Sept. 28, 2004

Winners breed championships. That just may be the philosophy that Ohio State women's soccer head coach Lori Walker is instilling in her Buckeyes team. That also could be one of the main reasons that Walker recruited freshman Lara Dickenmann to come to Columbus.

A native of Switzerland, Dickenmann has brought a lot of energy to a team that is in the thick of the Big Ten Conference race and will be a factor at the Big Ten Tournament in November. At the halfway point of the 2004 season, the Buckeyes stand at 5-2-2 overall and undefeated in the Big Ten at 1-0-2 while Dickenmann is making her mark for top freshman honors in the conference.

Winning is nothing new to the midfielder. As a member of the Switzerland Sursee National Team, Dickenmann was a crucial part of a squad that won the 2002 Under-19 European Championship as well as two Swiss national championships. In addition to the team trophies, Dickenmann has also earned some personal hardware, being named MVP of two games in those championships.

"It was nice to be recognized for all the hard work I put in," explained the soccer veteran. "Playing in the biggest men's soccer stadium in Switzerland in front of 20,000 people and to do it twice was amazing."

The biggest honor for Dickenmann came at the end of the 2003-04 season when she was named Swiss Player of the Year. That kind of experience combined with her style is exactly what OSU and Walker are looking to get out of Dickenmann for this season and the foreseeable future.

"Adding outstanding players from different regions and backgrounds brings a unique flavor to our team," added Walker. "Dickenmann is arguably the top player in Switzerland and she is an experienced winner, playing on two Swiss national championship teams."

However, soccer hasn't been the only challenge for Dickenmann since coming over to the United State and Ohio State. Dickenmann has had to adapt to a new culture and new surroundings all while starting college classes and competing at the highest athletic level.

"At times it's hard for me to understand people," added the freshman sensation. "I love playing with the team and the new challenges that I'm faced with. I enjoy meeting new people each day and learning the infrastructure of soccer better."

Since arriving in Columbus, Dickenmann has relied on her teammates to help her make the transition to a new life-style and culture.

"Right now, besides the team, I don't really know many people," explained Dickenmann. "So right now I depend on my teammates a lot off the field. On the field, we all need each other in order to reach our goal and be successful."

On the field, the freshman has found that the brand of soccer played in the USA is different as a whole and much more challenging than back home.

"The game is more physical, athletic and fast. It is also different because soccer was part of my culture growing up; I learned the game by watching it. Here in America, that's not the case, people here watch American Football. I just hoped that soccer would be at a higher level here than it was back home and it is."

If Dickenmann is really still adjusting to play at Oho State, than when she is more comfortable the results could be frightening. Through only the first nine games of the 2004 season, Dickenmann has started in all seven games she's played in, while averaging over four shots-per-game - good enough for third in the Big Ten. Additionally, she has added two goals and three assists on the season. Her seven total points are good enough for fourth on the team.

As if all this wasn't enough to get used to, Dickenmann has also had to adapt to American cuisine to which she has had some mixed results.

"The food here is good, but some of it is also a lot more unhealthy than back home."

If Dickenmann can help Ohio State to its goal of winning a Big Ten Conference title, that may make the unfamiliar meals taste a little sweeter."