KENNESAW, Ga. – After 350 days away from the pitch, Mai Jensen laced up her boots and jogged onto the pitch with the captain's armband wrapped around her bicep. It wasn't about a dramatic moment or a heartfelt gesture, but simply returning to the place that she loved the most. The teammates that watched her go through months of grueling and tedious rehab are the same ones who cheered her on.  

Growing up in Rockledge Fla., Jensen was born to Danish immigrants, so it was European soccer or nothing. It was an unlikely way for Jensen to make her way up to Kennesaw. She first came up I-75 for a soccer trip and when she toured the campus, KSU's former head coach, Benji Walton, took notice. The two had previously been in contact but when Walton saw Jensen play in person, he knew she would be a cornerstone Owl for years to come.  

Her collegiate soccer career got off to a flying start when she scored on her very first appearance in the 2022 season opener against South Alabama. She went on to play over 670 minutes that season while adding a pair of assists for the Black and Gold.  

The following season was much of the same as she played 625 minutes and recorded an assist.  

However, it was in her junior season where she was poised to make the leap, and that is what she did. In just seven matches under new head coach Chris Cahill, she almost matched her total minutes played from the previous year in 12 less games. It was in the seventh game that the unfortunate would happen.

In a non-conference matchup in Gainsville against Florida, Jensen suffered an ACL tear that ended her 2024 season. Not only detrimental to herself in a career year, but it also hurt the squad knowing that one of their leaders would be out for the remainder of the season. The junior leap Jensen was in the midst of was put on pause.  

The long road of recovery began, and Jensen was hoping to make it back for her senior season in The Nest. Along the way, the behind-the-scenes rehab wasn't easy, and Jensen claimed that "it taught me a lot of new things about myself." She also remarked that being away from the game for so long gives you a different type of passion.

She attributes that passion to her desire to return in the short time frame that she did. After a long and difficult road, Jensen was ready to return, and the stage was set in Downtown Atlanta against Georgia State.  

On August 28, Jensen returned to competitive soccer. Playing 49 minutes against the in-state rival, she ran up and down the touchline for the first time in over a year.  

KSU has played 12 games since the Georgia State match with Jensen starting in every single one. Wearing the captain's armband, she has had the pressure of not just coming back but leading her fellow teammates and being a vocal leader for Coach Cahill.  

So far in the 2025 campaign, she has yet to find the back of the net, but Cahill said "it was great to have Mai back." He also called Jensen "the example," which is the most perfect attribute any coach could ask for.  

Over a year ago, Jensen could only watch from the sidelines. Now, she has returned stronger, leading a team of players who look up to her. Many people think strength is about recovery, but for Jensen, it's about how you lead when you come back.  

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