A sophomore allied health sciences major and a forward for the UConn women’s ice hockey team, Brooke Campbell has no shortage of things to manage or accolades. She hails from Essex, Ontario, and graduated from Ecole Secondaire L’Essor in 2022. Campbell is a three-time Hockey East Rookie of the Week Award winner and was on the HCA National Rookie of the Year watch list. As a freshman, she recorded eight goals and five assists.
Campbell has been playing ice hockey from a young age. After watching her father referee games and her brother play, she wanted to follow in their footsteps. She gained interest in the sport and joined the Essex Ravens in her hometown. The most impressive part? It was a boys team. Through the support of her small town, she was able to pursue her dreams of playing the sport she loves.
“[The town would] cheer us on,” Campbell recalls. “The small community and support really helped me elevate my play and just be thankful for everything that I had.”
Campbell played on the boy’s team for about six to seven years and remained the only girl on the squad.
“[It was] pretty cool because the guys were kind and viewed me as their little sister,” Campbell notes. “They always took care of me.”
Although her brother did not pursue a hockey career, he did end up becoming a nurse. This sparked Campbell’s interest in becoming an allied health sciences major, just as he inspired her to play hockey. But after coming to UConn and taking a few courses, she realized it was not her “cup of tea.” However, she has gained an interest in sports management.
“My roommate is applying to sports management, so she told me about it,” Campbell said. “That piqued my interest. I have spoken to several people and feel like that would be better for me.”
Playing hockey at the collegiate level has always been at the top of Campbell’s list. Ever since she learned about college hockey, she’s had her sights set on the sport.
“I was able to fight for that and work hard to achieve my goals,” noted Campbell. “It was definitely a turning point for me and helped me make connections in the ice hockey world.”
Throughout her journey as a player, she has learned to be more confident.
“I feel like coming here, everybody’s a little bit nervous for school and hockey,” Campbell said. “Obviously, there are nerves coming as a freshman and moving away from home. But I am grateful for my family and supporters.”
Campbell’s family has positively impacted her experiences on the ice too. Despite being far away from home, she feels like Storrs, Connecticut is a second home. It can be tough at times with practice and not being able to spend time with her family, but they try their best to come to her games and support her.
After she graduates Campbell wants to play professionally for the Women’s Hockey League, a new program that started this year. She’s proud of her past accomplishments and believes that to be successful, one needs to have a positive outlook.
“My mentality was just go out there, do your best every single chance you can, listen to your coaches and your teammates,” says Campbell. “It will help you improve.”
Armed with this mindset and her skills on the ice, there’s little doubt that the forward will thrive wherever her path takes her.