The Jewish Link of New Jersey and Teaneck Doghouse would like to recognize 12-year-old Shoshana Lofstock as this week’s Sportstar of the Week. During the final week of June, the rising seventh grader at Yavneh Academy participated in a Team USA U12 Atlantic District ice hockey team camp in Philadelphia. About 250 girls, born 2004 through 2007, tried out for the camp and Shoshana was one of 18 skaters (plus three goalies) selected in the entire Atlantic District of USA Hockey from the 2006 birth year selected for the Team USA camp. Also in June, she competed with the Ironbound Elite U12 Team at the North American Premier Showcase (NAPS) in Boston. Shoshana is a committed and serious hockey player who averages about eight-10 hours a week on the ice, 12 months a year, plus many additional hours of dryland workouts. In addition to ice hockey, as a sixth grader in her first year of playing floor hockey, she was a key contributor to the Yavneh girls floor hockey team championship (with her older sister Yaffa) in June.
Shoshana, yasher koach on the YMSSA championship and on the USA U12 team. Who are your role models?
My parents. My dad taught me how to play hockey and take it seriously. My mom is a teacher so she pushes me to do well in school.
What is your favorite sport?
Ice hockey.
What is your greatest sports accomplishment?
Getting an invitation to the USA Hockey Atlantic District camp and making the Montclair Blues boys AA team.
Who is your favorite athlete and why?
Mats Zuccarello because he is a really fast skater and has a lot of skills.
What is your pregame routine?
We do dryland workouts before each game.
What is your earliest sport memory?
Learning how to ice skate.
What is the weirdest thing that has happened to you on the ice?
When I was little, me and my younger sister were in a holiday ice skating show at Floyd Hall Arena and we had to dress up as reindeer and do a dance on the ice.
What is your favorite sports memory?
When I scored my first goal and when we won the Three Rivers Cup tournament in 2018.
What do you like to do when you are not playing sports?
Watch TV and doing art projects.
What is the best thing about being a Sportstar?
Getting to play hockey and getting invited to play in tournaments in cities like Washington, Boston, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Philadelphia. It’s fun to travel around and play against new teams.
The Teaneck Doghouse Sportstar of the Week will receive a $15 gift at the Teaneck Doghouse. Please send nominees for an upcoming Jewish Link of New Jersey and Teaneck Doghouse Sportstar of the Week to [email protected].
