For the first time in three weeks, Amy Kee was in the lineup for Syracuse. The standout freshman back’s blazing speed and forceful shots were present again this weekend. A reminder of just how much of an effect the native of England had on SU throughout the first half of the season.

There was, however, one distinct difference that Kee had to deal with. It came in the form of a white protective headpiece – a form of headgear reminiscent of rugby helmets. Kee was forced to wear the unusual helmet due to a concussion she suffered against Michigan in Louisville, Ky., on Sept. 19. She will have to wear it as a precaution for the remainder of the season.

Wearing the new headgear, Kee made a solid return to action this weekend, contributing goals both Friday against Georgetown in a 10-0 win and Sunday in a 2-0 win over Ivy League opponent Dartmouth.

‘It was good to get her back, she did well today,’ SU head coach Ange Bradley said. ‘She moved the ball well. We had her playing in a different position today and she handled the adjustment well.’

Kee’s tally was the insurance goal the Orange was looking for all afternoon in a disappointing performance against the Big Green Sunday. With less than two minutes remaining, Kee stroked a shot from the top of the circle that was deflected and ricocheted into the net.

She also played a hand in Syracuse’s first goal of the game as well. With less than a minute left in the first half, after what seemed like endless attempts on penalty corners form the top of the circle, SU changed its approach.

Rather than push the ball to the top of the circle and have sophomore Martina Loncarica stop it, the Orange had Kee receive it on the near side and release a shot. The attempt was originally deflected but eventually found its way to the back of the net thanks to Kristin Girouard.

It was an output up to par with her performances from the beginning of the season that Kee wasn’t surprised with.

‘I think it’s pretty much the same,’ Kee said. ‘Obviously you want to score, and once you do there is slightly less pressure. You just have to go after it and get even more goals.’

Even though Kee played well over the weekend, the concussion and subsequent missed time was a tough setback that she and the rest of the team had to deal and plan with accordingly. The concussion, which came thanks to a collision with a Michigan player, sidelined Kee for four wins over the first two weekends of SU’s six game homestand.

Kee finished the game against Michigan but was diagnosed with the head injury shortly after. In the days following the injury, it appeared her symptoms weren’t improving, but Kee recovered enough to play this weekend.

‘We didn’t even know it happened really. We were like, ‘Oh, Amy’s hurt, like what happened?” junior back Maggie Befort said. ‘She must have got rocked pretty bad, because she had a black eye, and over a few days the concussion was almost getting worse.’

Moving forward, Befort expects Kee to eventually get back to full strength, but not immediately. The junior feels the magnitude of the injury is too serious to recover from so soon.

‘With the type of injury she had, I don’t think she can pick it up very quickly,’ Befort said. ‘So we have to ease her back in, so that she protects herself at all costs, so that she doesn’t get hurt again.’

Kee’s has been through this before. She suffered a concussion in field hockey before she arrived at Syracuse, but she did not have to wear any protective headgear – something she’ll have to do for the rest of the year.

But if it means she’ll be able to get back on the field, Kee is more than happy to adjust to it.

‘No, I have never had to play with that (the protective headgear) before,’ Kee said. ‘It’s a bit of a learning curve, but I have to get used to it. It is either that or not playing hockey. I’ll have to wear it throughout the rest of the season.’

aolivero@syr.edu

Published on October 11, 2009 at 12:00 pm