“Do You Believe in Miracles? “
YES!
If you get that reference you’re probably a big hockey fan. For those of you who don’t know it, it comes from the sportscaster Al Michaels. He was calling the Olympic games in which the 1980 US ice hockey team beat the Soviet Union. That US team is arguably the greatest hockey team ever. That is, until fieldston ice hockey came along. The fieldston team this year is full of determination, grit, and a strong sense of brotherhood. With a team full of skill and young talent, this year is going to be one of Fieldston’s best.
Meet the team:
Maverick Cortes (VI) has been playing hockey since the age of six and began skating years before that. Maverick has a long history with Fieldston hockey. In 8th grade he was a spectator in the annual Poly game. In 9th grade, he played in the game. Fighting through a hand injury he said that “having my friends and family in the stands and playing for each one of them gave me the strength to play through the noise of the crowd and the pain from my hand.” Maverick has played with the team through all of his high school years. In his senior season, he is most looking forward to “taking home the trifecta” The trifecta is winning Winterfest, The Fieldston Cup, and the league championship. Maverick is confident that the team is able to accomplish these goals in the 2022/2023 season. While the season has been relatively short, only a few games played, Maverick’s favorite moment was the “Eagle Day Skate ”. This is a day when the high schoolers and middle schoolers practice with each other. Maverick is confident in the future of the team, and “is thrilled to see what [the team] does next.” But with a long season ahead Maverick made it very clear that there will be many more memorable moments by the end of the year.
Meet the Goalies: Luca Hoffman and Liam Lambert
Luca Hoffman is in form IV and Liam Lambert is in form V. They split every game as goalie. One playing the first half and the other taking over in the second.
Liam:
Liam started playing ice hockey around 8 years old and fell in love with it. He started off as a forward but switched to goalie at the beginning of last year. (His sophomore season). Liam volunteered because the team was in need of a goalie. But once he started playing he “felt so much joy [from] being in the net ”. Goalies are one of the most important positions on the team and Liam handles the pressure well. “One of [his] goals throughout a game is just to stay focused and to not panic.” Liam notes how important fundamentals are, “on a breakaway I just try to go back to basics and trust my instincts.” Liam is very confident in what the team can achieve this year. He can’t wait to “to go out with my team and put on a show at winterfest against columbia!” So far his favorite moment has been, “our win against poly and being able to win it with a team I love so much. The players around me are very supportive and there’s nothing better than being able to win with them!” The team environment is a good one and even so with the two goalies. Liam has really enjoyed being a fellow goalie with Luca Hoffman. It was very special for him, “to split the [poly] game with my goalie partner Luca Hoffman. We both played well and that led us to the win.” There’s nothing better than a bromance except for a goalie bromance!
Luca Hoffman:
Luca Hoffman is one of the goalies, alongside Liam Lambert. He is a 3 sport athlete at fieldston. Besides ice hockey, he plays football and lacrosse. He is a huge Rangers fan, and part of the reason he loves hockey so much comes from his love for the rangers. Luca had been a good ice skater for a lot of his young life but never really got into ice hockey. One year at camp he played roller hockey, as goalie of course, and absolutely fell in love with it. Impressively, freshman year was his first time ever playing ice hockey. There were openings for goalie and he thought it was a perfect opportunity. He borrowed gear from the coaches and laughed as he recalled, “I didn’t exactly look like a hockey goalie. I looked like some kid in huge pads’ ‘ After his first season with Fieldston Luca put in a lot of work to improve. According to Luca, “Most of the goalie is psychological, with players trying to trick you. Following your gut is key. During the offseason he trained at Chelsea Piers with their travel team, the cyclones. This year, Luca is ready for the hard work to pay off. Just like Maverick Cortes (VI), Luca is looking forward to getting the trifecta. Winning winterfest, the league championship, and the Fieldston Cup.
Will Davey (IV):
Will is a sophomore this season. He’s an underclassmen but many players on the team credit him for having unbelievable talent. Will is a big participant in travel hockey. Before his career at fieldston he played on a team called the NJ avalanche for four years. During his freshman year at fieldston, he switched teams and started playing for the NY Saints. Will, “credits both organizations for [his] development, however [he] also give a large amount [of credit] to the Fieldston Ice Hockey team as [he has] learned a lot from them both on and off the ice” While the Fieldston team has benefited Will, he admitted that it didn’t come without pressure. There was a lot of pressure on him, “to convert during every game and get on the stat sheet. Although I don’t think I played a bad season for Fieldston last year I don’t necessarily feel I filled expectations. Going into this season I feel I have to not only exceed expectations, but also be a leader to incoming freshman.” There are a lot of freshmen new to the team this year but according to Will they are, “relatively skilled and very hard-working so I think that this year and in years to come we should have very good seasons.” With a very positive mindset on the year, it is no surprise that the team has already been successful. Will’s favorite moment of the season was, “without a doubt, beating Poly. It was a breath of fresh air from last year, not only for me but for all returning players.” Will is only a sophomore but his impact on the team is huge, and the future is very exciting for him!
Poly:
Poly Prep is by far one of the most hated schools by Fieldston students and athletes. But no one holds more contempt for them than the Fieldston Ice Hockey team. Luca Hoffman, goalie, believes the rivalry with poly stems from their talent. “Poly is really good at sports, we’re constantly tested by them.” No doubt about it, Poly is an athletic powerhouse. But every year Fieldston Ice hockey fights with grit and determination against them. The bitter rivalry between the teams has been going on for years. The schools used to compete annually, at night, in the Fieldston v. Poly classic. The stands would be packed with cheers ricocheting off the boards. Robert Montera, a history teacher at Fieldston recalled his favorite cheer he heard one year. “The Fieldston side began chanting, “We read books!We read books” over and over again. The Poly side has never been quieter.”
Maverick Cortes who has been a spectator and participant in the game talked about the impact of the game. “The game is always near the end of the winter season and right before the two-week push before Spring Break. It’s a stress reliever and a great way for students and faculty to show off some school spirit. At a time when everyone is stressing while we enter the spring, this game brings us together. It breaks down the barriers between each grade and we all become one: Fieldston. [The team brings] an immense amount of energy to the game.” In years prior the game had turned into a mob scene. Fights have broken out and things have gotten out of control. Chelsea Piers has refused to host a similar scene again, and without a place to play the game cannot happen. Maverick believes Poly is “too scared of losing in front of their school and ours.” The fears of the Poly team are definitely justified after what happened in Fieldston and Poly’s first matchup this season. Fieldston and Poly played in Fieldston’s first league game of the season. It was a nailbiter throughout, but Fieldston won, beating them 8 goals to 7. In the last two minutes Poly had a lot of shots on goal. But with 30 seconds left the puck was cleared and the game was won. Luca Hoffman loved how “everyone jumped on the ice and we all did a big dogpile.” That pile was full of hard earned sweat and pure joy. Will Davey, a sophmore on the team, knew the Poly game was a test. Will knew that, “going into the game against Poly our team knew it would give us a good idea of how the rest of the season would go. I don’t think that anyone really expected to win, however now that we did I think it was a really good morale boost for the team and made everyone a lot more excited for the season. In short, I think it proved to everyone including the kids on the team that we have the ability to be one of the top [teams in the league] this year.” The win was special to everyone but especially Maverick who had waited a long time for the moment. For Maverick, “It was a moment that I have been waiting almost four years for. I couldn’t believe it at first and it took a day or two to render in my mind. This is a huge stepping stone for our team’s confidence and will be a constant reminder of our resilience and determination on and off the ice. I was extremely proud of everyone.” After beating Poly the sky seems to be the limit for the Fieldston Ice Hockey team. There are rumors swirling about a rematch and a Fieldston v. Poly Classic later in the season but nothing has been confirmed. Regardless of any future games against Poly, it is clear that this year’s team is the real deal. Sorry Poly, maybe next year!
This team is exciting and this season is sure to be one of the most memorable yet.
Go support the Fieldston Ice Hockey team at their games!
Especially the rivalry games!
January 20th v. Riverdale @Chelsea Piers
February 2nd v. Poly @Abe Stark Ice Arena (4:00pm)
February 8th v. Riverdale @Riverbank State Park (6:15pm)
March 1st The Fieldston Cup! @Riverbank State Park (6:15pm)
