And she didn’t even play a full minute.
After tearing her ACL on Sept. 28 against N.C. State, senior co-captain Brooke Elby was named an honorary starter for the No. 5 North Carolina women’s soccer team’s 3-0 win over Miami, kicking off to start the game and subbing out moments later.
“I’ve never been so excited to be able to stand out there with girls I absolutely love,” Elby said. “Ending my last game side-by-side with all of them, it’s just one of those special moments, and I can’t even describe it in words.”
The coaches had been discussing the idea for weeks, deciding to start Elby in what would be the final home game of her collegiate career.
“When the coaches told me I could do it, I was crying,” Elby said. “It was one of the most special moments of my college career.”
Elby wasn’t the only emotional one upon learning of the honorary tribute.
“In the locker room before, we all found out that she was starting,” freshman Megan Buckingham said. “Chills were going through our team, we were so happy for her. It’s the perfect way to end her regular season.”
Elby had been enjoying a breakout regular season at the time of her injury. Despite much of the attention going to the accolades of underclassmen and strong bench performances, she had established herself as a crucial member for the Tar Heels (11-2-2, 8-0-1 ACC).