Nicola Prins, at home with Jedda, has starred in her debut season for the Casey Comets in the Women’s Premier League. 31907 Picture: Luke PlummerBy Marc McGowan
CASEY Comets coach Debbie Nichols oozed confidence on the eve of this year’s Women’s Premier League campaign despite losing star veterans Rachel Lamb and Leigh Terek in the off-season.
And it didn’t take long to figure out why.
Recruit Nicola Prins slotted straight into the new-look Comets squad and scored in just her second game for the club.
The 19-year-old Beaconsfield resident then netted a hat-trick in Casey’s 5-0 whitewash of Bendigo the weekend after.
A star was born.
Prins boasts six goals – good for third-best in the competition – from the first seven rounds of the Premier League and the Comets sit inside the top four.
The former Berwick Regional Churches Club midfielder is, not surprisingly, thrilled with her transition to the elite level of women’s soccer in Victoria.
“I’m still trying to work out how I can play with the other players in the team, but I’m pretty happy with my season so far – I can’t complain,” she said.
“The girls have been really welcoming and supportive and are always quick to give me constructive criticism or encouragement.
“Deb is great. She’s the same – she pulls me up when I need to be pulled up and encourages me when I need it.
“I can’t ask for a better club; they’re great girls.”
Prins had played in the Victorian Churches Soccer Association since she was four years old and racked up a stunning number of achievements.
Casey defender Vanessa Hellar was one of her team-mates in the junior ranks.
Prins represented the association five times, leading it to national glory last year, and also won the player of the tournament in 2007.
Her father, Rob, is the president of Berwick and her siblings, Daniel, 22, Nathan, 20, Haylee, 16, and Casey, 14, and mother, Wendy, still compete for the club.
But Prins knew it was time to try her luck against stronger competition.
“I’d thought about it for a few years, but I’d had Year 12 and other things came up and it didn’t allow me to really give it a red-hot go,” she said.
“I had no idea what the standard (of the Premier League) was like … but it was exciting when I got there and realised I could handle it and could give it a good go.
“I loved the churches league because of the community and everyone knows each other, but I also realised if I didn’t give it a shot now I’d be leaving it too late and I didn’t want to regret not giving it a go.”
Prins, who is completing a Bachelor of Sport and Outdoor Recreation and a Bachelor of Education, hasn’t looked back, but still helps out at her old club’s training once a week.
She is still adjusting to the physical nature of the Premier League and hopes to improve her speed, but believes the Comets are on track to return to the finals.
“I think we’ve got a shot at getting into the finals,” Prins said.
“I’m not really sure of the competition too much … but I’ve heard Box Hill will be our greatest challenge (tomorrow night at Wembley Park) and I’m looking forward to that.”
Prins is concentrating on Casey’s fortunes at the moment, but hopes she can make Melbourne Victory’s W-League squad in the future.
“Melbourne Victory is definitely my ultimate goal – that would be great to go further,” she said.
“I’m enjoying where I’m at, but if I could go further then I definitely won’t say no.”
