Queensbury senior Bayley Duffy used to watch her brothers play ice hockey when she was little. But Bayley had no interest in the ice.
“I always thought the ice was too slippery,” Bayley said. “I would only go out on the ice for free skate after it had been skated on for a while. I don’t know. I think I was a little intimidated, because I wanted to be the best at everything.”
The Duffy family moved to the Queensbury area when Bayley was 8 years old, and she did start playing the sport that once intimidated her.
And turns out, she is the best.
In just its second year in existence, the Adirondack United girls ice hockey team won the state championship title on Saturday, Feb. 17. The team came from behind to beat Kenmore-Grand Island 7-3 at the Nexus Center in Utica.
“It kind of feels like we’re finally paying it back to all the people who helped us out in being able to get a girls team going in this area,” Bayley said. “It’s been a fight and a struggle for a lot of parents.”
The Adirondack United is a six-school collaboration between Queensbury, Glens Falls, South Glens Falls, Hudson Falls, Saratoga and Corinth. The team, which boasts 11 Queensbury High School students, posted a perfect 18-0 season.
The United played for the championship last year as well, but lost to Clinton 2-1, ending their debut season with an impressive 19-2 record. Defeat just whets the appetite.
“That feeling after you lose the state championship after you have a historic season, is not good,” Bayley said. “It kind of made us hungry. Our eyes have been on the state championship since the first practice.”
Most of the Adirondack United players have played together on club team Adirondack Northstars for years. And many still play both club and school teams simultaneously.
The team practices nightly from 8:45 to 10 p.m., which forces the athletes to manage their time to fit in homework between practices and away games.
“You have to be responsible,” said Queensbury senior Tekla Fine-Lease, “and I think that’s something that comes with it and something that you learn. And then being responsible with your actions too, because it’s not just for yourself. It’s for your whole team.”
It’s clear the athletes love hockey, and they certainly love to win, but they also love the camaraderie that exists with their teammates. The players have formed friendships over the years, which also gives them an advantage over their opponents, said Queensbury sophomore Kady Duffy.
“Our team is very close,” Kady said. “A lot of us not only hang out in the locker rooms, but we hang out outside, in school and in groups. We just have a different connection than other teams.”
They giggle as they recall long bus rides to hotels, listening to Bayley belt out her rendition of Adele’s “Easy On Me” or everyone singing together to Rihanna’s “Diamonds.”
“They’re just fun to be around,” said Queensbury sophomore Gianna Marcantonio, “and I always have a good time with them.”
Bayley will play lacrosse at UMass Amherst next year. If she plays ice hockey at all, it will never be at a high level again. Tekla plans to play golf in college. Both seniors said they purposely tried to cherish every moment of this high school hockey season.
“I’ll never play on a team like this again,” Tekla said. “Even if I do play hockey somewhere, I don’t think it will really ever be the same.”
