Stick skimming the ice, freshman Iggy Ferry skates toward the opposing team’s goal in the rink of Ice & Field at The Crossover. The crowd roars as the puck slides into the net. His teammates rush to congratulate him, slapping his back and cheering.
Ferry plays forward for the Texas Jr. Stars, an Austin Metro Hockey Association travel league. The season consists of two to three practices per week, off-ice training, and games. Most games are local, but there are two to three out-of-state tournaments as well.
Arys Perardi, a former Bowie student who plays hockey for the Austin Ice Bats, Austin’s NA3HL Junior team, has known Ferry for the last year.
“He’s really dedicated,” Perardi said. “He’s been playing since he was really young, like five or six.”
Ferry is hoping to go far in the ice hockey world. Many young hockey players live with host families, also known as billet families, to play for more well-known or successful teams. Other players attend boarding academies, which offer training alongside academic programs.
“I want to move out of state,” Ferry said. “And then play for a boarding academy.”
Hockey is significantly less popular in Texas than in places like Canada, where it is deeply ingrained in Canadian culture. For Texan players, it can be more challenging to find opportunities and teams can be very competitive.
“My Grandma took me to see the Texas Stars when I was two and I fell in love,” Ferry said. “My most influential player is probably McDavid.”
Connor McDavid is a Canadian ice hockey player who plays in the National Hockey League. McDavid went directly to the junior ice hockey circuit as an adolescent rather than waiting to begin a college career. Unlike him, Ferry is seeking the opportunity to compete in college.
“The best part is scoring and big hits,” Ferry said. “And we won a few tournaments, that’s for sure up there.”
