THE SURGEON’s knife didn’t stop Barbados hockey player Nakira Downes from shining this season for Lock Haven University in the United States.
Downes, who gained a hockey scholarship to the Pennsylvania university in 2011, scored 11 goals, including four game winners while earning 35 points, the fourth most in the Atlantic Conference during the regular season.
It was a remarkable achievement for the 22-year-old former Alexandra and Combermere schoolgirl as she was sidelined during the first half of the year.
“I actually had knee surgery in April, so over the summer I just spent my time doing rehab and getting myself in shape for the season,” she told WEEKEND SPORT.
Downes’ performance helped Lock Haven to finish third in their Conference with a 14-6 win-loss record during the actual season.
Apart from her team-high 11 goals, she also provided 13 assists, giving her a ranking of 10th among all Division 1 players in assists per game.
The versatile Downes, who won the Under-20 girls’ 800 and 1500 metres at the Barbados Secondary Schools Athletic Championships when she was 14 years old, also gained a number of individual awards during the season. She was named the A-10 Player of the Week and the Lock Haven Athlete of the Week.
To crown an outstanding season, Downes was selected on the A-10 Conference first team, the All-Mideast Region first team and the Atlantic 10 Field Hockey All-Championship Team.
Downes has represented Barbados at the Junior Pan Am Games in Mexico in 2008. She made her senior debut at the Caribbean Cup in Trinidad and Tobago the following year and was a member of the bronze medal-winning team at the 2010 Central American And Caribbean (CAC) Games in Puerto Rico.
