1/16/25 Highlight: Girls’ Varsity Ice Hockey
By ESTHER CHAE and LUCY JUNG
The girls’ varsity hockey team competed in their first two games of 2025 on Friday, Jan. 10, and Saturday, Jan 11, facing Cushing Academy and Proctor Academy, respectively. With their successful Exeter Invitational Hockey Tournament from December still fresh, the team brought in a hard-fought 2-5 loss against Cushing and a 4-0 win against Proctor.
Senior Soleil Jamani said that, despite it being their first loss of the season, Friday’s game was her favorite thus far. “There were many things about the atmosphere of the game, like the ceremony, crowded rink, and evening time slot that amped our team up and beyond that, Cushing is a talented team so those games always push us to play our best,” Jamani reflected.
“Though the score 5-2 may not have reflected our efforts completely, we had great offensive chances and topped Cushing with a shot count of 32 whilst they had 30. Maria Gray ‘26, a captain and UVM commit, scored the lone goal at the end of the second period and then I scored with the final 5 minutes of the game. It was a great battle between the two teams with opportunities from Grace Riley ‘26, UConn Commit, that unfortunately were bounces that didn’t go our way and hit the pipes,” upper Lauren Xu shared.
Lower Kiera Dowd agreed. “We faced a tough Cushing team who we played an even game with, though the score might not reflect that.” Dowd continued, highlighting fellow lower and teammate Lily Sabol’s contributions to Friday night’s game. “If I could choose an MVP for the Cushing game, I would choose our goalie Lily Sabol, who stepped up as our other goalie was unable to play. We asked a lot of Lily to step into this huge role against a skilled offensive team like Cushing, but she did amazing the whole game,” Dowd said.
Dowd also spoke on Saturday’s game against Proctor Academy, where the team “controlled the game,” despite the opponents’ aggressive play. “When Proctor was chippy during the game, I was proud that we didn’t retaliate with being dirty back and we kept a cool head,” Dowd said.
“For proctor, it took a few chances until we were able to find the back of the net, goals coming from the power play and rebounds. They were strong-willed and were competitive, but we fought through some tough battles and were able to get the win,” Xu added.
Dowd spotlighted upper Mia Griffith as the MVP for the game against Proctor, commending her for “[netting] two goals on the powerplay and [working] hard on defense.”
Jamani selected upper Emma Shu as the team’s most valuable player for this weekend’s games. “There are many talented players on our team that constitute our success, like our D1 commits, of course, but Emma Shu is someone who is making a clear difference on our team. She’s an extremely lively person off the ice and on the ice, she works really hard, and I think her development and growth in this team is clear. I think she is someone very important to our team dynamic as she’s just someone you want to be around. Additionally, she puts her all in on the ice and her effort definitely contributes to our success.”
“I think the MVP of the weekend is Erin Sears,” captain Maria Gray ‘26 added. “She never gave up the whole weekend and battled hard. She produced good offense and was able to play consistently in the defensive zone. She kept a positive mindset all weekend and uplifted her teammates on the bench,” Gray said.
In addition to their hockey caliber, however, the GV hockey team’s stellar perseverance and genuine camaraderie played a critical role in their performance. “Our second goal during the Cushing game reduced the goal differential by 3, but our team celebrated as if it were the game-winning goal. I think this moment is reflective of how genuinely excited and happy our teammates are for one another and our improvement in not getting in our heads, as the game isn’t over until the time is out,” Jamani said.
“One moment from the game that I was most proud of is when we were going into the second period, we got on the ice and were all huddled by the bench. I was near the center and one by one, everyone came into the huddle and we were all hugging each other,” Gray shared. “There was loud music above and everyone was singing along. It was so amazing to see how close our team has gotten and how much everyone cares for each other. This moment made me really feel like I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else other than with these girls,” she continued.
“I think how our team never gives up is something to be very proud of. We are all incredibly focused on every game ahead and don’t lose steam as the game goes on,” senior Elle Perry concluded.
Come support this amazing team on the Academy’s ice rinks next week! They will play a home game against Worcester Academy on Wednesday, Jan. 15.
