Breaking the Ice: A Beginner's Journey with the YU Hockey Team

Hey there,

So, if you allow me, I want to take you inside my head and give you a recap of our Yeshiva University ice hockey practice. It was only their second practice, and my first. I missed last week due to Roller Hockey. The excitement was palpable as we made our way to McKay.

Sol Feder, our driving force and captain, has been instrumental in bringing ice hockey to YU. It's a big deal for us, even if we're in ACHA club hockey, not NCAA. We'll be competing in ACHA M3, which isn't exactly the NHL, but hey, we're making history here. Sol is our captain, and our official coach is Adam Carlo, who brings his own experience from the USPHL to the team.

Now, let's get to the practice. We kicked things off with skating, and it turns out I need to work on my balance – I can't stay upright for more than five seconds! Yet I'll get there. We moved on to edge drills, skating backward, and working on extending our legs. I definitely need to fine-tune my weight transfer.

Next up were horseshoe drills, but I stayed with Sol to learn more about shooting. I know the basics, but I want to be a sniper. Seeing him teach shooting techniques was not just great for me, but also for my coaching skills back in Brooklyn.

We then dove into structure, and it was enlightening to see Feder break down breakout plays from both a defenseman and winger's perspective. One-on-one drills were intense, and I held my own, even when I fell but still got the puck out.

Scrimmage time rolled around, and I made some good passes. My transition game needs some work, though. We won our scrimmage 1-0, and Yoniah Suissa was the hero.

And then came the dreaded "bag skates." It's like skating to the horizon and back three times, and it felt like a real workout. I was a bit down in the locker room after practice. I’m very hard on myself because I’m very competitive. However, Sol was there to lift my spirits. He's not just a great player but also a fantastic motivator and teacher.

I know we won't be Stanley Cup champions this season, but we're building something special. We're making history as the first-ever orthodox Jewish hockey team, and that's pretty darn exciting. I'm proud to play alongside my new friends and be part of this incredible journey. We're just getting started – Go Macs!