HARTFORD, Conn. - Trinity College men's lacrosse senior Harrison Ike was playing in a summer league game prior to his junior season in August of 2021, when in a split second, his playing-career drastically changed. Ike suffered both a torn ACL and a torn meniscus in his right knee leading to the junior spending his entire fall semester at home.

"It was definitely tough," said Ike. "Once that happened, I wanted to get back to playing with my teammates as soon as I could. I was doing physical therapy three to four times a week. I was lucky enough to keep an internship during the fall to keep me busy outside of physical therapy, and it will be a very helpful experience for my time after Trinity."

Ike, a senior from Allentown, Pa., had become a dependable starter for the Bantams and was named captain for his senior campaign. Once he had surgery for his injuries on September 6, he immediately began working to get healthy again. Recovery was a grind, as he spent much of his time over the next four months continuing his rehab.  Once Ike returned to campus in the spring, he began rehabbing with the Bone and Joint Institute at Hartford Hospital.

"Harrison has been a great leader both on the field and off of it," said Trinity Head Men's Lacrosse Coach Jason Tarnow. "He's one of those players that makes everyone else around him better. What was most impressive is that he was even able to do it. His injury came in the middle of August.  The time frame to come back from an ACL injury in August and be fully ready for some of our games this year was very tight.  He rehabbed like a pro athlete and was always in the training room."



"It was a grind but it was definitely worth it," Ike added. "I am very thankful for the physical therapists and doctors that helped me with my recovery along the way, especially Dr. Wayne Luchetti. I would not have recovered the way I did without his help."

As the season came around, Ike worked his way back and was able to appear in six games for the Bantams during the heart of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) schedule. One of Ike's most notable games came on Senior Night with the Bantams hosting conference foe, Hamilton College. The senior posted a career-night, tallying four goals and powered Trinity to an 11-2 win. After the game, Ike discussed what it meant to play with his fellow senior teammates.

"Being able to play meant the world to me, it was great to get a win with the guys that I came to Trinity with," said Ike.

Ike finished the season with five total goals, adding another one against nationally-ranked Bowdoin College. He had strong praise for his coach after the season.  

"Coach Tarnow and I have a great relationship. His goals to change the program and culture have really helped us as players, especially the seniors."

Ike will share one more season with Tarnow, as he is set to return for his final year of eligibility next spring.

"My expectations for him next year is to continue to be the leader he is and to be one of our best offensive players," said Tarnow. "I know he wants to get back to being an All-NESCAC player like he was in 2021 and that is one of my goals for him as well.  He showed a flash of that this year with his four-goal performance versus Hamilton."