The regular season is over and the Fresno City College women’s soccer team is once again on their way to the postseason. This trip however, might have come at a price.
Rams goalkeeper Stephanie Wininger sustained an ACL tear in her left knee in the second half of FCC’s 4-1 victory against Taft on Friday.
Wininger’s status for the postseason is in doubt as they await confirmation on the severity of her injury.
Women’s soccer head coach Oliver Germond believes that although losing his starting goalkeeper at such a crucial time is unfortunate, his back-ups are prepared to take over if called upon.
“We’re just going to consider her out [of the postseason],” Germond said of Wininger. “If she’s able to come back that’s great, but we have two great backup goalkeepers that have been training all year long for this situation.”
Wininger remains optimistic about her chances of playing in the post season even though early results don’t look that promising.
“I’ve had my knee checked out by three different people and two of them said that they are 98-99 percent sure that it is torn,” said Wininger. “I have to go see my doctor to get the MRI and we’re just waiting for [those results].”
Wininger stated that even if the results from the MRI confirm it’s a torn ACL in her knee she would still try to play in the postseason.
“If it’s torn I’m still going to try and play with a brace,” Wininger said.
Wininger said that she is able to move her knee at about 50 percent of what she can usually move it and is constantly icing and keeping her leg elevated to reduce the swelling of the knee.
She has played 1585 minutes at goalie with a Goals Allowed Average of .454 and 62 saves this season.
Wininger’s back-ups if she can’t compete in the postseason are freshmen Tiffany Longcor (Yosemite) and Tegan Coltra (Hanford West). Longcor has played 117 minutes in the box and Coltra has played 98 minutes in the box this season.
The two freshmen welcome the challenge of playing in the postseason if Wininger is unable to go.
“We’ve been training for it for months so I was ready for it,” said Coltra. “I felt bad that she got hurt, but it’s something that we’ve been training for and have to be ready.”
The Rams received the No. 2 seed in the north. FCC will host their first round game this Saturday at 11 a.m. as they face Ohlone College
