By Roya Ghorbani-Elizeh
Michelle Enyeart's upcoming Friday night will be vastly different from her teammates. Her number 12 soccer jersey will be replaced with a hospital gown. A recovery room will substitute stadium lights and the wet pitch.
As the Pilots prepare to play Virginia Tech in their third round playoff game, teammate Enyeart will be in California, recovering from knee surgery.
Enyeart, a senior midfielder for the Pilots, has been a cornerstone for the women's soccer squad for the last four years. Her success can be seen from her presence on the Pilots this season with her six goals and six assists during conference play. Recently, Enyeart was named WCC Player of the Year for women's soccer.
During the game on Nov. 6, Enyeart received multiple injuries to her knee.
In the last five seconds of the first half against the University of San Diego, Enyeart collided with Toreros keeper Courtney Parsons.
"When I was on the ground I thought that maybe this pain will go away in a few minutes or after halftime," Enyeart said. "However, when I tried to take a step, my knee completely gave out and I knew something was very wrong."
Enyeart would later learn that she had torn her ACL, LCL, and chipped a bone the size of a fingernail in her knee.
"It will probably be around 10 to 12 months until I can play again," Enyeart said. "I will have a more accurate timeline after surgery."
Her surgery was held on Wednesday, Nov. 18 near her hometown in California.
Enyeart is currently fourth on both the University of Portland's career goals and assists charts by recording 48 goals and 40 assists as a Pilot. Enyeart's passion for the game has also led her to have a spot on the U-23 US National Team.
"Soccer is my life, it's what I do," Enyeart said. "Almost everything in my life thus far has been based around the sport."
Before the injury, Enyeart planned to enter the draft for the Women's Professional Soccer League, which was to be held in January.
According to Enyeart, she will now focus on rehabilitating her knee with the aspiration of playing professionally in 2011.
"I really want to play professionally in the WPS," Enyeart said. "That goal will be in the back of my mind as I recover from this injury."
As Enyeart recovers from surgery, her teammates will be battling it out for a quarterfinals spot in NCAA playoffs. According to Garrett Smith, Associate Director of Soccer, Enyeart's leadership on and off the field will be missed during the game.
"Obviously we are a better team with Michelle," Smith said "She has a presence as a senior."
Supporting the team during their playoff season has been very important to Enyeart, who can be seen with her crutches cheering her team from the sidelines.
"I realize that I cannot lead my team as I would like to on the field," Enyeart said. "I want to be able to contribute to my team in any way that I can."
According to Smith, Enyeart's leadership qualities have been extremely evident to the team as she watched her teammates win playoff games against Denver and Washington.
"Michelle told me that she pulled freshman Taylor Brooke aside before her first appearance on the field," Smith said. "She told Taylor what to expect and what to do out there."
Brooke's first play in the game against Denver was an assist to sophomore Danielle Foxhoven. According to Smith, Brooke's successful first play "might have had something to do with what Michelle told her." Brooke would later go on to score her first collegiate goal in the same game.
Roommate and teammate, junior Kendra Chandhoke, has seen Enyeart rise to the challenge when it comes to supporting her team through the playoffs.
"She has such a positive attitude and outlook for the future, it just shows her strength and determination that she will be back," Chandhoke said. "She's an inspiration to all of us."
While Enyeart has played a strong role for her teammates as they prepare for the big game against Virginia Tech, her teammates have been supporting her while she overcomes this injury.
"The team's support has been absolutely phenomenal since the injury," Enyeart said. "Every single person has been emotionally and physically supportive, I could not have asked for more."
According to Enyeart, she has also seen a strong response of support from the UP community.
"From my friends to the fans, and professors and UP staff, it has been amazing to have the support," Enyeart said. "I thank everybody from the bottom of my heart for their kind thoughts and prayers."
As the team practices and prepares for their third round playoff match, they will be thinking about their missing teammate and her recovery in California.
"Michelle will continue to bring excitement and creativeness to our sport," Chandhoke said. "I'm sure we will be reading and seeing her many accomplishments in the years to come."
