CASH 2025-26 SEASON RECAP
BY RANDY SCHULTZ , NYHOL
The number 13 is considered unlucky by many people. But for one girls high school hockey team, 13 is a lucky number.
For the first time in the 16 season history of the Western New York Girls Varsity Ice Hockey Federation the Clarence/Amherst/Sweet Home, better known as CASH, girl’s hockey team won the regular season championship, finishing first in the standings. The did it by finishing with a 13-2-1 record.
“I’m super proud of the team,” commented CASH head coach, Nicola Adimey. “We do have a lot of talent and they play their game.
“But when we do find that we need to adjust our game, they are all willing to do it. They are fully onboard and they see the same vision.
“They see that there is success when we play the way we can definitely helps.”
Coach Adimey admits that she wasn’t exactly sure of how the team was going to do when tryouts began.
“We had a lot of new players,” recalled the CASH head coach. “You don’t know your new players.
“You don’t know what they are going to look like in a game. The first games of the season we played using four different lines. We played with five or six defensemen.
“We lost that first game of the season. But we had to find out who our players are. And we did.”
When asked to name some of those key players on her team, Coach Adimey didn’t hesitate with an answer.
“For one thing, our goaltending is exceptional,” said the veteran coach of CASH’s goaltender, Ella Celej. “Ella was a good goaltender last year.
“This year she is making the key saves that are keeping us in games. Those saves set her apart from the good goalie she was last year.
“Number two, we’re winning with our defense. Jenny (Wild, senior, Clarence HS) and Maya (Adimey, senior, Amherst HS) are 50 percent of our defense.
“It seems like they’re out there every other shift, alternating. They are out there on the power play and the penalty kill. They are out there together for the last two minutes of a game when we need it.
“Then there are the ones who support them on defense including Cece Bizub (freshman, Amherst HS) is a great talent. Rafi Ventura (eighth grader, Sweet Home) has been a great addition to the team.
“Haylie Yourston (senior, Sweet Home HS) is a veteran who is solid back there too.
“And by having a good defense it helps our forwards get the opportunity to go with our breakout. If the breakout doesn’t work the defense is there to stop anybody that comes back towards out net.”
Which brings things to the final weapon in the CASH arsenal and that is their forwards. Coach Adimey will be the first to tell you that the team’s forwards know how to score goals, crash the net and are not afraid to fire the puck on the oppositions net.
“Kiley Breeze (senior, Clarence HS) is the type of player that you don’t really notice her until she scores,” commented Coach Adimey. “She is one of the hardest working players out there.
“She’s good on the forecheck and backcheck. She has scored some amazing goals this season.
“Then there is another ninth grader, Cece Watson (Clarence MS). She drives the puck along the boards and wins those little battles along the boards. And how she comes out with the puck, I don’t know how she does it.
“There is Polina (Stremiakova, junior, Clarence HS), who does a good job and digging and getting the puck out and moving.”
As for the playoffs, CASH gets a first-round bye. The team will practice a handful of times before facing their first round opponent.
“With our playoffs, anybody can win,” concluded Coach Adimey. “Hopefully we will continue to score more goals than the other team.”