Hichem Abbad of Bay Shore is Newsday's Athlete of the Week
Hichem Abbad is two goals from Bay Shore record. Credit: David Meisenholder
Last season, Hichem Abbad scored only six goals in his junior year. But heading into this season, he was determined to end his senior year by leaving a mark on Bay Shore soccer history.
He's well on his way to doing just that.
Abbad is two goals away from breaking the all-time single-season goals record held by Ben Mahler, who set the record in 1964 with 24 goals. Currently, the forward has scored 22 goals. He is third in Long Island in goals for this season.
"I wasn't even thinking about him as our best leader, then by the time game five came around, it became clear that this guy is the real deal," coach Mesut Karatuna said. "The greatest quality of a leader is what they do when things don't go their way, and he's a guy that always steps up."
"I have to give credit to my coaches for believing in me throughout my career," Abbad said. "I watched a lot of film of pros and players my age. Learning from my mistakes and watching other players really made me want to improve."
The forward came into the season more mentally prepared than he ever was, and it has translated on the field. He scored four hat tricks this season, three of which came in his last five games.
"It's a lot more mental than physical for me this year," Abbad said. "I have that confidence right now that anything I shoot is going in."
His dominance was on full display Saturday afternoon as Abbad scored two goals in a 5-2 victory over Whitman in a Suffolk I matchup. For his efforts, Abbad is the Newsday Athlete of the Week.
"Even if you are down in a game, when you have a goal scorer like Hichem, he will always keep you in the game," Karatuna said. "He and Ager (Agirregomezkorta) put a lot of pressure on the opposing team's defense. They always keep us in games."
In addition to his performances on the field, Abbad volunteers at his mosque during Ramadan, works as a driver at Volkswagen, and is part of the school's environmental club.
Abbad was selected to participate in the American Legion's Boys State program, a week-long program for high school seniors that teaches them the practical aspects of government in New York state. They also participate in physical training supervised by American Legion counselors and U.S Marines.
"I see everything from a different point of view now," Abbad said. "That experience opened my eyes to the leadership skills that you need in life. I always want to push the guy next to me so they can be better."
The Marauders (11-4-1) qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2019, and Karatuna credited Abbad's commitment as a key contributor to the team's success.
"When we study film in the classroom, he's the one guy that pays attention to everything," Karatuna said. "He improved every single way imaginable."
Jonathan Ruban covers high school sports for Newsday after graduating from St. John’s.
