GLENS FALLS — Some say revenge is a dish best served cold. In this case, ice cold. The Adirondack United girls’ hockey team defeated Clinton in a rematch of the 2023 state championship last month, then followed it up with three more victories during the holidays. The team is now 7-0 on the season.
Against Clinton, the United scored three goals in the first period, cruising to a 4-1 victory. Coach Jeff Willis said his team was “definitely wound up to play against [Clinton] emotionally and it showed in the first period.”
Despite the big win, Willis said the United are primarily focused on their end goal: a state championship. “I don’t think we’re really getting caught up in any individual game because their goal is really pointing toward the end of the season,” he said. “So a lot of activity right now is really built around development.”
Bayley Duffy, the team’s leading scorer last season, had two assists against Clinton and continues to be one of the United’s biggest scoring threats. But Coach Willis also praised Tekla Fine-Lease, a player he said has stepped up this season. “She’s showing some great leadership, as well as improvement on the ice,” he said. “She’s shown an ability to create her own shot.”
Despite being undefeated thus far, Willis said his team is always focused on improving. “We beat Saranac-Lake Placid eight to nothing and we were talking about different things we need to do better,” he said.
Last season, the United finished with a 19-2 record. Both of those losses came at the hands of Clinton. The squad’s next game is on Friday, January 5 at Ithaca.
