The “Birds of Prey” showdown is a cherished annual tradition. Year after year, avid crowds of students pack the stands to watch the heated on-ice face-off between Riverdale and Fieldston. But this year, something untraditional occurred. Ella Eisenberg (Form V) – perhaps an apt nickname is “Ice”-enberg – stepped on the ice as the first girl on the Boys Varsity Ice Hockey team in three years.
But being the only girl on an all–boys team has its challenges. Eisenberg said, “There are many times in life when it seems women have to be better than men in order to be treated equally, and I think that was a bit of a similar situation here.”
Since joining the team as a freshman, she quickly recognized the wide range of skill levels on the team and understood that her role might be limited. “I knew I’d have to work harder to make up for my size and physical ability,” she explained, “In a male-dominated sport, there will always be inherent challenges and stereotypes you encounter.”
A knee injury sidelined Eisenberg for a month during her first season. After her recovery, she was determined to keep up with her teammates and trained relentlessly to make up for lost time. In the spring, she spent hours skating before and after school, and over the summer, she pushed herself even further by attending elite tournaments and intense camps. “The effort I put in paid off because now I’m playing in every game,” she declared proudly.
Yet, despite this major accomplishment, Eisenberg still experiences the isolation of being the only female player on the team. Being separated from the main locker room means she often misses out on pre-game and post-game speeches from the coaches. And the designated changing room isn’t always a proper locker room. “I get put in ‘locker rooms’ ranging from hot storage rooms to dimly lit closets,” she shared. “One time, I even had to get dressed in a tiny space between shelves of rental skates, where it smelled like dirty socks.”
Eisenberg also worries about the broader lack of female players in the sport, saying, “I always worry, sort of in the back of my head, if the organization I play for is going to have enough interest to field a girls’ team since there is a small volume of female players. At the end of every season, I always ask myself, ‘Will this be my last year?’”
It’s hard for Eisenberg to picture a life without hockey. “It has become such a central and defining part of my identity that I can’t picture what it will feel like when I’m no longer playing,” she said.
Raised in a household of devoted fans, Eisenberg’s passion for hockey began at a young age. She was introduced to the sport as a toddler. “There are videos of me at 18 months, barely able to form full sentences, watching hockey with my dad and commenting on the game,” she recalled. She officially started playing at age nine, and in middle school, she met Coaches Keith and Kirk, who led both her club team and later Fieldston’s team.
Though uncertain about her future aspirations in hockey, Eisenberg hopes to play club hockey in college as a way to meet new people in an unfamiliar environment. Hockey, she shared, “has introduced me to a community of like-minded individuals with a die-hard passion for the sport.”
Hockey has been more than just a fun sport to play and watch for Eisenberg, however – it has shaped her understanding of teamwork, tenacity and success. “It isn’t an individual sport by any means,” she explained, “If you’ve ever watched professional hockey, you’d quickly see how effectively and quickly they pass the puck because that’s the only way you can be successful at higher levels. Assists are just as important as the goals, and success is achieved by all, not through individual efforts.” She also mentions that success isn’t handed to anyone. Rather, she remarked, “It is earned through countless hours of effort and perseverance through barriers that inherently slow you down.”
Furthermore, Eisenberg emphasizes the value of resilience and modesty. She quotes Chris Pronger, an ice hockey defenseman and Hall of Famer, “Pronger put this really well when he said, ‘The game is a game of mistakes. And how you deal with them and correct them and all the things like that is what makes this game great and makes hockey the sport it is.’” For her, the ability to recover from mistakes – like missing the puck and allowing the other team to score, then immediately bouncing back and assisting a teammate’s goal – is what makes hockey so rewarding.
She noted, “I think having humility and learning to laugh at my mistakes is essential.”
For other girls looking to start hockey or other male-dominated sports, Eisenberg offered some advice: “Be ready to work harder than everyone else because you’re going to encounter numerous coaches who will want to disparage your abilities and label you as just a girl, but it’s important to have respect for yourself and be ready to put in the work.”
She added, “Don’t allow these remarks to undermine your confidence because your mindset plays a huge role in your success as an athlete, and if you keep pushing yourself to improve, soon enough you’ll prove them all wrong.”
Eisenberg hopes to see hockey become more accessible to girls worldwide, saying, “I think it’s such a fun sport with so much to offer and learn that many women and girls could benefit from the opportunity to play.” While she acknowledges that men’s hockey will always be faster and more physical, and therefore “more enjoyable to watch because of the overall speed and ability of the players,” she believes that increasing recognition and opportunities will help the sport for women grow.
As for next year’s game? There is no doubt that the rivalry between Riverdale and Fieldston will be just as intense. And there is no doubt that Eisenberg will be on the ice, hopefully assisting the Eagles to finally bring home the win in 2026.
