The Frisch girls hockey team completed their inaugural season this past weekend with a pair of back-to-back 2-1 victories over Montclair and Westfield High Schools at Mackay Arena in Englewood.
On Saturday Night, Simcha Csillag broke a 1-1 tie with just over six minutes left to give the Cougars the win. Earlier in the first period, Shoshana Lofstock gave the Cougars an early lead, but Montclair tied the game up late in the second period. The Frisch girls then came out strong in the third period but were unable to solve the Montclair goaltender until Csillag finally buried a rebound for the eventual game winner off a shot by Sara Mermel.
Both teams played an inspiring contest and shared pizza together after the game.
Senior Night on Sunday seemed to be a repeat of the previous evening, as once again Frisch jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a goal by Yaffa Lofstock only to be equaled by a Westfield goal early in the second period. Frisch kept pressing later in the second period until Alexa Leffel, after many previous opportunities, finally scored what would be the game winner with assists from Abigail Tyler and Adi Beniluz. The third period saw many more chances thwarted by the Westfield goalkeeper, but the Cougars hung on after Westfield pulled their goalie for an extra attacker and secured the 2-1 victory.
This was the first ever girls ice hockey Senior Night, honoring the four graduating seniors Yaffa Lofstock, Leffel, Abigail Tyler and Mermel. When the seniors were asked how they felt about their final games as a Frisch Cougar, they were disappointed to have the season come to an end, but also excited for the future of the program. Lofstock remarked how proud she is of the girls for all their efforts this season, and she knows the seniors can leave this team knowing they made a difference, not only for the underclassman, but for the Jewish community as a whole. As the team hangs up their jerseys for the season, they are excited and privileged to get to skate at Prudential Center next week, to end off the season on a high note. “We started this program three years ago and hoped to just get a few practices in as a team. Now we have more than 20 girls on the team and completed our first season of games,” Yaffa said. “I think we have laid the foundation for years to come.”
Second year player, and Frisch junior, Lillach Atiya, is also excited for next season. “I cannot stress enough the advances our program has made, and how meaningful these wins in the past week have been for us individually and as a team,” she said. “In every game we put in 110% on the ice, which is clear to our coaches and our fans in the stands. From this past weekend it is undeniable that we have grown closer as a team and always remember to act with kiddush Hashem in mind when playing other teams. Our Frisch cougar women’s ice hockey team is making a stand in the Jewish and non-Jewish hockey community, with our sportsmanship and athletic abilities.”
The Cougars finished the first season ever by a yeshiva girls hockey team, with an impressive 4-2 record. The girls worked extremely hard the past few years and were finally rewarded for their efforts.
By Yaffa Lofstock & Lillach Atiya
