This time last year, senior midfielder Nazmi Albadawi was N.C. State’s headline player. After not seeing action as a freshman, Albadawi played in all 20 games of the 2011 season, leading the Wolfpack in goals, points and shots.
Albadawi was poised for a strong junior campaign headed into the 2012 season, but back-to-back injuries sidelined one of State’s most effective attacking players throughout the heart of the season.
“Five games into the season, I had two sport hernias with one on each side,” Albadawi said. “I had bilateral sport hernia surgery. After I came back from that, in my first game back, I got a high ankle sprain, so I sat out another two weeks.”
Albadawi played through the sprain for the rest of the year after seeing his team hit a difficult stretch without him. The 2012 squad won its first six matches of the season but lost 10 of its final 14 games.
Even though the Raleigh native was back on the field at the end of last season, his statistical contributions dropped off. After seeing his key playmaker sidelined with injuries, head coach Kelly Findley said he expected some sort of a dip in production.
“It’s hard enough to recover from injury in the first place,” Findley said. “Then to get a rhythm and get back into it in the middle of the season is even more difficult.”
Albadawi thinks he could have been more productive in 2012 than he was in 2011 if not for his injuries.
“The team was better [in 2012], so I would’ve had more time on the ball and more opportunities to create,” Albadawi said.
Albadawi is one of the nation’s premier playmakers, a versatile attacking midfielder with a high work rate on both sides of the ball.
Junior forward Nick Surkamp said the midfielder is a great teammate to play with.
“Nazmi is the best attacking midfielder that you’ll play with anywhere in the country,” Surkamp said. “When you play with a guy like that, it doesn’t matter whether you play with one or two strikers, because he’s going to find you with the ball.”
Findley said he expects Albadawi, now in his senior season, to be the Wolfpack’s offensive catalyst in 2013.
“I think he’s going to help us not only score goals but also get other guys involved and help them score goals,” Findley said. “I think his work rate, pressure, commitment and leadership have been tremendous. So I expect him to help in every category that we need to be successful.”
Albadawi said he has loved playing for the team he grew up supporting. He also has high expectations for his final season with the Pack.
“I grew up a State fan,” Albadawi said. “Growing up, I was a ball boy at State games … It’s a dream playing here.”
“Our goal for this year is to make the tournament. We have the quality, and if we work hard and can put everything together, I have no doubt we can be one of the best teams in the country.”
To become one of the best teams in the country, the Wolfpack will need to win all nine of its home games this season. Albadawi said that crowd support in Raleigh has helped make the Dail Soccer Field one of the best soccer venues in the nation.
“Fortunately for us, we have some of the best fans in the country,” Albadawi said. “Our fans are unbelievable in every sport, let alone soccer, so every home game we know that everyone’s going to be out there. We easily have one of the best stadiums in the country.”
State kicks off its 2013 ACC campaign at Dail against Pittsburgh on Friday. The game will begin at 7 p.m.
