TARYN OHLMILLER RECOVERS FROM ACL TEAR AHEAD OF NEW YEAR FOR STONY BROOK
https://www.uslaxmagazine.com/college/women/taryn-ohlmiller-recovers-from-acl-tear-ahead-of-new-year-for-stony-brookBecause of that same ACL injury, Ohlmiller won’t be able to play lacrosse this fall. She can go to the games, but she’ll have to stay on the sideline.
That also might not be such a bad thing.
The younger Ohlmiller, a third-team All-American and the team’s leading returning scorer (52 goals and 55 assists last year), will help fill that void. She won’t be cleared to play until the end of November, but she’s seeing how that could end up being a positive.
“You kind of get this coaching and leadership perspective that you wouldn’t necessarily get while playing,” she said. “Anyone who has torn their ACL will tell you that it sucks and that the physical therapy sucks. But being next to the coach on the sideline and hearing what he has to say can help you learn as a player.”
The game marked the start of an endless summer for Ohlmiller.
Typically, she spends three hours training each day. This year, she didn’t do much of anything for a month and a half. She’d hangout with friends and get so exhausted that she’d go home and nap for three hours. She endured long physical therapy sessions. She couldn’t play lacrosse other than wall ball.
Next week, she’ll finally be able to start running. She doesn’t expect to go that far. Ohlmiller’s teammate and roommate Caitlyn McDuffee tore her ACL three days after she did, so at least there’s someone to commiserate with.
She also still has her older sister to talk to. Kylie’s back home, setting up her own lacrosse coaching and clinic business. The Ohlmiller sisters have always sought each other out for advice. They’ve never been competitive. They prefer to have fun on the field, joke around, and feed off each other.
It was actually a change of perspective from Kylie that brought the younger Ohlmiller to Stony Brook. Taryn originally committed to Towson in 10th grade. At the time, her older sister wanted to do her own thing.
But things changed.
Stony Brook put itself on the national map during Kylie’s freshman year. They beat USC, Notre Dame and Florida. Taryn started thinking that staying on Long Island for college might be a good idea. So did her sister.
Once coach Joe Spallina got a hold of her, she had no choice. She could be close to home. Her parents could come to every game. She could play with her sister again.
That development has certainly benefited Stony Brook. The Seawolves have lost just three games since Taryn arrived on campus. Stony Brook is a destination now.
“When we were younger, we would go to Stony Brook to watch the big team that they were playing,” Ohlmiller said. “Now these little girls are coming to watch us play instead. I think that’s great for Long Island, and lacrosse and little girls.”
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