Two Can Play That Game – Ohio State Buckeyes
7/19/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Former Buckeye Lindsay Eckles charges through new territory
Since Lindsay Eckles’ time at Ohio State as a member of the women’s soccer team, she has traded past goals for future goals. In this case, Eckles has turned in scores on the soccer pitch for booting a football through the uprights as a member of the Columbus Comets of the National Women’s Football Association.
Third on Ohio State’s all-time scoring list with 68 points on 29 goals, Eckles led the Buckeyes to the Big Ten championship as a senior in 2002. An athlete at heart, the Hilliard, Ohio, native’s competitive spirit has never waned. So when the Columbus Comets joined the National Women’s Football Association (NWFA) five years ago, Eckles found a new avenue to showcase her talent. Now leading the Comets in pass receptions, receiving yards and scoring, the former Buckeye has been a driving force on the team’s run to the 2007 NWFA World Championship Game vs. Pittsburgh scheduled at 8 p.m. July 21 in Nashville, Tenn.
Started in 2000 by Catherine Masters, the NWFA has grown from only two teams to a league with more than 40 squads. In 2008, the NWFA will add three teams with the addition of the Dayton Diamonds, New Jersey Nitro and West Virginia Wonders. The new association has supplied women like Eckles an outlet to play full-contact football in a professional, competitive and organized league. In its first seven seasons, the NWFA has expanded into a successful athletic market garnering attention from media outlets across the United States.
For the Comets, Eckles made an immediate impact on the field serving as a wide receiver, punter and place kicker and was honored in her rookie season as a 2004 NWFA All-Star and Great Lakes Division second team offense selection.
Ohio State women’s soccer coach Lori Walker remembers Eckles for her great stamina and athletic frame, both of which help Eckles define herself under the helmet.
“Lindsay was a tremendous athlete for us at Ohio State,” Walker said. “She always had the athletic ability, size and speed that I’m sure help her in football as well.”
Just as Eckles led the Scarlet and Gray to a Big Ten title, the standout athlete has helped the Comets, who call Dublin Coffman High School their home field, to a 28-11 overall record in the past four seasons of play. In 2007, the women’s football team posted a 9-2 record including a perfect 3-0 mark in playoff action. Previously, the squad had made it to the postseason in both 2005 and ’06. Now Eckles and her teammates have the chance to secure the Comets’ first national crown when they face the Pittsburgh Passion (11-0) in the title game.
“This year was supposed to be a rebuilding year but it hasn’t felt like it because our rookies really stepped up for us this year to fill the gaps,” Eckles said. “This team meshed. We don’t care who makes the big plays just as long as they are made.”
After graduating with distinction from Ohio State with a bachelor’s degree in pre-medicine and exercise science, Eckles has excelled outside of the football arena as well. The 2002 graduate currently works at Columbus Children’s Hospital and freelances as a personal trainer as well. Finishing her second degree to be a nurse practitioner this summer, Eckles stays busy working and attending school fulltime while traveling weekends with the Comets.
“I gave up my free time long ago,” Eckles said. “It’s a time and money consuming sport because right now the players play out of pocket for travel and equipment expenses, but it’s an opportunity I’ve always been interested in.”
As women’s football continues to grow, the Comets are looking for sponsorships to further the growth of the squad. With a growing Columbus fan base, the Comets are gaining recognition around the city. A live webcast of the NWFA championship game with be available at 8 p.m. July 21 on www.columbuscomets.com while Columbus Sports Network will air the title game later this summer on tape-delay.
