Maryland men’s soccer midfielder Jorge Calix’s season was in jeopardy.
After injuring his left Achilles tendon this summer, Calix considered undergoing surgery that would have forced him out for at least a significant portion of the season.
Instead, he rehabbed the injury, missing all of preseason and the first five games of the season.
Now, the energetic junior has returned as the first midfielder off the Terps’ bench. He’ll continue to provide energy Friday when the No. 3 Terps travel to Ohio State.
“[I’m] happy to be back with the boys and the team,” Calix said.
Calix played in 34 games his first two years at Maryland, including all but two of last season’s contests. He tallied two goals and five assists across the two seasons and hoped to contribute this season behind the team’s star-studded attacking midfield.
Coach Sasho Cirovski lauds Calix’s versatility, which helps explain his frequent substitutions.
“[Calix is a] great attacking player that brings a lot of energy and joy in the way he plays the game,” Cirovski said.
Calix brought similar enthusiasm to the rehab process.
While sitting out the preseason, Calix had time to prepare for this year. But that scheduled rehab and conditioning time vanished once the regular season began.
“Once games started to fly by, it’ll be like two days rest,” Calix said. “There wasn’t really time to like, get in shape.”
So Calix made time.
“I started training and started doing things on my own,” the Fort Washington native said, “because I knew how to catch up.”
Still, Calix didn’t play in Maryland’s first five games this season. His season debut came against Rutgers on Sept. 12, when he played 30 minutes.
He’s been used as a substitute in every game since then, totaling 137 minutes across six contests. No other bench midfielder has played more than 56 minutes this season.
Without the preparation of the preseason, adjusting to the college season while returning to full strength has been a challenge for Calix, but he’s starting to find his groove.
One area Calix feels he can contribute is with his corner kicks, where he’s notched three of his five assists at Maryland. The Terps haven’t scored off a corner this season and have struggled to put shots on target on many of them.
Either way, Calix has returned from his injury to play a significant role in the Terps’ pursuit of avenging their second round exit in the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
“He’s someone that shows off his pride in how he plays in every play,” Cirovski said. “He’s been a very good spark for us off the bench.”
