Freshman Nicole Unsworth is already a star on the ice



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- She's just a freshman, but Nicole Unsworth is already a star on the ice!

"I have a rule that you can't just be a goal scorer. You have to do it all. You have to play defense and you have to play offense," University School Wildcats Head Hockey Coach Jason Woods said.

Offensively, University School hockey freshman Nicole Unsworth turns heads, but she's an all-around solid hockey player.

"That's really what I'm most proud of about Nicole the most is she's just as good in the defensive zone as she is the offensive zone, where she scores her goals," Woods said.

Unsworth shares the puck too. Add in her assists, and she finished the 2013-2014 season with 107 total points -- the best in the state for both girls and boys.

"There's only one boy and one girl that are the leading scorers in the state each year, so it's not something that happens every day. Certainly not here. This is the first time we had one -- a leading scorer in our girls co-op. Not sure we had too many boys that were leading scorers. We might have had one or two, but not too many, so it's something different," Woods said.

Woods adds that they've never had a leading scorer who's just a freshman.

This really isn't a case of girls rule and boys drool. Unsworth actually got into hockey because of her older brother.

"He's probably the reason I got into hockey, because when I was little I always tried to be like him, because he was like, my older brother. I think he was the first to like, get into playing hockey, so I just kinda followed him," Unsworth said.

Now, Unsworth attends Nicolet High School -- one of seven schools contributing to the USM co-op hockey team.

Even though she's only a freshman, Unsworth is one of the best players Head Coach Jason Woods has ever coached.

"She is a complete player. She shoots, she can do things with the puck I could never do. A lot of boy hockey players can't. She has a unique ability to be able to get into the goal -- tight to the goal, but yet still be able to get the puck up over the shoulder of the goalie. Her back hand is as good of a back hand as I've ever seen a girl have," Woods said.

Coach Woods could talk about his star for hours, but Unsworth prefers her actions on the ice to do the talking.

"You just play every game your hardest, and go out every shift and play your hardest," Unsworth said.

The humble scorer gives a lot of credit to her linemates -- especially since they have more experience.

"Nina and Rose are amazing players and people. They move the puck really well and are always in the right spot in the right time," Unsworth said.

Nina Andersen serves as a good role model. She broke the U School scoring record this season -- a feat once held by now Wildcats Assistant Coach Megan Bailey.

"Women's hockey in the past few years has been growing. It would be nice to have more women play it," Unsworth said.

At U School, the Lady Wildcats don't just play it. They play it well.

Unsworth's brother got her into hockey -- and she got her mom into the sport. Her mom plays in a women's league.