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| Tricia Dyk |
Tricia Dyk had some enormous boots to fill when she stepped onto the
Calvin soccer field for the first time during the 1999 season. Her older
sister, Tara, had just finished shattering a slew of previous Calvin women's
soccer records, leaving lofty expectations for the 18-year old freshman.
The younger Dyk was up to the task, however, continuing to blow by opponents
with a combination of speed and finishing that her sister had started
four years earlier.
Over her four-year career at Calvin, the speedy striker was able to post
some incredible numbers of her own. She is second on Calvin's list for
both career goals and career assists. Dyk had 19 goals and 14 assists
this season and 75 goals and 40 assists during her Calvin career. The
total of 14 assists was also a single-season record, putting Dyk in a
first-place tie with Tracy Veurink (1990) and Larissa Onderlinde (2001).
While posting good stats, things have not been easy for Dyk during her
career. She has continually been the target of double and even triple-teams
over the past few years and has had to learn to deal with more physical
play. "She has had to adjust to more physicalness from opposing teams,"
said Calvin Coach Mark Recker.
But Tricia never let the increased aggression get to her. "In the
last few years it has been more of a physical challenge with people just
hitting me," said Dyk. "It really just makes you want to go
harder."
And the harder Dyk played, the more success she enjoyed. During her
junior season, she scored a career-high 27 goals and was named MVP of
the MIAA for the first time and was placed on the second team All-Region
squad for the second consecutive season.
Even more impressive than her numbers on the field, though, is the number
of games that her parents have attended. Dyk's mother, Maryann, has been
on the sidelines to witness every one of her daughter's record-breaking
goals. She has not missed a single Calvin game during the past eight years
and is often joined by her husband Harley. "They come to every single
game and I love it," said Dyk. "I like having somebody there...to
support me and I am so used to it that sometimes...I take it for granted."
It was this continual support that helped secure Dyk's decision to come
to Calvin. After starring at Western Michigan Christian High School in
Muskegon, Dyk had entertained the possibility of taking her game to the
Division I level, but chose Calvin so that she could stay close to home
and continue her basketball career as well.
Now that her soccer career is over, Dyk has joined the women's basketball
team for the 2002-2003 season. She has been the starting point-guard for
the Knights during the past three seasons and led the team in points and
assists last season with 9.6 scoring average and 4.0 assists per game.
Dyk will earn a degree in physical education and health from Calvin in
May and plans on looking for a job teaching and coaching somewhere in
the area.
As far as passing up on her dreams of Division I soccer, she is pleased
with her decision. "Being able to put my faith and soccer together
makes me very glad that I came to Calvin," she said. |
