​Because the team hasn’t yet cultivated a strong win streak—though since the season’s start on Nov. 6, they’ve won once against Newark Public by a score of 8-0—it instead focuses on building team character.

Student team founder and senior captain Ally Hornstein expressed mixed feelings about the team’s performance since its rookie season.

“[This season has] been pretty consistent with last year’s,” she said. “It has had its ups and downs, but we’ve all learned that we have to have our expectations in check for such a new program.”

Like any new sports team, girls ice hockey is still learning how to maintain success on and off the ice. But while WHS sports teams are known for their competitiveness and record successes, girls ice hockey is victorious in a different sense: interpersonal relationships.
Junior forward Alex Sumas emphasized the team’s dynamic.

“Sure, we’re not winning games—other than when we beat Newark—but as a team we’ve come a long way,” she said.

According to Hornstein, the large recruitment of new players this season came as a pleasant shock. But it’s still the same goal as always: To remain optimistic in order to play their best.
Junior center Maddy Sherry agreed, adding that due to the number of new players, “There’s so much more positivity no matter the outcome of the game.”

During her time on the ice, sophomore forward Sophie Lhermite realized that a team isn’t just about winning—it’s also about knowing what it takes for a group to become a team.

“We do team-bonding activities,” she added. “It helps whenever we make a mistake at the start of a game because we correct each other as it goes on.”

Looking ahead, Hornstein has a couple of goals in mind.

“I envision the rest of our season to have more momentum,” she said. “I can’t ensure my team will be ‘successful’ in winning playoff games, but I’ve done my best to give the players a voice on my team, and to raise our commitment level to the program.”
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So as WHS girls ice hockey continues adjusting to the athletics program, it remains clear that while building a trophy shelf isn’t yet a priority on their lists, building a team is.