Soccer
Outwit. Outplay. Outlast.
Survivor.
One hour of her week is set aside to giving undivided attention to her television set — the show that she can’t miss.
Everything about the show thrills her. From the competition to being able to travel somewhere new and the relationships earned from the experience. And, of course, there’s the $1,000,000.
“I’ve planned to make my (Survivor) application video,” senior Lindsey Peterson said.
They would refer to her as “Peanut.” She would likely be the smallest person on the show, but would have the biggest heart and be the strongest leader.
That goal may not be a reality for a few years at least, but for now Peterson holds that same role on the Oregon women’s soccer team.
The four-year veteran earned her nickname from her roommate her freshman year and, according to Peterson, “it just kind of stuck.”
“She’s the smallest person on our team but she knocks over girls my size,” defender and close friend Robi Thayer said.
Not bad for someone who stands 5-foot-1.
“When I play, I don’t want to just go out and play, I want to do my best and play hard, otherwise it is not worth the time and physical effort,” Peterson said.
Peterson was able to make her physical efforts evident from the start of her soccer-playing days.
It all began in the first grade for Peterson, who was six years old when she started in her first soccer camp in the small town of Port Orchard, Wash.
And even at that age, mother Linda Peterson recalls “they recognized her skills and potential for soccer.”
“I played everything, but soccer is the sport I stuck with,” Peterson said.
Soccer has brought her through a college career at Oregon, as she rounds out her last season as a captain with the Ducks.
“She is someone who plays with an awful lot of heart,” head coach Bill Steffen said. “She gives us a lot of direction and organization.”
Steffen also described her as being the shepherd for the flock of sheep.
“She leads by example, for sure,” Thayer said. “She takes every
single person under her wing. She is kind of like our mom.”
Peterson played in only two games as a Duck freshman in 1999. But that didn’t faze her, as she kept her eye on her goal to become captain and lead her Ducks.
Peterson said she has had many great moments and memories while at Oregon, but her most vivid memory is from Friday night, Nov. 9, 2001.
The Ducks had traveled to play No. 13-ranked Washington and Peterson’s family and friends had the opportunity to come and watch.
Oregon almost pulled off one of the biggest upsets in school history but ended the game in a 1-1 tie, with the Huskies scoring a goal with less than two minutes left.
Regardless of the tie, the experience was unforgettable for Peterson.
In 2001, she started all 18 games for the Ducks, notching seven shots while providing solid defense to help Oregon to its best record since the sport began.
“Lindsey likes to play hard,” Steffen said. “If she is going to do something she wants to do it well. That is a tremendous asset.”
Soccer is not the only aspect of Peterson’s life. She excels in the classroom and will graduate with a degree in business administration.
“I like people who are successful,” Steffen said. “Whatever Lindsey does, she tends to be good at it.”
Peterson’s teammates will always remember her sly sense of humor and excellent leadership. Or, they’ll remember just plain Peanut.
There are instances where some of her teammates don’t know about Peterson’s life, things that just define who she is.
In her junior year of high school, in a match against a cross-town
rival, Peterson fell and broke her arm. Nothing could stop her from playing, not even the pain. She got back up, played the rest of the game and didn’t tell anyone,
because she knew they would make her sit out.
“We did these profiles, and on mine it said, ‘If you could be another Oregon athlete, who would it be?’” Thayer said. “I said Lindsey Peterson.”
Lindsey Peterson file
Senior defender, Oregon soccer team. Home town:
Port Orchard, Wash.
Born: Lindsey Marie Peterson on Feb. 10, 1981, in Tacoma, Wash.
High School: Three-year member of the Washington ODP and a three-year participant in the regional camp…Masonic Outstanding Junior of the Year nominee in 1998…won the State Snickers Cup Fair Play Award her senior year at South Kitsap High in Port Orchard.
Oregon: Three letters as a Duck…notched seven shots while starting all 18 games in 2001…played 17 games as a sophomore and two games as a freshman…has started every game this season and recorded one shot on goal…spearheaded an Oregon defense that held No. 1 North Carolina to three goals Sunday.
Related Links:
University of Oregon: Womens Soccer
Player Bio: Lindsey Peterson
Contact the sports reporter at [email protected].