In January, junior Jacqueline (Jackie) Hong traveled to Latvia to play for Taiwan’s team in the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Under 18 Women’s World Championships (Division II). The division featured teams from Great Britain, Latvia, New Zealand, Kazakhstan, and the Netherlands. Though Taiwan ultimately lost its division matchups, Jackie’s journey to the competition is noteworthy. She discussed her experience with The Classic, explaining how a student from a Queens high school ended up at an international ice hockey tournament.
A determined and competitive player for her New York club team Islanders Girls Elite, Jackie’s performance and strategies contributed to her application to play for Taiwan.
“I sent over game videos and stats, and they said they had a spot for me to play in the next 18U tournament in Latvia,” Jackie said.
After earning a spot on an international level, she said,“I am also proud that I was able to accomplish this and have made it this far in my hockey journey…I am honored to be able to play at an international level and represent my Taiwanese nationality.”
Jackie began working towards this dream in elementary school. “I started my hockey journey at the age of five,” she said. “It began with skating for fun at a mall, but I watched other people play in the rink, and I was fascinated. So, I tried it for myself. This sport has been my passion ever since.”
Jackie’s New York teammates praised her exceptional skills. “She is a super talented and shifty skater which makes it super hard to defend her,” said teammate Hanna Cote. “She is all around a well-rounded player.”
Many of her teammates said that Jackie’s influence on the team is both crucial to their gameplay and their moods throughout games.“She always puts teammates in a good mood, especially with her locker room candy,” said Neve Brierton. “Being on her team has shifted my mindset and taught me composure and resilience.”
Teammate Caroline Mitek said, “being on a line with Jackie has improved my play… because Jackie’s always in the right place at the right time.”
“She’s a hard worker no matter how the game is going, she doesn’t give up. She’s also a big motivator to the team on and off the ice,” teammate Caitlin McNamee said.
Balancing a club sport outside of school alongside the academic demands of THHS can be challenging, Jackie said.
“There is a lot of stress that comes with being a student-athlete and having to balance my sport, academics, and personal life. I manage this stress by setting my priorities straight, scheduling my time well, and having good time-management,” she said.
Jackie’s THHS peers had as much praise for her academically as her teammates have for her on the ice. Junior Vicky Li said, “Jackie is very hardworking and kind towards her peers. She’s always pushing everyone around her to be better. Academically, she’s one of the hardest workers I know. She’s always focused in class and she is a [teaching assistant] for physics to support her peers. ”
Jackie said that one of the reasons she cares so much about being able to excel in hockey is because of the lack of representation of Asians in the sport.
She said, “Not seeing many other Asians playing hockey growing up has pushed me to work harder so maybe one day in the future I can be an inspiration for other young Asian American athletes.”
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