A collective silence fell over the crowd at Chessa Field Oct. 16, 2011 during Ohio’s match against Bowling Green. Then a junior, Ohio defender Paige Howard went to defend a ball played over the top and as she ran back toward Ohio’s goal, she collided with Ohio keeper Nicole Amari and a Falcon forward, taking a knee to the mouth.
Missing the last four games of the season was the least of her problems. Howard had to have six of her teeth put back into place. She also suffered several fractures in the roots of her teeth.
“I don’t have feeling in like ten teeth,” Howard said earlier this season.
Howard went to the dentist 12 times during winter break with X-rays taken during each visit. After each X-ray, she was told that the teeth appeared to be fine.
Uncertainty grew for Howard, who is not sure if she will need implants later in her life, and for Ohio coach Stacy Strauss who wasn’t sure Howard would come back after suffering a severe setback.
“I think we all had our doubts, and I have always had,” coach Stacy Strauss said. “Certainly post-injury more than ever I have all the respect in the world for Paige and I think that probably nine people out of 10 would not choose to come back from that injury.”
Howard returned and benefited from winter workouts and the spring season.
She had to reacquaint herself to contact because teammates would back away from her at the last second. Adding that it was nice to play against different opponents because they helped her regain her comfort out on the pitch.
However, when Ohio’s spring season rolled around, she was unsure if she would play in that first game.
“I was so iffy,” Howard said. “I didn’t know five minutes before the first game if I was going to play or not because I still wasn’t comfortable. I’d just get nervous.”
Now, Howard not only wears a mouth guard, but when she defends a ball, she leads with her elbows to protect herself from opposing players.
Despite the injury, Howard opts for a less-watered down version of the game and maintains her level of physical play.
“I can’t not play soccer,” Howard said. “I can’t live without soccer but now that I’m playing again and going through it, I’m going to go all out.”
Now that her return is complete, Howard anchors a defense that has surrendered only one goal per game through six Mid-American conference tilts.
“She sets the tone I feel of the back four,” Strauss said. “She’s a great leader and I think all the players have the respect and the admiration that our coaching staff has for her and it’s due in good part to her toughness.”
The support of her teammates and family made the transition easier for her to come back and play the game the way she knows best.
“My teammates were so supportive, just everything they’ve done was just incredible and they really helped me get through it and were really encouraging,” Howard said. “They knew that I was nervous but they kept me going and they knew I would hurt myself if I would not play just because of this injury.”
mk277809@ohiou.edu
