Sophomore Adeline Vederman has played hockey for the past 11 years, since she was 5 years old. Gaining inspiration from her older sister and father, who both are invested in hockey, Vederman is totally committed to her sport.
“I think I’ve gotten a lot more confident,” Vederman said, “I definitely worked on my game [and] worked my way up on teams.”
Vederman’s hard work and determination are obvious in her accomplishments. She is the third youngest on a team made up of many high school seniors and plays on an AAA girls hockey team, the highest level of amateur youth hockey. The Washington Pride 19U AAA girls team has gone to nationals three times. Her team during the 2024-2025 Season has had 30 wins, 29 losses, and three ties. The team ranks 21st in USA Girls 19U Tier 1 and 25th in USA Girls 19U All.
Only about a third of the way into this season, Vederman and her team hope to continue their winning campaign from last year. Adeline, the youngest player on her team last year, remains one of the youngest on Washington Pride 19U AAA, and has contributed offensively as a defenseman. The team’s record so far is 7-17-1, but Adeline is hopeful it will turn around.
“I want to go to nationals again,” said Vederman, describing her goals for the season.
For many of her competitions, including Nationals, Vederman travels across the country and even internationally. Just this season alone, she’s visited Massachusetts, New York, Minnesota, and even Canada. This time commitment has affected her personal pursuits and academic life as well.
“I miss a lot of school,” Vederman says. “[I] have to really prioritize the time [I] have to do schoolwork.”
The travel and tournament days force her to miss up to a few days at a time, making schoolwork an extra challenge.
Even though her schedule is full, for the current season, Vederman is aiming to finish as the team’s leading goal-scoring defenseman. She also wants to help her squad qualify for Nationals for the fourth year in a row.
Skating to success, Vederman has set her aspirations on reaching Division 1 Collegiate Hockey. Her current team encourages its players to aim for such goals.
“There are many opportunities for women from a recreational league to competitive Women’s hockey teams,” states the official website for the Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association.
Since Vederman is a sophomore, she can’t talk to any of the college coaches until June, so she hasn’t found a specific school of interest yet. Vederman is excited to start exploring her options once recruiting finally opens.
