On Oct. 2, Elinsky’s older brother, Nick, died from injuries sustained in a one-car accident in Orlando, Florida. Ten days later, the entire No. 16 North Carolina women’s soccer team came to Rocky River, Ohio to be with Elinsky at his funeral.
“I had a lot of support from my team and my coaches ...” Elinsky said. “And I couldn’t ask for anything more — a team like that that’s been there with me through this time that I could have never imagined myself being in.”
Shortly after the service, Elinsky decided to return to the team. The Tar Heels played at Notre Dame two days later, and she watched on the sidelines while her team played for her and her family.
From there, Elinsky transitioned back onto the field. She made her first appearance Sunday against Syracuse and her second when UNC took down No. 8 Florida State, 1-0, on Thursday night at Fetzer Field. She started both games and proved to be just what North Carolina needed to solidify its front line.
“She could have withdrawn from school, and no one would have criticized that, when you try to recover from that sort of tragedy,” Coach Anson Dorrance said. “And I was dying for her to come back, not just for us, but for her.”
“And she did. And she was magnificent.”
Against both the Orange and the Seminoles, Elinsky started at the forward position — a spot she has rarely seen time in during her career. Her presence on the front line has been a spark for the Tar Heels.
Having played primarily on the middle and back lines throughout her career, Elinsky has a defensive mentality up top. She steals balls in transition and can hold steady against strong defenders. This has allowed other players — namely first-year Bridgette Andrzejewski — to find open spaces behind the defense instead of being forced to play with the ball at their feet.
