Sunday afternoon, during UNK soccer’s game against Central Oklahoma, an assistant referee collided with a member of the media along the sideline. Sophomore midfielder Serene Hamzeh stepped up and got him an ice pack.
Sunday was another example of why Hamzeh has been characterized by many on the team as selfless and caring.
“(Hamzeh is) someone who goes out of her way to make sure that people are feeling their best, which is exactly what you want in a teammate,” said UNK soccer coach Rob Breton. “It’s someone who cares about the team so much that she’s willing to allow herself maybe to not be as successful so the team can be successful, which is a really good quality to have.”
Redshirt sophomore defender, Ashley Bredthauer, said Hamzeh was the first person on the team to reach out to her before Bredthauer decided to transfer to UNK.
“Without even knowing who I was or how I was, she (Hamzeh) never thought twice about including me or being my friend,” Bredthauer said. “She helped me settle in more than I think she knows.”
Hamzeh was born in Texas and grew up in Colorado before moving to Iowa City, Iowa, ahead of her sixth-grade year of school due to her parents’ work.
Hamzeh’s parents both grew up and went to medical school in Jordan before getting their visas for residency in the United States. Hamzeh said that following her parents’ footsteps, her love of biology and interest in how the human body works, contributed to her wanting to become a doctor.
“I would love to do research for either disease control, things like that, or I would also love to become a cardiologist or something like that,” Hamzeh said. “My dad has a heart condition, so it is very dear to my family because he did have emergency heart surgery during COVID as well.”
As much as Hamzeh loves biology, soccer was something that helped her push through challenges growing up.
“Especially in high school, when I was in a rut and really not doing well, the only thing that I would wake up to look forward to is the fact that I got to go to soccer practice every day and be around my teammates,” Hamzeh said.
Hamzeh said she’s never known life without soccer being a part of it, so playing in college didn’t take much thought. As a result, Hamzeh attended multiple ID camps for recruitment.
“I was definitely a later commitment compared to a lot of the girls that I did know on my club team,” Hamzeh said. “There was a lot, a lot of ID camps. I started very early for ID camps. I was going from eighth grade all the way through my senior year. I was going to different ID camps, which I never really enjoyed.”
Breton connected with Hamzeh through a recruiter and was able to convince her to come to UNK.
“(Hamzeh) brings a work ethic to the game that allows other players to, I don’t want to say relax, but not have to cover as much space sometimes,” Breton said. “She does a really good job covering the pocket (and) balancing the midfield.”
Bredthauer also said she enjoys having Hamzeh as a teammate.
“I love playing on the field with her (Hamzeh), and I tell her that every single time that I step on the field with her,” Bredthauer said. “I’ve never doubted when I pass the ball to her, even if it’s a crap pass.”
