This is actually the first time ever really being hurt, and it just happened to be this serious,” Tyler said.
While Tyler will be out of commission for the entire 2012 campaign, the junior continues a vehement rehabilitation schedule that includes a mixture of knee bends, straight leg exercises, and time in the hot tub.
Even though his rehab has just started a few weeks ago, his dedication to rehab has been noticed by his teammates.
“Luckily Jordan is a tough guy…His rehab is just beginning, and he has a long road ahead of him, but he feels optimistic about his recovery,” team’s leading scorer Julian Cardona said.
With a 5-1-1 record, the Lions haven’t had much trouble scoring goals in 2012, tallying 12 goals in seven games.
However, Tyler posted six points in 2011, and his 6-2, 200-pound frame coupled with reliable technical ability would help out the Lions’ attack.
“When he is playing his game with confidence, he is really hard to stop. We definitely miss him and his energy,” Cardona said.
