Chicago, Il. – Defender Taryn Hemmings will miss the rest of the 2013 NWSL season after it was determined she tore her left ACL and MCL near the end of the Red Stars vs Kansas City match last Sunday, July 14.

“T (Hemmings) will be a big loss for our team as she was playing at a very high level,” remarked Head Coach Rory Dames. “Other players will really have to step up to fill that void.”

The injury occurred when Hemmings was defending in a 3-on-1 against KC’s on-rushing attack with only a few minutes left in regulation. While there was no contact on the play, Hemmings would go down and have to leave the match for the remainder of the game. On the play, KC went up 3-1, but while playing a player down for the rest of the game, the Red Stars staged an improbable comeback and tied the game 3-3 with just seconds remaining.

During the postgame interview, Ella Masar, who had a goal and an assist to tie the match, stated: “Anytime you have someone go off, especially someone that you really, really care about, you step up. That last seven minutes was for T.”

Hemmings has been in integral part of the Red Stars defensive line, starting in all 14 matches she has played for Chicago this season. She’s logged 1245 minutes this year, second on the team only to captain Lori Chalupny. She has continued to be an offensive threat to opposing teams with her speed and aggressive movement out of the back of the field.

“She has been a consistent piece for our team all season,” said Chalupny. “She is a strong person and I have no doubt she will come back even better than before.”