When Grace Gelhaus pushes downfield from her defensive position, it’s not about what she sees in front of her, but the people she knows are behind her.
The senior finished last season as the Coastal Athletic Association’s 2025 Defender of the Year after racking up 1,293 minutes in Elon’s backline, which conceded the fewest goals in the CAA, registering eight shutouts.
Gelhaus makes a strong showing on the offensive side, as well. Gelhaus rounded out the 2025 season with seven goals and three assists, tied for most on the team.
She said support from her teammates makes balancing both sides of the ball easier.
“If I go forward, someone else will cover. If someone else goes forward, I can cover for them, and it’s really just like in the flow of the game,” Gelhaus said. “We obviously all have a lot of chemistry together, and I know that if I do get up, I can find someone will be making a run for me, and they’ll make my life easy, and I know that I don’t really have to worry about sprinting back because someone will cover for me.”
This dynamic approach is not limited to just Gelhaus. She said the entire team has the chance to help one another from different parts of the field when needed, a skill that sets them apart from their opponents.
“The teams that we play against, defenders are defenders, and our team, everybody has the chance to attack if they want to, because we know that someone else will drop in and fill for them so that everybody gets their chance,” Gelhaus said.
Gelhaus came to Elon in 2023 with 11 other freshmen — recruited as an offensive striker from the FC Stars girls club in New England. Throughout her time as a Phoenix, she’s moved from forward and midfield to defense, and her development as a player is seen on and off the field.
Gelhaus said she was finding her footing at the beginning of her college career, and building a connection with her teammates made that adjustment easier.
“It’s like I have 26 best friends, and I know that they’re also from all over the country,” Gelhaus said. “I just know that I’m not alone, and other people are feeling homesick, and they’re not getting to see their families as much. But I know that I always have a shoulder to lean on if I need one.”
Though her position on the field may have changed, head coach Neil Payne said Gelhaus established her potential and drive early and has improved every year since.
“Grace has made a tremendous impact on our program from day one,” Payne said in a statement to Elon News Network. “Her level of play continues to improve each year, a testament to the hard work and dedication she brings to development every day.”
Gelhaus’ dedication can also be seen in the trophy room. She was named to the All-CAA third team as a freshman before leaping to the first team the last two seasons. The hardware doesn’t end there.
Elon women’s soccer finished the 2025 season as CAA champions. Gelhaus played in every single minute of the tournament, never leaving the field. Looking forward to the rest of the season, she said the team doesn’t want the conference title to distract from the work they have ahead of them.
“We kind of have to think of it as, it’s a new year because we don’t want to dwell on the past, and like we don’t want to just keep living that,” Gelhaus said. “We want to grow, and we want to keep getting better. That’s the goal.”
Gelhaus scored her first goal of the season during a 6-0 win against South Carolina State University Aug. 20. That made 14 goals total for her career.
The Phoenix next play against Campbell University at 7 p.m. Sept. 20 at Rudd Field.