The Kent School junior varsity girls hockey team is having a stellar season. They have kept a nearly perfect record, except for an unexpected loss against Choate’s J.V. team. They persevered and kept it close against a team peppered with subbing varsity athletes.

According to co-captain Stella Klingebiel ’19, the main ingredient in the team’s recipe for success is “trying to make it fun for everyone, which makes the team work that much harder.” This motto seems to hold true, as their playing has consistently improved since the beginning of the season.

Part of their success has been fueled by the plethora of new players who have joined this year. They provide new talent and improve quickly, inspiring their more experienced teammates to up their ante even further.

The team works together, helping each other hone their skills and making sure everyone gets a chance to improve. When asked about how she anticipates the team will perform for the remainder of the season, Klingebiel says “it’s hard to judge teams based on how we did against them last year because everyone’s always getting new players.”

Due to the increase in their quality of play and all of their hard work, the team is hoping to earn more victories than in previous years. However, the unexpected should be expected when it comes to J.V. hockey, as they are never quite sure how the opposing team will play. They could go into a match expecting defeat, and come out with a smashing victory, or they could start a game with an intention of winning, only to fall short.

Co-captain Juliana Morcos ’19 expressed love for her team, saying, “they’re a bunch really sweet girls that work hard all the time.” For her, “it’s really fun to play and be competitive, while still having that spirit that motivates and puts smiles on the faces of the team.”

With regard to how much the team has improved, assistant captain Lara D’Alessandro ’19 says, “from the beginning of the season, coming to the middle the girls have progressed with their passing and they’ve done that so well; we’re really coming together as a young team”. Their exhilarating style of play makes their games riveting to watch. According to avid fan Maureen Chan ’19, “the girls J.V. hockey team is always fun to go watch.”

Next time the team has a home game, meander on down to the hockey rink and enjoy some top-notch hockey.