The season Ashley McDonald had anticipated for so long almost came to an end after it had barely begun.

In the Riverhawks' third game of the season, the senior forward was pinned up against the boards, breaking her right wrist. She missed two weeks because of the injury before doctors told her she could resume playing. But that meant McDonald, who attends St. Michael-Albertville High School, would have to play without having full use of her wrist on her shooting side. It also meant having to deal with the pain of a broken wrist. "Ashley has an unbelievably high pain tolerance," said her coach, Tim Hanson.

Staff writer Jim Paulsen talked to McDonald about her decision to continue playing despite an injury that would have kept many players on the bench.

Q It's your senior year and you broke your wrist so early. What were you thinking at the time?
A I was really bummed at first. I didn't know what to expect. This was my first broken bone. It was very painful.

Q What did the doctor tell you about coming back?
A He left it up to me after two weeks. It was all about how much pain I could take.

Q How did you have to change your game?
A Well, I got a hard brace on the bottom of my hand because my wrist was still broken all the way across. I didn't have much of a shot anymore and I couldn't stick-handle. I had to learn to be more of a playmaker.

Q In what way?
A I had to work harder and look for my teammates more. And I had to become more of a defensive player.

Q So, in some ways, it helped your overall game get better.
A Yes. On the bright side, it helped me to learn to work harder and help out more. I'm glad it happened. It toughens you up. It taught me how much I can take.

Q It didn't stop you from scoring one of the most important goals of the season, though, when you scored the game-winning goal in the final seconds of the third period against Rogers. Can you talk about the goal?
A That was pretty exciting. I think it was my first goal since the injury. One of our players -- I think it was Kasey Blomberg -- shot the puck and the rebound came to me and I just shot it in.

Q The wrist wasn't bothering you then?
A The pain is always there, but I wasn't thinking about it at the time. I was just so happy that we won.

Q North Wright County is a cooperative team with players from St. Michael-Albertville, Monticello and Annandale. Is it strange to be teammate with girls from rival schools?
A No, not at all. I love being a co-op team. Some of my best friends are from those schools.

Q Does playing for a co-op team change your way of thinking about kids from other schools?
A It does open your eyes. It lets you know that everyone's school is pretty much the same.

Q You had a pleasant surprise during the fall. What happened?
A I was elected homecoming queen. I wasn't expecting it at all. It was really shocking. I had no idea.

Q It must be nice to know that you're so well-liked at the school.
A I take pride in being a role model. It was a great honor.