Senior forwards Andy Craven and Rob Lovejoy will both miss the entire 2013 season for the North Carolina men’s soccer team, thinning UNC’s attack.
Craven, the team’s leading scorer last year, sustained a foot injury requiring surgery, team spokesman Mark Kimmel confirmed.
Lovejoy, tied for the second most goals during the previous season, will be out due to a torn groin muscle.
Coach Carlos Somoano will have to find goals elsewhere, and admitted that the injuries to the two seniors were a blow to the team.
“Obviously that hurts, right?” Somoano said after UNC’s 1-0 overtime win against Monmouth Friday night.
“They have a lot of college games under their belt and they won’t be with us this year”
Craven had surgery Wednesday to repair an undisclosed injury. He will return to the pitch in 2014 for his fifth and final year of NCAA eligibility, Kimmel said.
Craven broke the news himself on his Facebook account Sunday night, saying in part that extending his collegiate career by another year in Chapel Hill “aint [sic] too bad.”
A transfer from the College of Charleston, Craven soon became the Tar Heels’ go-to scorer in 2012, his first season with UNC. Craven scored six goals, including five game-winners, en route to UNC’s appearance in the national quarterfinals.
Foot surgery is the latest setback for the injury-plagued Craven. A troublesome hamstring hampered the 5-foot-11, 180-pound forward in 2012, but Craven still appeared in 22 of 23 games.
Craven, 21, has torn his left and right hamstrings within the last four years. He played in just eight games during his final season at Charleston before sustaining another season-ending injury.
Lovejoy started 10 games at forward last season after missing the first 12 games of the year due to an offseason injury.Despite the late start, he scored five goals and picked up two assists on the year.
Against College of Charleston, Lovejoy turned in a hat trick and was named ACC Player of the Week as well as College Soccer News National Player of the Week.
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