Loyola men’s soccer captain Jordy Luchies ’24 underwent an MRI on Sept. 24 to determine the severity of a right knee injury he suffered last Saturday night. At around 10:30 a.m. Luchies received a call from his trainer letting him know that the MRI results were better than he thought.
Luchies said, “My trainer began with telling me the good news and the whole time I was waiting for the bad news. The good news was I only sprained my MCL and have bone bruising and I was lucky to not have torn my ACL or meniscus”.
After the 2021 season, Luchies was selected for the first team All-Patriot League. He was the only Greyhound to start each of the team’s 20 contests, and he also had the most playing time out of anyone on the team as a freshman. Loyola had 11 shutouts last season thanks in large part to Luchies, who led the defense.
The recovery time for a torn ACL is nine months, and the time out for a bone bruise and sprained MCL is between 3-6 weeks, so this was great news for the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
The Loyola men’s soccer star defender left Saturday’s loss versus Army in the 53rd minute after sliding into Army’s striker.
There was contact on the play and Luchies states, “My first thought after colliding with the Army player was that my season was over. I thought I felt a pop in my knee which made me think something was torn and my mind went to the worst-case scenario as an athlete, which is a torn ACL.”
Luchies family has a history of knee injuries. The most recent injury in his family was when his sister tore her ACL and meniscus in May 2021. His sister is an athlete as well and tore it while playing handball. His parents also have a history of ACL and meniscus problems.
“When I called home, my family shared their experiences, which helped me get through the past week. Talking to my family and exchanging experiences gave me a more positive feeling about my knee because I was able to stand on it and put weight on it.”
Luchies is not used to being sidelined, so this has been an adjustment for him.
Luchies said, “It feels horrible to watch from the side and see your team struggle in a game. You think the team needs you which makes me more motivated to have a speedy recovery and get back on the feel again as soon as possible”
The sophomore captain led the defense in shutting out both Delaware and Old Dominion earlier this month. He received the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week award for his efforts.
Luchies is hopeful for a return before the end of the season. “Rehab is going well and each day I feel better and better. If things go as planned, I could be back the earliest in 3 weeks but if not, I just hope I am ready to go for playoffs.”
Patriot League playoffs begin Nov. 5, and the Greyhounds are the defending Patriot League champions. They were also named the favorite to win the Patriot League tournament this year after receiving 18 first placed votes.
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Featured Image courtesy of Larry French via Loyola Greyhounds.
