The Pandas have an
indestructible soccer player

By Melissa Yerkov
Times Sports Editor

Six months ago, Kate Lazorko was unable to walk. Now she spends her days running around Nazareth Academy’s soccer field.
The junior fullback had reconstructive surgery in February in hopes of repairing a torn ligament in her ankle. The injury occurred in 2005 when an opponent accidentally stepped on Lazorko’s ankle while on the pitch.
"I went to the doctor right after I got hurt and was told that it was just a sprain and to stay off it for one week," Lazorko recalled. "He also sent me through physical therapy."
The doctor’s recommendation wasn’t very productive for the athlete. The pain continued, but so did Lazorko’s determination.
"I played my sophomore season in soccer with it all torn up," said Lazorko. "Then I made the basketball team, but I just couldn’t run at all."
After watching her daughter endure months of excruciating pain, Kate’s mother decided it was time for her to see a specialist. Finally, an accurate diagnosis was made, and the severity of her injury was revealed.
"I had nothing left in my ankle — it was just bone on bone, no ligaments," she explained. "So I played an entire season, bone on bone, with just taping it."
Following the shocking news, Lazorko was hit with another bombshell — she had to go under the knife.
"It was the first surgery I ever had to have, so it was pretty scary," said Lazorko. "They actually had to take ligaments from another part of my foot and tie them to the bone."
Lazorko confronted a grueling recovery. She was bedridden for two and a half weeks, unable to attend school or even walk around her home. All of her Nazareth assignments were handled via e-mail.
The next step put Lazorko on crutches for six weeks, followed by a cast for six more weeks. By that point, her ankle was strong enough for her to wear a specialized boot, followed by an ankle brace. Twelve weeks later, Lazorko was able to resume her role on the Pandas’ soccer field, where she continues to wear the protective brace.
"I knew that it was pretty serious and there was nothing left down there," said Lazorko. "But the scariest part of the whole thing was thinking that I could never get back on the field."
The Nazareth fullback holds a solid presence on the pitch. But her team’s camaraderie spans far beyond the soccer field.
"The team was great throughout the whole thing," said Lazorko. "They sent me flowers and cards. I traveled with the team. I was on the bus with my crutches. I was actually on the team, they just had me on DL the whole season."
"Kate is a great player," added coach Danielle Wilson. "She is one of our captains. I don’t usually make juniors captains, but she earned it. She’s a very strong girl."
Lazorko is joined by fellow team captains Maureen Sinnott and Kellie Brady this season as the Pandas hope for a big year — a responsibility that Lazorko takes very seriously.
"Being a captain is an honor," she said. "I try to always encourage the girls to play their best. Playing defense, I stand in the back and I see the whole field. So I try to keep everyone together."
While Lazorko is busy motivating her fellow Pandas on the field, she finds her biggest fans sitting on the sidelines.
"My grandmom is my number-one fan," Lazorko said of 68-year-old grandmother Peg. "She’s at every game cheering me on. She tells me what I do wrong. She tells me good things I do. She’s always there for me."
The entire Lazorko family has developed a support system for one another.
"My parents both work a lot but they always make time to be here too," said Lazorko. "My mom is always at the home games, and my dad saves his vacation time for soccer season, so he can go to the away games."
After all, the Lazorko clan knows the importance of support on the field — most of them have experienced it firsthand.
Kate’s younger brother Tim, 13, plays for the Coppa Philly soccer team. Family member Dan Dougherty coaches basketball at Episcopal Academy, and Brian Dougherty is the starting goalie for the Philadelphia Barrage, a pro lacrosse team. Kate’s great-grandmother, Mary Hockinberry, played baseball during the heyday of the female leagues.
"The family is pretty good at sports," Lazorko said with a laugh.
As for herself, she’d probably tell you that her rigorous comeback from injury has helped spark a relentless drive to win.
"I went through a lot," she said. "I played with nothing but bone on bone in my ankle. And now I’m back on the field. Words can’t describe how I feel to be back playing soccer after all that happened to me. It’s definitely a good feeling." ••
Sports editor Melissa Yerkov can be reached at 215-354-3035 or myerkov@phillynews.com