The former Dirigo star is adjusting to life at the Division I level.
By Kevin Mills
Staff Writer

DURHAM, N.H.- It is a position Lyndsay Clark isn’t accustomed to but also one that she doesn’t intend to be in too much longer.

The former Dirigo center is not only starting over as a freshman at Albany, but she’s also playing catch-up.

Clark is trying to get herself acclimated to the Division I level while recovering from surgery that forced her out of the first two months of the season. It has put the all-time leading scorer in Cougar history in a rather unfamiliar role.

“I’m an underdog,” said Clark. “I came in going from my senior year being a star of the team and now coming in here, I have to work for my position.”

Clark made an immediate splash as a high school freshman and scored the game-winning basket to lift Dirigo to the state title. She quickly became one of the state’s best players at the high school level but making the leap to Division I is proving to be a challenge, especially considering her late start.

“It’s is kind of difficult,” she said prior to a recent game against UNH. “I’ve never not started a game or not been the go-to player. It’s an adjustment, but I’m willing to make it. We have some awesome players, and it makes me want to work harder and get to where I want to be.”

Clark just recently started playing again after recovering from surgery in October to relieve compartmental syndrome in her shin. She saw her first action in late December and has seen limited time off the bench. She’s says she’s not 100 percent, and she tries to limit the amount of pounding her leg takes in practice, but otherwise she’s working her way back. Catching up physically is only part of the challenge though.

“I don’t think I’m nearly caught up right now,” said Clark. “They’ve been playing for two months. They had two months over me. Coming in as a freshman and not even playing, Division I basketball is tough, but I think I’m gradually coming into it.”

Clark was expected to come off the bench in her first season at Albany. The injury changed the timetable of that, but she’s slowly getting her feet wet now. This past weekend against Maine, Clark played 15 minutes and scored her first two points at the collegiate level.

“She has great potential,” said Albany coach Trina Patterson. “She has a great upside. I think that we’ve seen her do some things in practice that shows her capability is there. She’s very active. She’s really just getting back. So for her to be where she is now, she really didn’t get a taste of action until the Pepperdine game (in late December), just to see what it felt like to get on the floor.”

Clark’s shin had been bothering her during the summer and it was assumed a stress fracture might be the problem. When she had it looked at, it was determined it was compartmental syndrome, an injury prominent in the leg where increased tissue pressure subsequently compromises circulation and function. She could have put surgery off, but she wanted to get it done early and try to make it back this season. It still made for a difficult introduction to Division I basketball.

“I was just taking in everything from the sidelines,” she said. “It was kind of hard being a freshman and learning the plays and getting a grasp of everything coming in new.

“It stinks that I missed a lot of preseason. It was really tough because coming in as a freshman, I didn’t really have chemistry on the court with the players anyway. All my teammates were awesome. They helped me and worked with me after practice to get the plays and everything.”

Clark’s determination and strong work ethic has helped her deal with the hurdles she’s faced.

“She has a terrific attitude,” said Patterson. “She works hard. She loves to be good. She’s willing to put in the time and effort to be good. I think in the next 10 weeks she’ll be able to contribute. I think her strength right now is her athleticism and her defensive presence on the floor. She’s going to have to become more familiar with our offensive schemes to become more comfortable.”

Patterson says that Clark will eventually work herself into a consistent backup role off the bench. She’s likely to see most time as a finesse forward. She says Clark will need to add a few pounds to help her cope with some of the bigger post players at this level.

“At this point, we’re still unsure about her physically,” said Patterson. “I think in the next 10 weeks she’ll continue to play every Wednesday and Saturday. We want her to improve everyday in practice so that she can contribute in a game. That’s the goal – to contribute in games and have some type of impact.”

Her four years at Dirigo certainly have helped her be accustomed to the pace and expectations she faces at Albany. So in that sense, she’s not far behind.

“I think that really prepared me,” said Clark. “Coach (Gavin) Kane’s practices are really intense. Here the intensity is a lot different, but I’ve realized that I’m prepared. We had a really good team in high school. So it’s not like I was coming in here totally unprepared. I knew working with Coach Kane, I’d be prepared for anything.”

She feels a good work ethic will help prepare anyone for the next level.

“I just want to be an impact player,” said Clark. “Everyone on the team has their own role. I think if I can fulfill my role, I can be beneficial to the team. I don’t really know how much playing time I’ll get or what I’ll do, but if I’m one the sidelines cheering them on or in the game, I just want to do what I can.”

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