March 23, 2005

Stanford Women's Water Polo Player of the Week Feature
Nancy El-Sakkary, Junior 2M

How have practices been going so far for you and for the team?
Practices have been going really well. We're all really excited to play together. The season's well on it's way, and we've had a chance to play against some top-ranked teams. We know what we have to work and we're getting ready for the second part of the season after finals week.

How do you feel about the team's performance against Irvine and Long Beach last week?
I think we played a really solid game against Irvine in terms of offense and defense. We only allowed one goal against us, and did a great job on offense, scoring the majority of our 6-on-5 opportunities. In the game against Long Beach, we were ahead by 2 goals with 4 and a half minutes left in the game, and we didn't hold on to the lead. Our 2-m defenders did a great job of shutting down Long Beach's 2-m play. We were ready for that game, but we made a few mistakes in those last minutes- and they capitalized on them. We won't let that happen again.

What opponent would you like to beat the most?
USC. I can't wait until our conference game this Saturday.

Who is a current or former Stanford student-athlete that you enjoy watching perform?
Tony Azevedo. When I realized I would be coming to school here, I became super excited that I'd actually get to watch him play in person rather than on tv.

What is your favorite sport (to play or to watch) other than water polo?
Probably basketball. Watching from the six-man bleachers is incredible.

What do you miss most about Canada?
My family, my friends, my home, my room, knowing how to get places, knowing where places are. Last year I asked one of my teammates if we were going to fly to Davis. She just laughed at me. One thing I definitely don't miss using public transportation(the train) to get to school.

What is your major, and how did you decide on it?
I'm majoring in Electrical Engineering. Both of my parents and older brother are all Electrical Engineers. I think I just followed in the family footsteps. The only non-EE major is my younger brother, Mohammad, who's majoring in pharmacy, and my sister Nelly's not in college yet.

What is your favorite class at Stanford so far?
I'd have to say Geology 1 because of the field trips, particularly the one to Marin Headlands. It was the first time I haven't looked at the Golden Gate bridge through fog.

What is the best book you've ever read?
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. I had to read it in highschool. I finished reading it early and read it again by the time we were supposed to be done with it.

Do you have a favorite midnight or pre-game snack?
I have a banana before each game. My mom used to complain to my swim coach that I was too weak , and he said I should eat more bananas. So my mom started to make me eat them, and I've been eating one before every competition.

If you were going on a road-trip and could only take one CD, what artist(s) would be on it?
When I hear a song I really like, I usually play it over and over and end up getting sick of it really fast, but right now, some of the artists on the playlist I've been listening to on the road are: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Genuwine, Keane, Linkin Park, Lindsay Lohan, Tom Petty.

What was the best advice you've received?
The best advice I've ever gotten is that it doesn't hurt to try, nothing you already had will be lost, but you if you don't do it, you can end up regretting it for the rest of your life, and that would be miserable.