Her three millimeter blades carve grooves into the ice as she deftly dribbles the puck down the rink. Readjusting her grip, she locks her eyes on the puck as she drives it into the net. This is Victoria Zammit ’20’s third and final goal against Holton Arms on February 16, sealing a victory for PHS in the third period.

Zammit started to skate when she was four; she has been on the ice for more than three quarters of her life. Zammit’s passion for hockey, which she started playing ten years ago, finds its roots in her family. Her father played ice hockey during his high school and college years; her sister, Alexa Zammit ’18, was one of PHS’s previous ice hockey captains; and her brother, John Zammit ’23, plays alongside his sister on the varsity boys ice hockey team.

Although hockey isn’t Zammit’s only sport, it is the one that she has stuck with the longest and taken the most seriously. Since being introduced to the game a decade ago, she has worked consistently to improve her game, all while putting the team and winning first. Eventually, her skill on the ice, along with her assertive nature, earned her the spot as captain of the girls ice hockey team.

With many members of the team being newcomers, Zammit has assumed the responsibility of teaching her teammates how to skate. Through early practices and the many falls that come with learning to skate, Zammit and her team have gotten to become much closer.

“We wake up at 5:00 a.m. to practice, … we shower together, … [and] before school we get breakfast. ... [All] these little things help make that bond,” Zammit said.

Along with teaching her teammates the basics of ice hockey, Zammit has also helped her team gather equipment. Zammit turned towards her role model for inspiration and help with equipping 11 members with full sets of gear. Her solution: dumpster diving.

“The person that inspired my dumpster diving journey was Lars Eighner. … In his book, he had [a] specific chapter called ‘On Dumpster Diving’ and it’s really funny. It’s about how he turns trash into treasure and finds value in things that people don’t place value for. … And that is exactly what I did with equipment and with the teammates. I saw something, I saw potential and I was able to create the team based on that and that’s something that I’m really happy that I did,” Zammit said.

Zammit’s skills as a player compliment her strong leadership, as she became the first female ice hockey player at PHS to score over 100 career goals and was named one of New Jersey’s top 15 female high school ice hockey players in the past decade. Ready for more and needing a method to prepare for her club hockey team’s play-offs for nationals after the high school season, Zammit became the first girl to play on PHS’s boys varsity ice hockey team. Despite being new to the team, Zammit’s natural affinity for leadership shone through.

“When we drew up a practice drill [and] people were struggling with it, … she would point them in the right direction and [I] didn’t have to go up to her and [ask], ‘Can you help the freshman?’ She just did it by herself which was really admirable. … She’s [a] leader,” said Head Coach Joe Bensky.

Willing to face the challenge of playing on both teams during the same season, Zammit had to manage her time well. With some games on the same day, Zammit had to drive from rink to rink in order to play in both games.

“I [had] a boys game after school and a girls game at 6:00 p.m., so I would go to the boy’s game, play that game, down a Red Bull in the car and then drive to the girl’s game speed[ing], get on the ice, and play the whole girls game. … So much piled up,” Zammit said.

But even with the new environment and high stress, Zammit immediately felt like a part of the team with the help of her welcoming new teammates.

“I think the guys did a really good job of making me feel included. … Having a brother on the team helped and being friends with the seniors [also] helped,” Zammit said.

This fall Zammit will start a new chapter of her life at the University of Pennsylvania and has decided to prioritize her academics as she heads off to college. Although Zammit doesn’t plan on playing Division I hockey, she will continue her passion for hockey through a club. Looking back on her last season, Zammit is glad that she took the initiative to join the boys team.

“I definitely don’t regret any of it because both teams gave me so much value and such a completely different experience that I’m really lucky for.” Zammit said.