Rookie forward Lindsay Browne's influence is
stamped liberally all over Clemson's near-perfect 16-1-1
season. The Tigers are currently ranked fourth in the
nation and clinched the Atlantic Coast Conference
regular season title for the first time in the program's
history. <br><br>Browne, a La Costa, CA, native, erupted
immediately up top for the Tigers, tallying points in 12
consecutive games. <br><br>According to head coach Ray Leone,
Browne has certainly exceeded all expectations placed
upon her. <br><br>"I knew she was the best on the West
Coast but did I expect her to score in 12 straight
games? No," Leone said. "I don't think anyone could've
expected that." <br><br>Browne leads the team in scoring
with 13 goals and 10 assists, giving her a total of 36
points. Her first collegiate goal came in the
season-opener against nationally ranked UCLA. <br><br>"It was
awesome," Browne said. "I was so surprised--I can't even
describe what it felt like." <br><br>"Lindsay makes a lot
of people look good," Coach Leone said. "She's
persistent and relentless and very strong on the ball. She
has a great forward mentality. She's the best I ever
coached." <br><br>Clemson steam-rolled its way through the
ACC, finishing with a conference record of 5-1-1. The
Tigers' only falter came against Duke. They also were
unable to shake a tenacious NC State team and had to
settle for a scoreless draw. <br><br>Perhaps the most
important victory occurred in mid-September against
conference powerhouse and defending national champions the
Carolina Tar Heels. Clemson pulled what could arguably be
considered the upset of the year with a 2-1 decision over a
team it had previously been unable to beat. The loss
marked Carolina's first ACC defeat since 1994.
<br><br>"It was absolutely incredible," Browne said. "I never
thought (beating Carolina) would come so soon, when I was
a freshman. We just wanted that game really badly."
<br><br>The Tigers finished regular season play with a
thrilling 3-2 triumph over Florida. Browne had a hand in
the win, scoring two of Clemson's three goals. Though
not her first multiple-goal effort, she says it was a
nice way to wrap things up. <br><br>"It was such an
intense game. We had to come from behind twice. We all
played so awesomely. It was senior night, and I think we
all played our best for (the seniors). It meant a lot
to them." <br><br>Browne's roommate and fellow
touted recruit, Kate Clifton, who was forced to
red-shirt this season due to an ACL injury, says she
expects Browne to do great things for the Tigers.
<br><br>"Lindsay is a major force on our team," Clifton said.
"She's come in and made an impact as a freshman and she
has the ability to score a lot of goals. I see her
leading us to a national championship." <br><br>If the
Tigers can emerge victorious from this weekend's ACC
showdown, they will automatically advance to the NCAA
tournament. <br><br>A national championship may be closer
than the team thinks.