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Kate Hostage knew right away. Back in high school, she had experienced the same feeling when she planted her foot, falling to the ground screaming as her ACL tore. 

In early 2019, it happened again. At practice, she landed awkwardly on her left leg. It twisted, and Hostage knew what she was facing on the road to recovery.

“I knew I could do it so I just put my head down and did it again,” she said.

Hostage had just wrapped up the best season of her college career, where she led the Orange in goals and points, contributing to more than half of Syracuse’s goals all season. The two injuries were nearly identical, but Hostage had a different set of challenges ahead of her. In high school, she was concerned with obstacles that the injury posed for recruitment, but last season her patience was tested as she watched a struggling 3-11-2 Syracuse team from the sideline.

Now a redshirt junior, Hostage is back — for the second time — from a left ACL tear. After a nine-month recovery period and a missed season, Hostage “never had any doubts” and has returned to her midfield role in 2020. Despite no goals or assists, Hostage has started in three of the Orange’s (0-5, 0-5 Atlantic Coast) five matches.

“It was tough because as soon as you come back from the first one you’re like, I did it,” Hostage said. “I never (thought I’d) have to do that again.”

Before the injury, Hostage was selected as a captain by her teammates in 2018, but was forced to adapt to a leadership role from the bench when she tore her ACL. Head coach Nicky Adams said Hostage earned the role because she’s a fighter. There was a learning curve, Hostage said, but the experience forced her out of her comfort zone. She was able to “see two sides,” Adams said, referring to Hostage’s on- and off-field leadership.

“I’m more comfortable leading on the field, by example, but it kind of like pulled me a step back so I could see things from a new perspective and take on that role that was needed for me that year,” Hostage said.

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It was hard to watch as the Orange scored just one goal during a nine-game stretch that spanned from early September until October in 2019, Hostage said. It was hard to watch because Hostage was dying to get back on the field, teammate Shannon Aviza said. And it was hard to watch because Syracuse clearly missed Hostage’s offensive abilities.

Still, Hostage remained positive, said Aviza, who’s played club soccer with Hostage in Boston since fifth grade. Hostage understood she had to embrace her new role, and though it was frustrating being unable to play, she never brought a negative energy to practice, Aviza said.

“She just wants to encourage everyone, and if spirits are down or the momentum is down, she’s always trying to bring people up,” Aviza said. “I think she’s just a light on the team.”

In her freshman year, Hostage had a goal and an assist in 16 games — she was the go-to offensive weapon for Syracuse. A year of experience allowed Hostage to adjust to fast-paced and physical play of college soccer, leading to her breakout sophomore season where she scored four goals and had two assists.

But her ACL injury forced her to restart.

“As soon as sophomore season ended I was already thinking about the next one, already working towards it, so it was heart-breaking to have that taken away,” Hostage said.

The recovery process, though, was a lot smoother than the first time around, because Hostage knew what was coming. This year, despite having no spring training due to COVID-19 and a fall schedule that jumped straight into ACC play, Adams said that Hostage has garnered some of Syracuse’s best scoring opportunities, and it’s just a matter of fine-tuning her abilities. Every week Hostage improves, Adams said.

“For her to come back after not just one, but two (ACL tears) just shows how strong-willed and competitive and how much soccer means to her, for her to fight back the way she did,” Adams said.

Published on October 21, 2020 at 11:17 pm

Contact Cameron: cbmckeon@syr.edu