Four years ago, Thori Bryan's soccer career seemed over. When the Women's United Soccer Association suspended operations in September 2003, Bryan, then a member of the San Jose CyberRays, took what she thought would be her last steps off the field.

But even after giving birth to her son, Kameron, and settling down in Wake Forest, the N.C. State graduate felt the urge to compete. And with the establishment of the Carolina RailHawks in Cary, Bryan realized that the game had not passed her by.

"It was difficult to fill the void of the competitiveness. I need to do something. It was like a drug. I just had to have it," Bryan said.

Upon her return to the field, Bryan -- who was an alternate on the 1996 U.S. Olympic team and a member of the 1995 U.S. national team -- was aware of the challenges in trying to restart her career. Would she be able to hang with the younger competition? How had giving birth affected her body?

Playing in the open W-League, the 34-year-old would be competing against college players more than a decade younger. Although Bryan wasn't finished with soccer, there was a chance the sport was finished with her.

"I hadn't played for four years and I didn't know what to expect. Are these little kids going to be running all around me, because they're younger and they have all the energy?" Bryan said.

Eleven games into the season, Bryan is more than keeping up. She scored the first goal in the franchise's history off a corner kick against the Carolina Dynamo on May 10.

And on a team largely composed of college players, Bryan is the one firing up her teammates on the field.

"I've learned to keep a positive attitude all the time and just go hard all the time from her," defender Betsy Frederick said. "That's how she is, just going hard all the time. Even in practice. You hear her, 'Come on, let's go.' "

Bryan, the team's captain, has led the RailHawks to a respectable 5-5-1 record.

And for her teammates, Bryan's guidance and advice on the field has been crucial. After all, the former U.S. national team player has performed on the stage her teammates are eventually hoping to reach.

"When I first met her I just thought, 'Oh my gosh, Thori Bryan. I can't approach her. I can't. This is crazy. And then you get in the locker room and she's fun and cool," Frederick said. "She's very talkative and I've learned a lot from her because she's been through it all."

Bryan has been there and back when it comes to soccer. And now that she's back in the game, she's more than happy to share her experiences.

"If I can pass something on, just in life, then hopefully I've fulfilled my purpose," Bryan said. "At the end of the day, I'm happy."

Get $150+ in coupons in every Sunday N&O. Click here for convenient home delivery.