Midfielder Nick Zimmerman was among the many new faces at WakeMed Soccer Park this season, but he’s made himself known rather quickly. Zimmerman has started all 11 matches and played 963 of 990 minutes this season for the RailHawks. He has scored two goals so far, the first of his four-year professional career.

Before joining the RailHawks, he played three seasons in MLS with New York and Philadelphia. His two-year stay in Philadelphia served as a springboard to Carolina.

What attracted you to the RailHawks?

I was teammates and friends with Brad Knighton in Philadelphia last year. After leaving Philly, he immediately called me and asked what I was doing. I was looking at my options after I got released. I was talked to a few MLS teams. Martin [Rennie] expressed an interest. He wanted me to come for a trial. I’d heard great things from Brad, that the facility was first class, the guys on the team were great and the coaching staff was great. I knew it was a winning team, a winning organization and I jumped on the opportunity. I came for a week, and Martin asked me to play here for the year and I gladly accepted.

What were your expectations when you first stepped on the training ground during your trial?

Every time you play, you want to compete, give your best performance. As a new guy, everyone is playing for their position. It was preseason, so it’s tense, very competitive, and that’s a great environment to be in. I wanted to go out and play my best and showcase how I can help. It was great to have Brad there. The guys were great, real supportive, too. It’s a good atmosphere still. You enjoy playing soccer again in that type of environment. It’s tough and demanding, but you wake up every day happy to play.”

Back in March, when the team first got together, would you have expected to be 9-1-1 and have an 11-point lead in the table by mid-June?

“When I spoke with Martin, I said to him, I want to be a part of this team. I had other offers. This was a team that was stacked. It can do something special. We can win every game, or we’re going to give it a good run every game we play. With that mentality and the players we have, the goals of winning every game and winning the league is something everyone bought in to. We have so many talented players who are excited to be here.”

What is/are your favorite moment/moments of the season so far?

“Scoring my first goal was something I’ll remember. We had a great crowd that night. Every single game now is more and more special. The last few we had at home, we fantastic crowds. The fans have been great and we’ve been winning convincingly. Now  we want to keep winning and getting better. Every game is a new memory, a new chapter. I really believe, and everyone believes, this can be a special year.”

You’re second goal had to be pretty memorable too, the game winner at Tampa week before last.

“Yeah, to see my parents in the stadium, it’s been a while since they’ve been able to come see me play. I went to college in Virginia, so it was tough for them to get up there. It was awesome to see them in the stands, and to score a goal in my hometown was pretty special.”

You were a member of the U-15 National Team, who were some of the players from your age group?

“Oh, we had a real, real good group. I played with Freddy Adu, Guiseppe Rossi, Danny Sztela, Michael Bradley. It was an incredible experience. I’m looking forward to getting back into it, getting back on that level.”

You grew up in an MLS market, what impact did that have on your desire to play professional soccer?

“Living in Tampa, I was a big fan of the Mutiny and watching [Carlos] Valderrama play. He was one of my favorites. He could dictate a game with simple movements, delicate passes. He saw the game different from most. He didn’t do endless running, but it was purposeful, always effective. I’d always wanted to play in MLS, so being a part of that is something I’ll always remember, and I look forward to working hard and getting back.”

If you read message boards, follow fans on Twitter, there’s a groundswell that wants to see how this group would fare against an MLS team. You’ve got three years of MLS under your belt, what do you think?

“A lot of the guys have been talking about how disappointed we were when the Open Cup didn’t happen for us. We can do well and compete and show how good a team and organization we are. We have a lot of players that can do different and great things. Playing at that level, playing with some of those guys, I see a lot of parity between MLS and us. It’s so unfortunate we’re not able to have the Open Cup work out for us. It would have showed how special and talented this group really is.”

Rumor has it teammates call you, Pauly D? Can you confirm or deny?

“That’s what I get called. John Krause started it. I have a few nicknames for him. I call him Ronnie. They call me Pauly D for some ridiculous reason. Nobody’s been called Snooki yet, but there’s a few out there that could be.”

Zimmerman and the RailHawks are back at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday, when they square off against Tampa Bay at 7 p.m. The RailHawks have won seven straight and are undefeated in their last 10 matches, a surge that has them at the top of the NASL table with an 11-point lead. For tickets to Saturday’s match – or any other RailHawks match – call the box office at 919-859-5425, or click here.