Attending a rigorous academic school hasn’t been the greatest challenge for Eliana Nungaray.
Nungaray, now a senior midfielder for IMSA, had to go through nearly a year of down time while recovering from a torn ACL that she suffered as a sophomore. And it definitely wasn’t easy.
“It was really emotional,” Nungaray said. “It was very hard for me to sit on the bench because I felt like I could help the team so much. Once I got into physical therapy and strengthened my left leg, the ACL I tore, I became very confident working out.
“My mentality got a lot better.”
Nungaray was better than ever Friday afternoon, scoring two goals for IMSA in a 5-2 nonconference victory over Plano. Sophomore midfielder Kelsie Li also scored twice for the Titans.
A captain, Nungaray helped IMSA (1-0-1) offset the absence of senior forward Annika Johnson, who scored 36 goals and added 10 assists last season.
Freshman forward Analia Ortiz scored both goals for Plano (0-1).
Nungaray played varsity soccer as a freshman at Bolingbrook. Her older brother, Julian, was her earliest influence.
“I was about 4 and my brother was 6, and I just wanted to do everything that he did,” she said.
A three-year school with an elite foundation mathematics and science, IMSA provided too great of an allure for her to pass up.
“I just loved the idea of living on campus,” she said. “I was pretty independent from the time I was very little. I had big dreams, and my parents always supported me.
“When I heard about IMSA online, I thought to myself, ‘I love math, I love science. I’ll just try and see if I can make it.’ And I did.”
Soccer has always been a byproduct of that achievement.
Her coaches and teammates weren’t surprised by the resilience and toughness in returning to action despite missing the second half of her sophomore season and first half of her junior year.
Senior defender Nataliya Stewart gave props to Nungaray for her attitude.
“She’s always positive and in a good mood,” Stewart said of Nungaray. “She’s very funny, but she also frightens easily. If you pop around the corner, she has a fright.
“She is very studious and helpful. I joined the team midway through last year — she was the first person who made the fit possible for me.”
IMSA coach Jimmy Ratsamy confirmed that Nungaray, with her playmaking ability and creativity with the ball, forms the perfect counterpart to Johnson.
“She is the other half of Annika,” he said. “When those two come together, they create plays and give us all the opportunities in the world.
“With Annika out so far this season, ‘Eli’ has been the one to step up and lead the girls. She’ll play any position and be that bridge or center hub of whatever rotation or opportunity we create.”
Nungaray dreams of studying marine science. She upends all typical presuppositions.
She isn’t the nerd who plays soccer on the side. She’s a brilliant student who brings a sharply honed competitive spirit to the athletic arena.
“I love the competition and how it just really challenges me in a different way,” Nungaray said. “Soccer is not an academic game.
“At the same time, I just love to get physical and just push people around and play with a high degree of physicality.”
She’s also eager to map out the correlation between high-end academic achievement and her soccer-playing approach.
“I think I have definitely grown into my own style,” Nungaray said. “I think I play the game very calmly because I look around and see other players like to rush.
“I think of soccer as more like an art form. I love to look around the field and bring that love of the game.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
