Senior midfielder Tommy Moon was carted off the field Friday night with an apparent leg injury, and Binghamton University’s athletics department confirmed the worst on Tuesday evening.
Moon, who leads the Binghamton men’s soccer team with three points and eight shots, will miss the remainder of 2013 with a broken bone in his left leg.
“Injuries happen. They’re a part of our game. It’s a contact sport,” BU head coach Paul Marco said. “We don’t expect the guys to get injured, but on the same note, it does happen in soccer.”
With the injury occurring just five games into the season, Moon could potentially apply for and receive a medical hardship waiver from the NCAA, which would grant him a fifth year of collegiate eligibility. Marco said the University’s compliance department has begun laying the groundwork for such a request, adding that the initial outlook is favorable.
For now, though, Marco said that Moon is focused on the recovery process.
“As you would expect from a player like Tommy, he’s already moved on from it,” Marco said. “He’s got a plan. He knows when he should expect X, Y and Z to happen. His rehab plan has already been laid out for him, so he’s already on the road to recovery.”
A young team that has struggled offensively at times this season, the Bearcats will certainly miss Moon’s experience. But Marco said he expects other players to step up in the senior’s absence.
“It’s difficult to swallow at first and then you just have to move on from it, like Tommy, and look forward to the rest of today and tomorrow,” Marco said. “I’m sure that our young guys are up for the challenge, and they’ll be filled with excitement and energy to try to play.”
Binghamton is set to take the field for the first time without Moon Wednesday night at Cornell. Kickoff is set for approximately 7:30 p.m. at Charles F. Berman Field in Ithaca, N.Y., pending the finish of the women’s soccer game.