By Erika Carrubba
Five months after finishing her final season as a member of the Northeastern field hockey team, Liane Dixon was sitting at Sweeney Field where she had turned heads with her speed and skill. Watching the women who used to be her teammates practice, Dixon spoke of being named The Northeastern News Female Athlete of the Year.
“It’s so perfect that I found out now,” she said. “I am sitting here watching them scrimmage. I am so honored. Sitting here and watching my team without me is making me realize how much I miss playing.”
The senior forward finished the season as the top goal scorer and points leader in America East with 51 points on 20 goals and 11 assists. Those numbers were also good for ninth in the country in points and 12th in goals.
“Overall she is a great leader on and off the field,” said co-captain Mari Creatini. “She can score goals but she always gives her all and comes through under pressure.”
Dixon’s skills on the field are only part of why her teammates will miss her.
“In the circle before every game, she would start our chant,” said sophomore forward Whitney Shean. “Hearing her voice before every game is what I will miss.”
The Martha’s Vineyard native started getting people’s attention her freshman year. In her collegiate debut game against Quinnipiac she had a goal and an assist. She was the first NU freshman to be named Northeast Region All-American and she was named the America East Rookie of the Year.
As her years here passed, the accolades kept coming. This season, Dixon was named the 2004 America East Offensive Player of the Year as well as a member of the First Team All-Conference Squad. She was also a second team All-American selection along with Creatini who was selected to the first team All-American.
“[The awards] are nice but the most rewarding experiences are with these girls. It sounds cheesy but [the girls] are my best friends,” Dixon said.
“[They] are there everyday, good games or bad ones, good practices or bad.”
Her teammates share that affection.
“Mentally and physically, on and off the field she has been my biggest role model,” Shean said.
Being a role model isn’t something Dixon is ready to acknowledge yet. However, she was quick to pay homage to her own influences.
“There were two large role models for me when I got here, Maureen Connelly and Fior Arrindell. Maureen was a back and Fior was a forward, but they had such a strong leadership presence. They lead by example and through their skills,” Dixon said.
After playing a season with countless moments cut for the highlight reel, Dixon was hard-pressed to narrow her favorites to just two.
“Pulling out a fourth straight American East title was great, especially for our senior class which is such a great group of girls,” Dixon said.
The team captured the America East title with a 2-0 win over Boston University. Creatini scored first and Dixon added an insurance goal in the second half.
“The other is beating UConn who is, to me, our biggest rival in the regular season and again in the playoffs,” Dixon said. “They are a great team and great competitors and we always go big against each other.”
UConn sent the Huskies home in the first round of the playoffs in 2003, but NU was able to beat them 2-1 in overtime in 2004. However, they fell to two-time defending national champions Wake Forest 4-2 in the next round.
“We didn’t win but we played well. I wish I could have stepped up more,” Dixon said.
The African-American studies major isn’t sure what she is going to do now that field hockey is over.
“I have no idea what I am going to do now. I haven’t played since the season ended. I have just been concentrating on my studies,” she said.”I could see myself coaching someday. We have done clinics in the past and teaching girls to play and be confident is great.”
Shean said she agrees Dixon could use her experience to coach in the future.
“She is a great motivator,” Shean said. “She has the physical and mental skills to hold a team together.”
