JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com

Talk about a bummer: Meghan McDevitt was the top lacrosse player in the L-L League last season. Then she suffered a knee injury. Now she’s been relegated to cheerleader for the Blue Streaks. But she could return this season. I caught up with Meghan and the Streaks the other day and filed this story:

The most frustrating part for Meghan McDevitt was that she shouldn’t have even been on the field.

“I was subbing for someone,” the Manheim Township senior said. “I really didn’t even need to be there. It was a total fluke thing.”

Last October, McDevitt, an attacker on the Blue Streaks’ lacrosse team, was playing for a Lanco elite team in a tournament in Downingtown. It was late in the game when fate turned against her.

“I planted my right foot, turned and heard a pop,” McDevitt said. “I stepped in a hole. The trainers didn’t think anything was wrong, but something felt backward in my right knee.”

“And,” she said, “it hurt — a lot.”

After a visit to her family doctor and some x-rays, McDevitt got the bad news:

She had a complete tear of her right anterior cruciate ligament, a sprained medial collateral ligament, and during the surgical procedure to fix those injuries in November, she had about 30 percent of the meniscus surrounding those ligaments shaved down.

And as a result, the New Era All-Star and honorable mention All-American last season, has been relegated to a spectator.

Instead of helping Township defend its Lancaster-Lebanon League title, she can only watch from the sidelines and try to help out as best she can.

“I got over the anger in the beginning, but that was hard because I play lacrosse all the time,” said McDevitt, who has accepted an athletic scholarship to play lacrosse for St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

“To find out I couldn’t play was so frustrating,” she said. “And now, sitting here having to watch while knowing that I think I might be able to play … my knee feels strong, but I’m not ready yet. So it’s been tough.”

McDevitt, who scored 75 goals and dished out 16 assists last spring, and was named the league’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player after helping the Streaks knock off Penn Manor 10-6 in the league championship match, has been rehabbing at Rivera Physical Therapy in Lancaster.

“They’ve gone above and beyond for me,” she said. “The doctors said it would probably be at least six months, and I’m already running. I can’t cut, but I’m running.”

Albeit gingerly.

“My goal, first and foremost, is to get the knee stronger, so when I take the test, I want my right knee to be as strong as my left knee,” McDevitt said. “And then maybe — possibly — I’ll try and get in a game. But nothing too intense. I just don’t want to go too hard yet.”

When McDevitt is at her best — like last spring, when she shredded the league — she’s nearly impossible to stop.

“She’s the best player in the league,” veteran Penn Manor coach Jim Miller offered.

“She’s very proficient. Technically and tactically she’s the best in the league. She’s a good athlete; quick and fast and unselfish. She’s a terrific team player. She adds another dimension because when she’s on the field, she’s head and shoulders above everyone else.”

McDevitt was not on the field Thursday, when the Streaks paid a visit to Comet Field in Millersville to take on Penn Manor in a rematch of last year’s L-L League finale.

Township jumped out to a 7-2 lead and led 10-7 at the half.

But the Comets, behind Jenn Bradley, who scored seven goals, and Julie Falk, who added five goals, scored eight unanswered goals early in the second half on the way to a 21-14 win over the Streaks.

Township has opened defense of its lone league title with a 0-2 start. Penn Manor improved to 2-0.

“There are always setbacks when one of your players gets hurt, especially when that player is an All-American caliber player,” said Township coach Lisa Lyons. “But one of the nice things about our team is that even though Meghan scored 75 goals last year, we have three girls back who also finished in the top 10 in the league in scoring.

“Is this a setback? Sure. But we have a lot of other girls back — good, quality players — who should help us maintain and still be a pretty good team.

“We really haven’t talked about defending our title. We talk about having a good season, and if we win the league again, great. If we don’t win the league again …we don’t win the league again. That’s where we’re at.”

McDevitt isn’t exactly thrilled about where she’s at. But she’s definitely making a positive out of a negative situation.

“It’s been a long road,” she said, “but I’m definitely getting there.”

And if and when McDevitt gets all the way back, she’d love to help Township get back to the top of the league charts.