She left an impression wherever she went.

Whether she was on the field, in the stands, or on the sideline, former Penn State lacrosse standout Diane Whipple, who died as a result of a dog attack outside her San Francisco apartment on Jan. 26, always made an impact.

And, on March 3, the Penn State lacrosse community came together to recognize the significant contributions Whipple made during her career with their team from 1987-1991.

"We've heard from a number of people, even coaches from other teams who went up against Penn State when Diane played," said assistant athletic director Sue Scheetz, who was Whipple's coach for her first three years with the Lions.

"We got calls from people who played with her and people who played against her. It was just a shock to the entire lacrosse community."

Whipple, who played on the 1987 and 1989 national championship teams, was honored with a moment of silence prior to the March 3 contest against Cornell.

In addition, a memorial reception was held in a conference room at The Bryce Jordan Center following the game. About 160 current players, alumni, and parents attended the service.

"The Penn State lacrosse family is a tight-knit group," head coach Suzanne Weinberg said. "Everybody was affected by it."

Those in attendance were able to listen to athletic director Tim Curley, Whipple's close friend and former teammate Tracy Mass-Yopp, Weinberg and Scheetz offer memories of a woman who showed dedication both on and off the field.

"I tried to revisit some of the good times when she played here and just remember her contributions and the friendships she made over the years," Scheetz said. "Diane was a person who loved Penn State, and she loved lacrosse."

Aside from playing on two national championship teams during her time at Penn State, Whipple was a two-time first team All-American and was the NCAA Final Four MVP Midfielder in 1989. In 1990, she was named the NCAA National Player of the Year and the Penn State Female Athlete of the Year.

These accolades, according to Scheetz, were no surprise.

"As a player she had such determination and desire," Scheetz said. "If a skill needed work, she would stay after practice to be able to master it, and she was naturally gifted with speed. She could run forever."

Whipple then took her dedication and transferred it from the field to the sidelines after graduation. She was the head coach at UC-San Diego in 1992-93, and she also coached at the Menlo School in California from 1998-99.

Then, in October of 1999, Whipple took over the St. Mary's (Calif.) lacrosse program and was instrumental in elevating it from club to varsity status. In its first year competing at the NCAA Div. I level, Whipple led the team to an impressive 8-8 record.

"Diane brought a tremendous amount of passion and intensity to her job and she truly loved working with her players," Carl Clapp, Director of Athletics and Recreational Sports at St. Mary's, said in a press release. "It will be difficult to replace what Diane has brought to the program over the past two years."

Although Whipple made coaching her primary concern in the past few years, she continued to play with club teams. At the National Lacrosse Tournament this summer, she played for a California team that went up against some current Penn State athletes.

"I didn't really know her before that, but she really stood out on the field," junior Molly Ford said. "I know a couple of times I had to do the draw against her, and here was this older woman sprinting up and down the field."

So, because of this link between Whipple and current team members and the response from Penn State lacrosse alumni, the athletic department and lacrosse coaches realized the need for some type of closure.

And while the reception on March 3 helped, many of those who were close to Whipple believe they may never be able to put her death completely behind them.

"You were horrified to hear how she had died," Scheetz said. "More and more, as the story unravels, myself and many of her former teammates have some anger that something like this had been allowed to happen."