Ball bounces back: Torn ACL doesn't slow down SNHU star

By Mike McMahon, Eagle Tribune



It's a year later than he expected, but Salem's Mike Ball is one of the deadliest attackers in Division 2 lacrosse.

After two years at Herkimer County (N.Y.) Community College, Ball transferred to Southern New Hampshire last season to join his brother, Sean Ball.

In the first game last season, Mike blew out his left ACL, abruptly ending season as quickly as it had started.

After months of rehab, Ball took the field for the Penmen on March 15, opening day, this spring. In the last two months he's gone from relative unknown to a household name on the Manchester campus.

"It was tough last year," said Ball, who exploded this season with 55 goals for the 5-7 Penmen to lead the Northeast-10. "The doctors told me it would be six months before I had full clearance. I just hung around the guys as much as I could and turned into another assistant coach of sorts. I grabbed my stick and messed around as much as I could, and just kept myself involved.

"The toughest part was not playing. You work so hard to get to that point, and in the first game my season ended. I had come here, was going to get to play with my brother again, and it was just gone for another year. But, I couldn't change it. I only concentrated on what I could control, and all I could control was working hard in rehab and making sure I was ready for this year."

May 30 last year, Ball underwent surgery to repair the ligament. The recovery, while vigorous, went better than even he could have expected.

"Rehab started right away," said Ball, a 5-10, 200-pounder. "The doctors kept telling me six months, and it was six months of nonstop rehab. I bounced back pretty quickly and felt pretty good. Even though I wasn't supposed to be, a month after the surgery I was up at my lake on a wake board. I figured, I might as well test it. Looking back, it probably wasn't the smartest thing, but I didn't want it to slow me down."

After winning a national title at Herkimer, Ball was eager to prove he belonged.

It didn't take long for the rest of the league to realize he was healthy, and was a force to be reckoned with.

He was named SNHU's Male Athlete of the Year at the University's annual athletics awards ceremony on Monday night.

Mike and his brother, 6-1, 230-pound Sean, played together at Lawrence Academy, where Mike was also a terrific quarterback and Sean starred at running back.

Once they were able to take the lacrosse field together again, Mike, a sophomore attacker, and Sean, a junior midfielder, felt the chemistry instantly. Mike scored 15 goals this spring.

"Really, the whole reason I decided to come here was to play with him," said Ball, who ranks fourth nationally in Division 2 in scoring. "We have complementing styles. I am an inside player, while Sean is more of an outside player who has just a deadly shot. Sean feeds me a lot for my goals, and of course from playing together and growing up together, we know each other really well.

Added Ball, "When I was going over which schools I wanted to transfer to, I knew I only had so much time to play this game, and I wanted to finish my college career with Sean."

With the transfer, Ball will have one more year of eligibility next season.