NORTHBOROUGH – Dylan Lochhead wanted to be out on the pitch. But for most of the season, she was stuck on the sidelines.
An Algonquin senior committed to play women’s soccer at Division 1 Boston College, Lochhead was looking forward to captaining the team and having one last hurrah with her teammates. But in the Titans’ second preseason scrimmage, she landed awkwardly on her foot, fracturing a bone in two places and spraining her Lisfranc ligament. Lochhead couldn’t walk following the injury.
But almost as soon as Lochhead went down, she was focused on coming back. Doctors weren’t certain she’d be able to return to athletic activities before the end of the season – the foot injury was supposed to keep her sidelined until December, at least. But Lochhead kept working, trying to rejoin her beloved team as soon as humanly possible. Recovery was difficult: three weeks on crutches, three weeks in a walking boot, and hours of physical therapy.
“Originally, they told me I was going to be out for three to four months, but I wasn’t going to accept that. I’ve been on this team since my freshman year, and I wasn’t going to miss my senior season. I’ve been doing everything I can. I was going to do everything I could at physical therapy. My gym helped me through my injury. I’d do everything I could to stay touching the ball,” she said…