Despite an impressive 73 percent winning percentage in men's and women's fall sports, Tiger athletics teams have still encountered a number of injuries across the board.
The men's soccer team started its season at a record-breaking start of 10-0. On Sept. 28, the team had its first tie against conference rival, Kenyon College. The team suffered its first loss two weeks later, against No. 1 ranked Ohio Wesleyan University. Since then, the Tigers have gone 3-1-1, losing their North Coast Athletic Coast tournament semifinal in penalty kicks in a rematch against Ohio Wesleyan.
The Tigers did not make the NCAA tournament. Critics of the team blame the finish on season-long fatigue after their blazing start. Some argue the team simply "ran out of gas." However, season-ending injuries to senior defenseman Brandon Johnson and senior midfielder George Elliot, combined with the lingering shoulder injury to sophomore forward Adrian Ables played key roles in the Tigers' early exit.
All three wounded Tigers are leaders in the locker room, and leaders on the cumulative season statistics board. Ables, a sophomore from Midwest City, Okla., recorded five goals and five assist this season, including two game-winning goals for the team.
Elliot is often regarded as the commander-in-chief of the offensive attack, starting all seventeen games before suffering a season-ending leg injury in practice. The injury came just prior to the NCAC semi-final game against Ohio Wesleyan.
Johnson was equally important on the defensive side of the ball, providing the last line of defense for junior goalkeeperJake Pezzuto. Johnson's decision-making on the field played an instrumental role in Pezzuto's three straight shutout victories in early September.
Losing Johnson to injury has had a direct impact on the scoreboard. Since the Tigers' 2-1 win at Allegheny College, the Tigers have given up six goals in a three game stretch, against Wabash College, Denison University and Ohio Wesleyan. That is the most goals against over a three-game stretch all season. In fact, the Tigers have only given up more than one goal twice all season before the three-game stretch.
While coach Brad Hauter and the rest of the Tigers staff may be hesitant to openly make excuses for the team, it is hard to argue Johnson and Elliot's absence didn't have an effect on the NCAC Tournament semifinal against Ohio Wesleyan.
"It definitely had a huge impact on the game," Ables said. "We had to change our style of play, and the rhythm of the team changed... I'd like to think we could have beaten [Ohio Wesleyan] in regular time [if Elliot and Johnson played]. But at the same time, we dealt with the hand we were given."
Soccer isn't the only athletic program missing key players down the stretch. Senior field hockey defensive player Sydney Sprawls has been dealing with a stress reaction in her right tibia since the team's pre-season training, but has continued playing.
"It shows the resilience of our team and our players willing to play through the pain," Sprawls said. "Many of our starters are injured, and it's good to see them stick it out."
Besides Sprawls, sophomore forward Laynie Thomas, senior defender Taylor Helms, and first-year midfielder Addie Ball are all playing through injuries. Even with the injuries, Tigers field hockey conquered their second straight NCAC tournament title this past Saturday, in a 2-1 victory against Kenyon.
Due to the physicality of the game, Tigers football head coach Bill Lynch is constantly readjusting his starting line ups due to injury. In preseason, last year's starting corner Phil Ganser suffered a season-ending torn. Since then, the team has lost weapons on both sides of the ball, including senior wide out Zach Alleman and junior linebacker Garrett Rice. Going into his last Monon Bell game, leading senior rusher Nikko Sansone is dealing with a sprained acromioclavicular joint.
Sansone is the only player with a chance of playing next week's Monon Bell Classic game, by far the most important art of the Tigers' 4-5 season.
Even with the injuries, each program has found success this season. Tigers football's four wins this season under Lynch doubles the amount of games won last season. Men's soccer stands at 14-2-3, which is enough for a fourth place standing in the saturated NCAC. For the second year in a row, the field hockey program will represent DePauw at the NCAA tournament.
The Tigers athletics programs have shown that injury is something that cannot be avoided. More importantly, they have shown that with hard work, even in the absence of key players, success can be had.