LBHS alum shines for Hofstra women’s soccer

Emily Agudelo embracing senior season with nearby college power

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Long Beach High School graduate Emily Agudelo did not have to travel far to thrive on a national level as a women’s college soccer player.

The 2013 Long Beach alum has shined with the Hofstra women’s soccer team since appearing in all 16 games as a freshman off the bench. The senior defender, who led the Pride to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year, has started every game since her sophomore season and entered her senior campaign this fall as a Preseason All-Colonial Athletic Association selection.

“I wanted to stay local so my parents could attend all my games and I could home whenever I wanted,” said Agudelo of her decision to play at nearby Hofstra. “I’m really glad I made the decision to come here.”

Agudelo entered Hofstra’s campus along the Hempstead-Uniondale border after excelling at Long Beach, where as a senior she was the 2012 Conference AA2 Player of the Year and earned All-Nassau County honors. In addition to the geographic attraction, Agudelo also had familiarity with Hofstra associate head coach Tobias Bischof, who she played for with the East Meadow Soccer Club. She gave a verbal commitment to Hofstra early in 10th grade.

“She always had great foot skills and could dribble circles around her opponents,” said Long Beach High School girls’ soccer head coach Tara Wesselhoft of Agudelo, who in addition to displaying strong defense has also proven to be an offensive threat with 12 career points. “She is hard working and always striving to get better and you can see that through the success she has had in college.”

Agudelo had a memorable junior year that featured Hofstra earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in early November and winning a first round game at Georgetown. Three months later the 5-foot-5 Agudelo was selected to play with the Colombia national team as it trained for the 2016 Summer Olympics. The Long Beach native, whose parents are both from Colombia, said competing with top players in the South American country is something she will always cherish.

“That was a really great experience,” she said. “I feel really grateful for it.”

Agudelo has managed to balance the demands facing a Division I student-athlete to also succeed in the classroom. The marketing major was a CAA Commissioner’s Academic Award recipient in 2014 and was named a team captain for her senior season.

“She has blossomed into a mature student athlete,” said Hofstra head coach Simon Riddiough. “She has had a great four years and been a great ambassador for the program.”

Hofstra completed its non-conference schedule at 6-2-1 with a 2-1 win at Fordham on Sept. 18 with Agudelo on the field for 76 of the game’s 90 minutes. Agudelo is hoping to cap her college career with a return trip to the NCAA Tournament and to win the CAA championship after dropping a double overtime heart-breaker in the conference semifinals last year. With her Hofstra career winding down, she is looking to embrace every last second on the soccer pitch.

“I’m trying to take advantage of every game and every practice because I know it will end soon,” she said. “I’m trying to do everything I can for this team.”