The Jewish Link of New Jersey and Gotham Burger would like to recognize Yaffa, Shoshana and Daniella Lofstock as this week’s Gotham Burger Sportstars of the Week. The Lofstock girls attend Yavneh Academy and have been playing ice hockey since the age of 4. Yaffa, 10.5, is in the 5th grade; Shoshana, 8.5, is in the third grade and Daniella, 7.5, is in 2nd grade.
Yaffa and Shoshana have been playing for the Quarry Cats at the Floyd Hall Arena at Montclair University for the past four years and this year they are playing for the Montclair Lady Blues. They practice twice a week and have games each Sunday, both local and traveling. They are dedicated athletes. Daniella practices with the Fair Lawn Youth Hockey Association at the Ice House in Hackensack. She has also been taking dance classes at Center Stage Dance Studio in Paramus for the past two years.
Girls, who would you say is your role model?
Yaffa: Henrik Lundqvist, because he helped get the Rangers to the Stanley Cup. His birthday is March 2 and mine is March 5; his jersey number is 30 and mine is 35. He is a great hockey goalie and he is the first hockey player I learned about.
Shoshana: My parents because I look up to them and they help me with everything.
Daniella: My dance teacher, Miss Jessica, because she is a really good dancer.
What is your pregame meal?
Yaffa: Just a little bit of water, otherwise I’ll get a cramp.
Shoshana: A piece of fruit, like a banana. We can’t eat too much before we play or else we can get nauseous.
Daniella: Slushies.
What is your earliest sports related memory?
Yaffa: When I was little, I was in an ice skating show. First the figure skaters skated and then all the hockey players took the ice. We had to go and chase the figure skaters and it was a lot of fun!
Shoshana: I remember when I first learned to skate, I wasn’t that good but now I’m really good.
Daniella: Learning my “Mickey Mouse Dance” routine when I was little.
What is your favorite sports memory?
Yaffa: Scoring my 1st goal with the Quarry Cats at a tournament in Washington, DC three years ago.
Shoshana: When I scored my first goal, too!
Daniella: Last year, at my dance recital, dancing in front of hundreds of people. It made me feel great!
What is your favorite thing to do when not playing sports?
Yaffa: Doing art, reading and singing in the Yavneh choir.
Shoshana: Drawing and playing on my Kindle Fire.
Daniella: Watching TV.
What is the best thing about being a sportstar?
Yaffa: Playing hockey games every week, skating hard and making new friends.
Shoshana: I love to skate and I get to exercise at the same time.
Daniella: Learning lots of new dances.
The Gotham Burger Sportstar of the Week will receive a $10 gift certificate to Gotham Burger. Please send nominees for next week’s Gotham Burger Sportstar of the Week to [email protected]
