Brandel said he injured his knee in the final seconds of a game against Bloomington Kennedy Sept. 13.

“I took a shot and somebody kicked the ball at the same time as me. The force bent my knee inwards and it ripped my MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament),” Brandel said.

During the same game, senior captain Daniel Decker said he hurt himself on a simple play.

“I pulled my hamstring just a couple of minutes before halftime,” Decker said. “All I was thinking was ‘how long will it take me to get back?’”

Athletic trainer Jeremy Sheppard said the team continues to deal with a multitude of injuries.

“There’s been several significant muscle sprains and there was a few knee sprains, as well,” Sheppard said. “We’ve been dealing with some calf and hamstring injuries this year, (as well).”

Assistant coach Patrick Hartman said injuries have been common this year.

“(Injuries) have been a lot heavier than what we usually have,” Hartman said. “We’ve really just had to adjust to it.”

Hartman said the players’ athletic trainer has been a huge help in their steps to recovery.

“Kids go and work with (the trainer) and what I’ve found is the kids who take him seriously and follow his recommendations tend to recover a lot faster,” Hartman said.

Sheppard said he works with players toward an efficient recovery.

“Every muscle has a sweet spot where if you don’t do enough it won’t heal, and it’ll be weak,” Sheppard said. “If you do too much you’re not going to allow the tissues to heal and you’ll have a prolonged injury.”

According to Sheppard, precautions can be taken to prevent injuries from occurring

“The biggest prevention thing you can do is going into the season in shape and being strong,” Sheppard said. “If your body is not prepared for the rigors of the season, you’re much more likely to get injured.”

Brandel said preparation is key to staying healthy, but the sport can be unpredictable.

“Stretching is huge. Stretching makes your muscles less prone to being pulled and torn, that seems to be a big issue,” Brandel said. “With some injuries it’s kind of tough to say. Soccer is a contact sport and (injuries) are really just part of the game.”

The boys’ soccer team takes the field next at 5 p.m. Oct. 13 at Hopkins High School against the Hopkins Royals.