Caroline Smith hasn’t experienced a season at Kansas that wasn’t followed by a shower of awards and accolades.

The senior forward holds the all-time scorer role with 45 career goals and 104 points,

She has been an All-American twice, not counting ESPN the Magazine’s academic All-American 2nd team nod in 2004.

Smith was named Big 12 academic All-American; All Big-12 first team; and Big 12 All-Tournament selection.

Each not once, but twice.

Taylor Miller

Senior forward Caroline Smith answers questions from reporters during a press conference last week. Smith is the all-time leading scorer in KU women's soccer with 45 goals and 104 points.

Still trying to fully grasp just how valuable this 5-foot-2-inch Minnesota native is? Smith was also named to the 2002 All-Big 12 newcomer team, was an All-American and named to the Central Region all-freshman team in the same year.

It is nearly impossible to think of the Jayhawks' recent success without bringing up her name, not to mention her statistics.

So, what is the big deal about Caroline Smith?

“People that score goals get a lot of attention,” she said.

The press constantly hounding her after games means little to Smith. Even in the long list of awards that she’s earned, she said her favorite award isn’t amongst those.

“It wouldn’t be an award,” Smith said. “It would be our Big 12 Championship from last year. That was special for us; we won games that we were supposed to win. I think that’s the best one.”

She said she had no trouble seeing through the hype and the talk surrounding her name and instead listens to those that mean the most to her.

“The most important compliment I’ve ever gotten is that my teammates like to play with me,” she said. “I don’t want to be one of those people that scores goals but people hate stepping on the field with.”

And that stepping on the field is something the senior doesn’t take for granted, especially since she has battled injuries for much of her career. She now wears a head piece to protect her from another concussion.

“She’s a tough kid,” Kansas soccer coach Mark Francis said of his four-year starter. “She gets knocked around a lot. That’s her style of play, but she always gets up.”

Smith can’t remember her life before her first soccer game at only three years old. She said she had no idea what her life would be like without it.

“I absolutely love it,” she said. “Soccer is the most demanding and the most complex sport out there. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I didn’t have it. It takes up so much of my time and I love that.”

Soccer takes up so much of her time because of the hours she spends training and thinking about the game. Her skills come from a lifetime of dedication to a sport that she loves. Extra effort in workouts and time on the field does little to tire a girl with a goal.

“All I can do is what I can control,” she said. “I train as hard as I can and work as hard as I can. Individually, it’s good to be recognized but if I was on the worst team in the nation then nobody would know me. It’s a team thing and I’m just a part of it, just like everybody else.”

After working with Smith throughout her entire collegiate career, Francis has come to know his star forward and what to expect from her.

“She’s hard on herself, but that’s one of the things that makes her good. She’s never really satisfied so she’s continually pushing herself to get better.

“She is extremely competitive. Whether it be in practice, an exhibition game, or a NCAA tournament game, she always brings the same everyday,” Francis said.

He also admitted that Smith can be a challenge to coach, but not because of her lack of anything. He said sometimes they don’t see eye to eye when he compliments her. That sometimes he has to convince her that she is doing a good job because she is so tough and demanding of herself.

“I’ve learned so much from coach that I feel like I am sometimes a coach on the field. I just understand it,” she said. “Sometimes I say too much and coach doesn’t like it, but we usually work it out.”

As her senior season gets up and running after last weekend’s opening games against Michigan and Wisconsin, Smith faces a new set of expectations brought on by others, but mainly those she puts on herself.

“I’m looking at my senior year right now and every minute I put in. In three months it’s going to be over for me. But I still come out here everyday because I want to be the best I have ever been,” she said.

Francis said he thought the team could return to the NCAA tournament and Smith could help lead them there, and that statistically she is looking at having her best season.

Smith is not measuring her final season in terms of championships or all-conference accolades. Success to her is more than that.

“It doesn’t have to be [a championship]. It has to be having the best teammates on the field and enjoying every moment, every win, I have with them,” Smith said.

“I won’t have these teammates again. I just want to leave here with my teammates knowing that I gave everything I have and me knowing that they gave everything that they have.”