It didn’t take long for Lindsay Diak, biology freshman and forward on the Loyola soccer team, to become an important key of the soccer team. Diak began her collegiate career when the Wolfpack opened its season against Millsaps College Sept. 2.

One would expect a freshman, particularly one who missed the preseason due to illness, to have butterflies in her first game, perhaps working herself into the game’s flow slowly but surely.

But if Diak had butterflies, she quickly chased them away. She scored two goals and had an assist, leading her new team to a 3-2 victory.

Her fast start foreshadowed an excellent season, one that inspired The Maroon to name her the 2003-04 Female Athlete of the Year.

Diak was named to the All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference team and made the NAIA honorable mention list. She was also honorable mention for the all-Louisiana team.

She earned these honors by leading the Wolfpack with six goals and 15 points.

When speaking to her, one can notice that the personable Diak isn’t one to brag about her abilities, even when discussing her fine opening campaign.

When asked about the aforementioned Millsaps game, her biggest performance of the season, she recognized it as being “the game Gigi (Alford) scored the winning goal,” instead of recalling her own accomplishments from the day.

But soccer coach Emmy Therrell, is happy to tell all about what her freshman forward brought to her team.

“Lindsay plays with self confidence, and leads by example,” Therrell said. “Her game has a lot of flair, without being showy.”

Therrell added that Diak’s abilities have more of a direct impact on the game as well.

“She has the ability to shoot and score, and she comes out of tight spots with the ball,” she said. “She not only has a powerful shot, but she’s accurate; that makes her a dangerous weapon that we have up top.”

An Edwardsville, Ill., native, Diak has been playing soccer since her preschool days. In her senior year of high school, she was looking at several schools in Louisiana, but settled on Loyola after bonding with her soon-to-be teammates on a visit to the school.

“I came down here for a visit, and Coach Emmy had me stay with some of the girls on the team,” Diak said. “We just clicked – it was so awesome. I really liked Coach Emmy … after that, I knew it would work on the field too.”

As the year went on, Diak became more established and demanded more attention from opposing defenses. Therrell praised Diak’s willingness to expose herself to rough play and tackling, while keeping her composure.

“That’s just how soccer goes,” Diak said of the game’s physical nature.

Her tough, effective scoring isn’t all she brings to the table.

“One thing I really respect about her is her willingness to get back on defense,” Therrell said. “A lot of forwards think their only job is to score, but Lindsay understands how important defense is.”

Diak plans to go home this summer and play with her club team, keeping sharp for the upcoming year.

As Diak gains more experience, Therrell said that she will likely mature into an even better player in the upcoming season. Given how well she’s already played, the prospect of having Diak after she hones her skills further suits the Wolfpack players and coaches just fine.

“She’s the type of player every coach would like to have,” Therrell said. “Very talented, team-minded, dedicated and just fun to be around. I respect her as a player and as a person.”

Ryan Arena can be reached at [email protected].