Michaela Kovacs: The Comeback
9/25/2018 10:18:00 AM | Women's Soccer
By Michael Duke
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State defender Michaela Kovacs experienced a career-altering injury, in a way she least expected it. She was warming up on the field, moments before she was to start on defense against Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, on Aug. 24, 2017. She's warmed up thousands of times in her elite career, and yet, this would be the one that changed her life.
"I heard a pop," said Kovacs, who is nicknamed "Mouse". "I was just jogging around, and then all of my weight just collapsed on me and I just fell to the ground. No one was touching me. There wasn't contact or anything.
"I was like, 'It's gotta be my ACL.'"
ACL injuries can happen to anybody, from a female player sprinting down the soccer field to a guy simply cleaning the garage. Despite losing a veteran and team captain in Kovacs, the Spartans defeated Samford, 3-2, in a late comeback win.
Kovacs spent the entire flight back from Birmingham nervously speculating the seriousness of her right knee injury. Did she really did tear her ACL? She met with MSU doctors when she was back in East Lansing, and received the news she had feared, but expected: her season was over due to an ACL tear.
Kovacs, a native of Hudsonville, Mich., didn't spend much time mulling her injury. She said watching her teammates' resiliency and inspired performance win the game, despite losing a starter minutes before kickoff, inspired her.
"That game gave me a ton of motivation to bounce back right away, because my team bounced back right away," said Kovacs. "My team's determination through that tough time for me, and how great they were, really just made it like … In my mind I was like, 'I have to be the same way through this recovery process, I have to be back for my team'."
Coach Tom Saxton knew how devastating losing Kovacs was, especially for team that struggled defensively last season. After her injury, the Spartans lost nine of their last 14 games last season and finished with a 6-11 overall record.
"It was a hard blow to us because she's such an important player," Saxton said. "It took us a while last year to regroup after her injury, so we gave up a lot of goals."
The comeback road
Kovacs would need reconstructive surgery, and then months of rehabilitation, if she wanted to continue her college soccer career and aspirations to play pro. So, she underwent successful surgery two weeks after the injury.
ACL surgery repairs the torn ligament by putting in a new one, secured by screws into bone. Patients start from the beginning, needing to re-establish standing, walking and then running strength over months.
Kovacs said her long recovery process required patience and discipline, mainly due to her physical restrictions.
"At first … you're like, 'Okay, I can't even do anything, I'm in so much pain,'" Kovacs said. "So, the first few weeks aren't hard because you physically can't do anything, but then you start to go through the process of being able to do stuff, such as jogging."
Kovacs stayed faithful to her therapy, making good progress. However, she learned how an ACL recovery can be as much mental as physical.
"An ACL injury is weird because you feel fine," she added. "You'll watch everybody at practice and you're like, 'Oh my gosh, I feel fine, I can do all of those things'- but you can't. You really have to be patient, and it's very mentally straining."
But she persevered, and achieved her goal of rejoining the Spartans for her redshirt junior season. She has started every game this season, and is again a team captain.
"The staff here really helped me be as strong as I can be. I really wasn't nervous at all," Kovacs said. "You know how some people get those jitters like, 'Oh, I tore my ACL and now I'm back in the game, oh my gosh, I'm scared I'm going to tear it again.' "But with the support I had here, I was mentally ready to play."
Kovacs had additional motivation to return, seeing the Spartans ranked last in the 2018 Big Ten pre-season coaches' poll.
"That's just a slap in the face," said Kovacs. "I think the goal of this year is to silence the critics that have been eyeing our team, and saying, 'Oh, they're not going to be great, it's going to be like last year.'"
Things have turned around from last season, as MSU already has five wins. The defense is much stronger, allowing just one goal in its first five games this season. Saxton gives a lot of credit for the defensive improvement to Kovacs and her stellar play upon coming back.
"She's one of the best defensive players to have ever played in this program," said Saxton. "This year with her back there…we have a much better shot of defending Big Ten teams."
Kovacs - who has never played in an NCAA tournament - said she isn't content with MSU just being better this season. She has her eyes on a bigger prize.
"We definitely have room to grow, we always do. So far, our start has been really great, but our goal is to make the tournament," Kovacs said.
Ultimately, Kovacs wants to be remembered as a good leader and teammate during her MSU career.
"It hasn't been so much about our accolades we've gotten as a team. It's been more about how I've connected with those around me," Kovacs said. "I'm captain this year, and my goal for myself is really just to have a lasting bond with some of these players on the team. It's really more important for me to make those relationships than the soccer aspect. Life goes on and sometimes you don't get to where you want to be."
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State defender Michaela Kovacs experienced a career-altering injury, in a way she least expected it. She was warming up on the field, moments before she was to start on defense against Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, on Aug. 24, 2017. She's warmed up thousands of times in her elite career, and yet, this would be the one that changed her life.
"I heard a pop," said Kovacs, who is nicknamed "Mouse". "I was just jogging around, and then all of my weight just collapsed on me and I just fell to the ground. No one was touching me. There wasn't contact or anything.
"I was like, 'It's gotta be my ACL.'"
ACL injuries can happen to anybody, from a female player sprinting down the soccer field to a guy simply cleaning the garage. Despite losing a veteran and team captain in Kovacs, the Spartans defeated Samford, 3-2, in a late comeback win.
Kovacs spent the entire flight back from Birmingham nervously speculating the seriousness of her right knee injury. Did she really did tear her ACL? She met with MSU doctors when she was back in East Lansing, and received the news she had feared, but expected: her season was over due to an ACL tear.
Kovacs, a native of Hudsonville, Mich., didn't spend much time mulling her injury. She said watching her teammates' resiliency and inspired performance win the game, despite losing a starter minutes before kickoff, inspired her.
"That game gave me a ton of motivation to bounce back right away, because my team bounced back right away," said Kovacs. "My team's determination through that tough time for me, and how great they were, really just made it like … In my mind I was like, 'I have to be the same way through this recovery process, I have to be back for my team'."
Coach Tom Saxton knew how devastating losing Kovacs was, especially for team that struggled defensively last season. After her injury, the Spartans lost nine of their last 14 games last season and finished with a 6-11 overall record.
"It was a hard blow to us because she's such an important player," Saxton said. "It took us a while last year to regroup after her injury, so we gave up a lot of goals."
The comeback road
Kovacs would need reconstructive surgery, and then months of rehabilitation, if she wanted to continue her college soccer career and aspirations to play pro. So, she underwent successful surgery two weeks after the injury.
ACL surgery repairs the torn ligament by putting in a new one, secured by screws into bone. Patients start from the beginning, needing to re-establish standing, walking and then running strength over months.
Kovacs said her long recovery process required patience and discipline, mainly due to her physical restrictions.
"At first … you're like, 'Okay, I can't even do anything, I'm in so much pain,'" Kovacs said. "So, the first few weeks aren't hard because you physically can't do anything, but then you start to go through the process of being able to do stuff, such as jogging."
Kovacs stayed faithful to her therapy, making good progress. However, she learned how an ACL recovery can be as much mental as physical.
"An ACL injury is weird because you feel fine," she added. "You'll watch everybody at practice and you're like, 'Oh my gosh, I feel fine, I can do all of those things'- but you can't. You really have to be patient, and it's very mentally straining."
But she persevered, and achieved her goal of rejoining the Spartans for her redshirt junior season. She has started every game this season, and is again a team captain.
"The staff here really helped me be as strong as I can be. I really wasn't nervous at all," Kovacs said. "You know how some people get those jitters like, 'Oh, I tore my ACL and now I'm back in the game, oh my gosh, I'm scared I'm going to tear it again.' "But with the support I had here, I was mentally ready to play."
Kovacs had additional motivation to return, seeing the Spartans ranked last in the 2018 Big Ten pre-season coaches' poll.
"That's just a slap in the face," said Kovacs. "I think the goal of this year is to silence the critics that have been eyeing our team, and saying, 'Oh, they're not going to be great, it's going to be like last year.'"
Things have turned around from last season, as MSU already has five wins. The defense is much stronger, allowing just one goal in its first five games this season. Saxton gives a lot of credit for the defensive improvement to Kovacs and her stellar play upon coming back.
"She's one of the best defensive players to have ever played in this program," said Saxton. "This year with her back there…we have a much better shot of defending Big Ten teams."
Kovacs - who has never played in an NCAA tournament - said she isn't content with MSU just being better this season. She has her eyes on a bigger prize.
"We definitely have room to grow, we always do. So far, our start has been really great, but our goal is to make the tournament," Kovacs said.
Ultimately, Kovacs wants to be remembered as a good leader and teammate during her MSU career.
"It hasn't been so much about our accolades we've gotten as a team. It's been more about how I've connected with those around me," Kovacs said. "I'm captain this year, and my goal for myself is really just to have a lasting bond with some of these players on the team. It's really more important for me to make those relationships than the soccer aspect. Life goes on and sometimes you don't get to where you want to be."
Players Mentioned
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