After 31 starts, 18 total points and six goals in 53 games over three seasons, senior midfielder Nadia Aboulhosn has reached her final season as a North Carolina State women’s soccer player.
“I can’t believe it’s here,” Aboulhosn said. “It came so fast. I look at everything that happens this season a little differently because it might be the last time this happens or it might be the last time that happens. It just means a little bit more.”
And with the start of ACC play not even underway, the senior from Raleigh’s Millbrook High School is already in the midst of easily the most productive season of her tenure with the Pack. Before this season, Aboulhosn had never notched more than seven points, three assists or three goals in a year. Barring injury, she will shatter each of those marks in 2010, as she has already tied her previous season-bests of seven points and three goals, with 10 of 19 games still left on the schedule.
Aboulhosn is one of three captains this year and is one of the most popular players on the team because of her talent and character.
“Nadia has great leadership skill,” women’s soccer head coach Steve Springthorpe said. “She brings her leadership qualities for us. She’s a captain and a good player too. We’ve got three captains on the team but she’s the one that is basically in tune with what is going on with most of the players, and is friends with most of the players. She’s well liked, respected for her work ethic and for her classroom ethic. She’s just fantastic.”
Aboulhosn made an immediate impact when she arrived on the NC State campus in 2007. Her freshman year she scored three goals and started nine games. Two seasons later, she almost doubled that number, with 17 starts as a junior.
This year Aboulhosn is looking to help her team reach goals it has been aiming for throughout her career.
“We have the goals we always have, to make it to post season play, and also to just do well in the ACC because that’s the most challenging,” Aboulhosn said. “We’ve had times when we’ve done really well but also times where we know that we could have played better than we did. So we try to focus on the things to improve on for the next game and keep moving forward and keep emphasizing the things we need to do. We’re 6-3 so far. We could probably be better, but we’re okay for now and just looking forward.”
Looking ahead in her own life, Aboulhosn isn’t sure exactly what her future after graduation holds, but knows it includes soccer. While the civil engineering major does not plan on playing soccer professionally, she hopes to keep playing for as long as possible.
“After graduation my life will include soccer, but at a lower level,” Aboulhosn said. “I’ll probably join an indoor league. I love indoor. And I’m looking for a job. There’s a career fair that comes in October. I’m going go to that and hopefully get something lined up when I graduate.”
After graduation, many things will change in Aboulhosn’s life,but one thing that won’t is her bond with her teammates. Shetried to recall her favorite moment as a member of the women’s soccer team but had trouble choosing just one because of all the great memories she’s made with her teammates over the years.
“Definitely last season when we beat Virginia, that was a big deal,” Aboulhosn said. “I have so many memories with the girls but definitely just the friendships I’ve made because they will last forever.”
