TOPSHAM – Erika Stupinski had hoped Tuesday would be the day that marked her comeback.

Instead, it might have ended hope for her return to Mt. Ararat.

“I’m heartbroken,” Stupinski said Tuesday, just hours after seeing her doctor and getting the latest update on her recovery from a dislocated shoulder suffered in early January. “I have to wear this brace for three more weeks. So I go back the 24th and start physical therapy then.”

That was not welcomed news for Stupinski, considered the state’s best player.

“To be honest, I thought I was going to be out of this now,” she said. “I thought I was going to be able to start physical therapy the next couple of weeks and be back by vacation. But it’s not looking that way.”

Now the best-case scenario for her return is if Stupinski can heal well enough over the next few weeks and get a favorable prognosis. If the Eagles can advance late into the playoffs, there could be a slight chance she could play again. She’s expects at least two weeks of physical therapy after her brace comes off. The current timetable has the brace coming off the day of the Class A preliminary games.

“It’s definitely hard,” said Stupinski. “I’m not going to be able to play senior night and things like that. I’m trying to turn it into a positive, but it’s really hard to do that.”

Stupinski had been diligently working out in hopes of a return. She had been riding the exercise bike, doing some shooting drills with her right arm. She’s now been given the go-ahead to do some limited movement with her left arm out of the brace.

With a Division II scholarship awaiting her at Stonehill, Stupinski and her doctor are being cautious. If the shoulder should pop out a second time, she would likely have to have surgery.

Despite the injury, Stupinski’s role on the team hasn’t changed. She’s still their go-to player when it comes to support and advice.

“I’m definitely still there at all practices, and I go and walk around before game time,” she said. “Things really haven’t changed except for the fact that what I say is coming from the bench instead of on the floor.”

She keeps stats on the bench and offers advice. She also helps run drills in practice. She’s part cheerleader and assistant coach.

“She’s contributing more on the cerebral level for the girls,” said Mt. Ararat coach Kelly LaFountain. “She’s helping us get them into the right frame of mind and helping us get them to see the openings. It’s a different game when you’re watching it from the side. So she’s able to pick up on a lot of things they don’t see on the floor and share that with them. She’s doing the same things she normally would do as a team captain.”

Stupinski had averaged nearly 19 points, eight assists and five steals before the injury. She typically would give the team some motivational words in the huddle on the floor before each game. Prior to her first game out of action, her teammates summoned her back to the huddle, expecting her leadership and motivation.

“It’s definitely hard, but it’s nice to know they still look up to me,” she said.

The Eagles were ranked fourth in the latest Eastern A standings and were unbeaten until they lost their last two games to Cony and Lewiston.