This year, Casey Bang ’14 joined the girl’s ice hockey team on a friend’s suggestion.

“She said the team needed a goalie, so I just volunteered,” Bang said.

She hadn’t played sports before at Staples, and she also hadn’t been on an ice rink since she was 6 years old, when she had broken a bone skating.

“I had to start ice skating to prepare,” Bang said.

While Bang is new to the sport, she said her team was lenient and supportive as she began playing, and even as she continues to improve her game.

According to her coach, Amy Cobb, she plays in every game, despite the formidable time commitment of having to drive out of Westport for each game.

She described it as a serious sport that takes a lot of time commitment.

“Hockey is just like any sport in that it is tough physically,” she said. “You have to be determined and strong.”

Bang also mentioned the pressure of the responsibility the goalie has in protecting the team’s goal.

“Sometimes when you lose it will feel like your fault,” she said. “You have to be willing to take responsibility for your mistakes and be willing to take advice sometimes.”

Despite the pressure, Bang enjoys being the goalie and is glad she made the decision to take up the sport.

“I did it on a whim, but I have come to really enjoy it,” she said.

Even the sport takes a lot of commitment; Bang thinks it is a great sport and suggests that anyone interested, even if they, like her, never skated before, should think about joining the team.

“It’s a lot of work, but if I can do it, I’m sure anyone else can,” she said. “It really is a fun sport.”