The UNM men’s soccer team suffered a cataclysmic knock Saturday.
Senior defender and midfielder Ryan Farquharson suffered a season-ending injury in the Lobos’ 1-0 loss to Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H.
Farquharson broke his right leg, putting a damper on his Lobo career.
Head coach Jeremy Fishbein said it was a disturbing sight.
“(He) snapped his leg in two,” Fishbein said. “It was the worst injury I have ever been associated with as a coach.”
Farquharson didn’t make the trip back with the team and had emergency surgery Sunday morning.
Early in the season, Farquharson started all seven of UNM’s regular-season games. He scored one goal on three shots on goal.
Junior forward Michael Green said not having Farquharson will affect the Lobos.
“It’s tough to lose a player like Farquharson, because he does everything right every day,” he said. “He is a leader, a captain and a guy who leads by example. I mean, we can’t really replace him, but we have guys who are willing to step up. But I don’t think it will be of the same caliber because we have to replace a Ryan Farquharson.”
Green said the injury was gruesome.
“It’s like one of those things you would see on YouTube,” he said. “It gives you the chills to just think of it. The guys were in shock, and I was in shock.”
Thus far the team has posted a 3-2-3 record, but Fishbein said Farquharson’s loss is an emotional blow to the team.
“It was pretty tough to deal with that,” he said. “If there was one guy on the team who has maxed out everything, and kind of embodies everything you want out of the student-athlete, in terms of academically, leadership, work ethic and ability, he was the guy.”
No matter what, Green said, Farquharson is a part of the team, even though he can’t contribute on the field.
“We (picked) him up from the airport as a team,” he said. “Everybody is going to be there and we’re going to welcome him back, because he is still going to be a part of the team. He will be at all the practices and all of the team’s meetings.”
