After suffering a mid-season injury, senior forward and assistant captain Carolyne Prevost returned to the ice and is already making significant contributions to the Wisconsin women’s hockey team.
Prevost tallied seven points in a two game series against the North Dakota Sioux Jan. 13-14. It was just her second series back after missing several games due to a knee injury. The Western Collegiate Hockey Association named Prevost offensive player of the week on Wednesday for her impressive four goals and three assists against the Sioux.
In game one of the series, she posted one goal and three assists to help the Badgers beat UND in a decisive 8-2 victory. While game two was less successful for UW, tying the Sioux 4-4, Prevost put away three of the team’s goals, her second hat trick of the season.
“You don’t know how kids will be after going though an extended time off and fighting an injury, but [Prevost] worked hard through rehab and getting herself in good condition,” head coach Mark Johnson said. “When you come back and have success, that helps with the confidence right away, so it was good to see her play the way she has the last four games, and it certainly helps us win.”
While the team tied and lost in their series at Minnesota in early January, it was a successful first weekend back for Prevost. She assisted on two goals and scored one of her own in the first game.
However, the success Prevost is bringing to the ice is nothing new for the Badgers. Throughout the season, Prevost has been consistently creating opportunities and scoring goals, making her a major contributor to Wisconsin’s impressive accomplishments this season.
She currently ranks fourth on the team in points at 36, with 17 goals and 19 assists.
“I think her consistency in each game has been her biggest asset this past year,” Johnson said. “From the first games to where we are right now, she has played each game the same way; she has played hard, … and the confidence she has built along with the scoring is a pretty good combination.”
Along with consistency, Prevost’s speed, allowing her to quickly get up the ice, has been a major asset to her teammates. The Badgers have found great success with Prevost in their first line alongside junior forward Brianna Decker and senior forward Brooke Ammerman. Together, the trio has combined for 62 of the team’s 117 goals this season.
“Our chemistry has been great, we’re having fun and were staying positive, and I think that has carried though to success on the ice,” Prevost said.
With the early success Prevost had to start off the season, including three goals and two assists back in October against the Sioux, her knee injury came at the most inopportune time. Prevost missed the last five games of 2011, including the series against Minnesota State and Bemidji State in December.
While the senior saw her injury as a setback in her final year as a Badger, she took advantage of her time off the ice to see the bigger picture and make a successful recovery, which has only motivated her further.
“It was a setback having an injury, especially senior year when you are trying to take everything in and you have to miss a few games,” Prevost said. “But I had time to step back and look at the big picture and appreciate a lot of the things that I don’t when I was just going to the rink everyday.”
Prevost has been in a world of hockey ever since she was young. The native of Ontario, Canada, followed in her father’s footsteps as a hockey player since starting to play at age 6, and she hasn’t looked back since.
As she looks forward with her career at Wisconsin winding down, Prevost can’t see her time on the ice ending soon.
“I still want to be playing hockey. I’m not sure where I will be next year, hopefully somewhere in Ontario or Canada,” she said. “Hopefully, I will keep going with the [Canadian] national team program and see where that all takes me.”
