Marist’s Hannah McNeela didn’t know how realistic her hopes were, but she didn’t quit.
The senior midfielder was sidelined for two years after tearing her left ACL and suffering torn ligaments in her right ankle. It was her first time dealing with injuries and a recovery period.
“The ACL was tough and it’s a long process,” McNeela said. “My main motivation was being ready to play senior year. That carried over with the other injury because I worked so hard.
“There was no way I could just give up and not play.”
McNeela came up with the play of the game Monday night, converting a penalty kick in the 73rd minute to lead the host RedHawks to a 2-1 nonconference win over St. Laurence in Chicago.
Senior defender Addison Woodward also scored off a free kick from senior defender Julia Skol in the 16th minute for Marist (15-3-2).
Junior defender Giselle Castillo tallied the equalizer, also on a free kick, in the 35th minute for St. Laurence (10-6-3).
Woodward and McNeela are both captains who enjoyed Marist’s celebration on senior night.
“Hannah wants to be on the field and be how she was before her injury,” Woodward said. “I think she really focuses on herself and how she can better the team. She’s very encouraging.
“Instead of yelling, she works with more constructive criticism.”
Senior midfielder Viviana Corona has been McNeela’s first best friend since they met playing club soccer in sixth grade.
“How she came back just shows how hardworking and determined she is when it comes to her sport,” Corona said of McNeela. “She’s very loving, caring and sweet.”
McNeela has four goals this season. She scored in her first game back on April 20 in a 3-0 victory over Mother McAuley. She needed 11 months to rehabilitate her torn ACL.
After the high ankle sprain and torn ligaments, she was cleared to return to practice in three months. She negotiated the hardest part of a long, complex path toward playing again.
“It was definitely the mental part that was the most difficult,” she said. “I was nervous about the injury, but I kept reminding myself that an injury can happen anytime or anywhere.
“I told myself, sure my ankle hurts here and there, but it was something I had to play through.”
Growing up in Oak Lawn, McNeela had an almost genetic connection to soccer. Her fraternal twin brother, Noah, helped spur her early interest.
Hannah is two minutes older than Noah, who provided an emotional entry point to the game.
“We just bonded over it,” she said. “We went to a small grammar school and we were the twins that played the sport. I had other people and friends who also played.
“But it just meant that we got to play together through all of these years.”
Noah was a midfielder on Marist’s boys soccer team.
“He’s one of my best friends,” she said. “At school, people will come up and say that we never fight. My family is really supportive of each other. We rely on each other for a lot of things.”
Hannah will attend Tennessee in the fall. She plans to pursue intramural or club. Her giving and open personality allowed a viable recovery from the two serious injuries.
“I’m a social person,” she said. “I go out and I do things. I text my friends and ask them to just do something, even if it’s going for a walk, going shopping or the movies.
“I’m very good at organizing and talking to people. I’ll just ask them whether they could do this for me or tell me how I can do something better for you.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
