To the Editor:

On behalf of the Massena Central School Girls’ Varsity Hockey players and coaches, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone for their support. Coming home from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s tournament in Buffalo as champions was exciting but it was made even better with the warm welcome we received from both the Massena and Akwesasne communities as well as the North Country.

A huge thank you to the New York State Police, the Massena Police Department, the Massena Volunteer Fire Department, the Massena Rescue Squad, the Hogansburg-Akwesasne Volunteer Fire Department, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. And to all of our community members who lined the streets and joined in the parade to honor the team, we thank you. Many of the girls called it “the best day of their lives!”

We would also like to thank the many people for the countless messages, cards, and phone calls. Your support has been amazing! Our program has been built on hard work and wonderful support from our school, our families, and our community. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to make you proud. It was an honor to bring home the first Girls’ State title to the Massena Central School District and to our town.

Jennifer Gray

Massena Central School girl’s varsity hockey coach