Who knows where the Eastern program might be if senior midfielder Trisha Walter hadn’t decided to change her major before she graduated from Alton Marquette High School.

Walter, coming into her fourth year as a starter for the Panthers and Eastern’s active leader in goals, assists and points, was originally planning to attend the University of Missouri-Rolla to play soccer and study engineering.

“I came here because I changed (my major),” she said. “I knew some people here already and some people coming here and it all fit.”

Fitting in is something that Walter, now a health studies/physical therapy major, has done well at Eastern, both on the soccer field and off.

“She’s very goofy, a wonderful person and really fun to be around,” said junior defender and fellow captain Karisa Brenner of Walter.

She’s also someone who is willing to adapt to a different position on the soccer field coming into her senior year.

Walter, a midfielder in high school and for part of her freshman year at Eastern, played the majority of her sophomore and junior years as a forward.

But with the graduation of midfielders Kim Garkie and Sharyne Connell, Eastern head coach Tim Nowak knew who could fill their roles.

Nowak told Walter this past spring that he was thinking about moving Walter back to midfield, specifically out wide where her play-making abilities could be a factor.

Nowak went back and looked at Walter’s freshman and sophomore year statistics, seasons where she had 13 goals and 13 assists, and decided to make the change.

“Trisha is good at taking people on,” Nowak said. “When you’re out wide, you find yourself one-on-one a lot. I felt like that’s where she could have the most success, not that she’s not a good forward – because she is a good forward – but for our team to win, she needed to play there and I think she accepted that.”

One thing Walter has also accepted this year is more of a leadership role on the team.

Being one of four seniors this year, Walter knew coming into this year that she would have to lead more because eight seniors graduated from last year’s team.

And her leadership style comes more from actions than from words.

“She’s the kind of girl that doesn’t have to say a word and will just come out on the field and just run over people and show you that’s what she expects from you too,” said junior forward Kellie Floyd.

Walter expects to graduate in May with a degree in physical therapy and then attend graduate school – where yet is still uncertain, as she is starting to apply at different schools this semester.

What is certain is the mark she has left on the program and her teammates, whether playing in the midfield or at forward.

“She’s adapted to (the position switch),” Brenner said. “I think it’s a position she plays very well. We’re going to miss her next year.”

Senior forward Trisha Walters dribbles the ball up field agasint DePaul on Friday at Lakeside field.

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