Daughter Of Bruins Alum On US Olympic Women's Hockey Team
BELMONT (CBS) - On the cover of Sports Illustrated in February of 1981 he was called the "best U.S. prospect they've seen. Ever." More than three decades later, it's his daughter's game Bobby Carpenter is focused on. Alex Carpenter is #25 on the U.S. Women's Olympic Ice Hockey team, which hit the ice for a scrimmage in Belmont Thursday as they train for Sochi.
"This is all these girls have," said her father as he watched. "I mean this is as far as they can go." His daughter plays for Boston College, but she's taking the year off to train for her dream. Her mother says when she was ten years old, she wrote a school essay predicting she would one day be an Olympian. "I couldn't even spell Olympics at that time. I think I put a K in it," said Alex. Her mom says she knew it would come true. "I never doubt anything she says, because she has a determination that you can't even explain to anybody," said Julie Carpenter.
Bobby Carpenter was the first U.S. citizen to join the NHL from high school, and to be a first-round draft pick. Thursday, he watched his daughter scrimmage against a men's league at Belmont Hills School, which has an Olympic-sized rink. The women's team won 4-0. "Guys have so many more options, but this is the end of the line for them," Carpenter said about his daughter and her teammates.
Alex says she's determined to take the game to the next level. "Part of our job is to grow this game and to make it one day hopefully like the men's game…If I could make a living off this I definitely would."