Mac has ACL Tear

Club’s All-Time Leading Scorer Went Down Eight Minutes Into Match vs. Boston Yesterday
MRI CONFIRMS ACL TEAR FOR SHANNON MacMILLAN;
RIGHT KNEE INJURY PUTS SPIRIT FORWARD OUT FOR THE SEASON

SAN DIEGO – An MRI on the right knee of Spirit forward Shannon MacMillan conducted this morning at Oasis Sports Medicine has confirmed a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, putting the club’s all-time leading scorer out for the remainder of the 2003 WUSA season.

Release Summary
Ø MRI confirms complete tear of ACL in right knee.
Ø MacMillan will likely have surgery tomorrow.

“Unfortunately she did suffer a significant injury to her knee and she will need reconstructive surgery,” said Spirit team physician Dr. David Chao. “But considering the kind of athlete she is, knowing the kind of shape she is in, and how hard she works, we anticipate as quick of a recovery as possible.”
MacMillan injured her knee eight minutes into the Spirit’s match against the Boston Breakers last night at Torero Stadium. The non-contact injury occurred as she was going for a ball near the left sideline. She planted her right leg and the knee buckled. In addition to the ACL tear, she suffered a partial tear of her medial collateral ligament and some mild cartilage damage.

“I feel heavy hearted for Mac,” said Spirit head coach Omid Namazi. “She’s been playing some of the best soccer of her career. You can’t replace a Shannon MacMillan because of the quality of player she is, but for us, other players will have to step up and I am confident they will do that. With the strength of her character, and work ethic, I think she’ll have a very speedy recovery.”

MacMillan has scored 18 goals with 17 assists in her Spirit career. She has 58 career goals in 153 games for the U.S. Women’s National Team.
“I can speak for the whole team when I say that we are very disappointed for Shannon that the injury comes at this time in her long and illustrious career,” said U.S. Women’s National Team head coach April Heinrichs. “The most difficult thing to swallow is that she is playing the best soccer of her career. As a coaching staff, we would be hard pressed to find a more committed and focused player right now and the injury couldn’t come at worse time for Shannon and our team. She has lived a life full of adversity, but has never used that adversity as crutch or an excuse. She has used it to become a better person and a better player and I know she will use this setback in a positive manner.”

An ACL injury normally carries a minimum six-month rehabilitation period, and if the 2003 Women’s World Cup stays at its current planned dates from mid-September to early October, it would be difficult for MacMillan to make it back in time.
“I’m going try to get it done as soon as possible and then work as hard as I can in rehab,” said MacMillan, who crutched out onto the field to watch the second half of the Spirit match. “I just knew right away that it was bad because of the pain and the sound, but I wanted to get back out to the field and watch the team because I was so proud of their effort. We’ll just have to see how the (ACL) graft takes and then take it day-by-day and week-by-week.”

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