Hard Work Paying Dividends for Devereaux
November 21, 2002 | Women's Hockey
Senior Forward Kathy Devereaux scored her first points of the season against St. Cloud State and the seasoned Badger was excited that things started going her way with a goal on Friday night and an assist Saturday.
'I've been working hard this season and the points haven't been coming, so it's good to finally get one,' said Deveraux.
Devereaux, a native of Canada, started playing hockey after 10 years of ringette, another on-ice sport popular with young girls. 'I've got two older brothers that play hockey so I just kind of transitioned into the sport from there, ' she said.
Devereaux began skating with the Badgers last year after two years at the University of Calgary. Her first season at Wisconsin was quite successful, with a week as the WCHA Rookie of the Week after a five-point weekend against Findlay, including a four point series opener.
Devereaux said playing for the Badgers is different than Canadian hockey because, 'There's a lot more support here financially and within the community. And we play a lot more games here, so that's nice.'
Devereaux not only played for Calgary, she also donned her country 's colors for the 2000 Under-22 Canadian National Team. She was chosen for the team while playing at Calgary after being ranked among the country's top 28 players. These selected players attended a camp from which the top 22 made the team.
'It was awesome. I mean, everybody wants to play for their country,' Devereaux commented. 'It was a lot of fun and really competitive hockey.'
In addition to the national team, Devereaux was a four-year member of the Oval X-Treme team in Calgary. 'I just tried out for the team and ended up making it,' Devereaux said. 'The caliber of players there is phenomenal so it's definitely of good learning experience for me.'
Devereaux is taking what she has learned to lead the team as assistant captain this season. She said her duties mainly consist of making sure everyone is communicating and knows what is going on with the team.
Devereaux's personal goal for the season is to have fun. 'Just play my best and have our team do well,' she said. Her goals for the team, however, are more concrete.
'Obviously, [my goal is] to make it to the final four, ' Devereaux said. 'I think we can do that, but we have a lot of work ahead of us and we have to just keep winning games.'
With her two years as a Badger winding down, Devereaux said she will always remember her experience. 'The hockey is definitely fun and the friendships that you make and the experiences we've had are great.'
