ND junior recovering after championship injury

If they gave out purple hearts in sports for injuries suffered in the line of duty, Notre Dame forward Blake Urhahn would be a decorated hero.

Urhahn, a junior, has been hospitalized since Saturday night after injuring a kidney on the final play of the Class 2 state soccer championship. Urhahn's head pass led to the Bulldogs' game-winning goal in a 1-0, four-overtime victory over St. Francis Borgia at the Anheuser-Busch Conference and Sports Centre in Fenton, Mo.

So far, Urhahn has received everything but the purple heart.

"My goodness, so many people, cards, balloons and everything, it's been awesome," Urhahn said Wednesday from his room at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

Urhahn suffered a fractured kidney when he leaped to challenge the Borgia goalie for a free-kick cross pass from Josh Essner near the far post. Urhahn headed the ball, just before the goalie could get a grasp on the ball, into the middle of the goalmouth, where Jeff Brosey kicked in the game-winner.

The exact moment of the injury to Urhahn's right side is still in question. It may have occurred from the goalie's knee while both players were in the air or when both players fell to the ground. Game film shows Urhahn landing on his side, possibly on the goalie's foot.

Either way, Notre Dame coach Brad Wittenborn said the contact was incidental.

"The keepers, when they catch the ball over their head, are taught to bring their knees up to protect themselves," Wittenborn said.

Urhahn attempted to join his teammates in the wild celebratory pile-up that ensued just feet away, but fell back to the ground and ended up being helped off the field by assistant coach Jeff Worley.

In the mayhem after the game, Wittenborn said he was unaware of the injury to Urhahn. "Borgia players were all over the ground because they were heartbroken," Wittenborn said of scene.

Wittenborn noticed Urhahn in pain during the awards ceremony, but Urhahn said he was fine. Trainers also checked out Urhahn.

"For a kid to have his kidney torn in two and say, 'Coach I'm fine,' that's a pretty tough kid. Not smart maybe, but tough."

"My arm hurt," Urhahn said. "I must have landed on it or something. About 30 or 45 minutes later is when my side started hurting."

Later, on the bus, Wittenborn notified Urhahn's parents, Ken and Kelly, who picked him up. Urhahn began vomiting on the way home and he was taken directly to Southeast Missouri Hospital.

When Wittenborn arrived at the hospital around midnight, a surgeon was being summoned to remove Urhahn's kidney.

"That kind of sucked all the excitement out of winning the state championship," Wittenborn said.

The surgeon examined the Cat-Scan and said he thought 70 percent of the organ could function and opted not to remove the kidney.

"Were pretty upbeat right now, Wittenborn said. "The big part of the kidney is functioning. All the indicators right now are pretty good he'll be able to keep the kidney.

"At midnight when said they were going to take his kidney, that was pretty tough. You hate to see that happen to a young guy with everything ahead of him. He's a great soccer player and a great baseball player. And if he'd lost that kidney, it would have been the ends of sports for him, so it was a very emotional evening."

Urhahn's blood count and kidney function has been monitored throughout the week and results have been encouraging.

"It looks like I'll be all right," Urhahn said.

Wittenborn said Urhahn could be released today or Friday.

jbreer@semissourian.com

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