Freshman Reese Jason may have taken some time away from hockey, but the forward is making an impact for the Blades co-op girls’ hockey team in her first season of competitive high school play.

“When I was younger, I used to do competitive dance; although I wanted to play hockey, but there was too much on my plate, so I had to stop. My dad and his brother-in-law/my uncle have always played hockey together growing up,” says Reese. “When I was younger, I would do clinics with my cousins, and I [eventually] realized how much I missed hockey. I decided that this year was a great opportunity to start again.”

Reese and the Blades began their season on Dec. 1, with their first game on Dec. 7 against the Woodstock Academy co-op team. The Blades lost to Woodstock, with a final score of 6-1.

The team, a co-op including athletes from Amity, Cheshire, and North Haven, is coached by John Peschell. Peschell has been with the team for 10 years.

The Blades have had a tough start to the season and are currently 0-9. Their second game was against the Trumbull/St. Joseph co-op team. Despite this campaign not starting off the way the team had hoped, Peschell is excited and hopeful to see Reese improve during her career on the ice, especially because she is always asking questions and actively looking to improve her skills.

“She asks a lot of questions, always trying to improve on her game. I am hopeful she can be a major contributor in the next three seasons,” says Peschell. “As for now, we are just looking for her to make herself a better player, which she is doing.”

Reese has a variety of other activities besides ice hockey. She also plays field hockey and lacrosse, although her primary focuses are school and ice hockey.

“Right now, I would say hockey is my main focus; I try to get on the ice as much as I can, whether I go with my dad or with my team,” says Reese. “But I am also focusing on school.”

Peschell looks not only to see Reese improve as she continues playing hockey but also notes how she impacts her team despite being a relative newcomer to the sport.

“Reese is a beginner player; she works very hard at practice, [and] has a tremendous attitude,” says Peschell. “She is a great cheerleader for the other players who are playing when she isn’t.”

Reese says she tries to keep a positive attitude and support her teammates during games.

“Even though we were losing, we kept a positive attitude throughout the game and were supportive to our teammates. I am the loudest one on the bench, cheering my teammates on and putting in as much effort as I can at practice and in games,” says Reese. “I am looking forward to improving on myself and getting closer with all my teammates.”

And while she tries to spend as much time on the ice as she can, starting a new sport at the high school level comes with some challenges.

“I would honestly say that everything about ice hockey is challenging,” says Reese. “Hockey is a very difficult and skilled sport, so learning everything and all the rules takes lots of time and hard work.”