You never know unless you try.

Budding sports stars prove the ages-old adage every day across the world. Not every case is as spectacular as Daniel Ruettiger’s widely popularized triumph, and, contrary to what politically-correct parents and administrators will have you believe, sometimes, you can try and also fail.

It happens.

But you never know, until you try.

Cumberland native Danielle Cyr grew up playing hockey. She played with boys in the Lewiston Area Youth Hockey system. She played with boys at Greely High School, and she played with girls in the Maine Selects program.

Now, with the finish line in sight to the race that has been a four-year college career, Cyr can add another accolade to her list of hockey accomplishments: Four-year NCAA college ice hockey player.

“It’s been a great time here, I’ve met so many great people and the experience of playing has just been awesome,” Cyr said.

Tuesday, Cyr and the Maine Black Bears will make another trip to Lewiston, their second in as many years, and will square off against their rivals from the University of New Hampshire in a Women’s Hockey East showdown at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

“It’s always nice to be able to come home, it feels more like a home crowd in Lewiston, for sure,” Cyr said. “It sounds like there’s going to be a lot of people coming out to watch, and it’s always great when we can get the people of southern Maine to come out and watch.”

Last year, Maine took on Boston University at the Colisee. The teams skated to a 1-1 tie in a game that also featured Lewiston natives Kasey Boucher, a BU defenseman, and Katie Lachapelle, BU’s assistant coach.

This year, Cyr is the lone Maine-born skater on either side. With girls’ ice hockey gaining more popularity statewide, though, Cyr is hopeful that with more opportunity will come more participation and, ultimately, more elite athletes conditioned to play at a higher level.

“It’s hard to start out, because all of the teams, they’re trying to build programs stronger for the future, and sometimes you get athletes who are already at that level or even higher, and they have to leave to play somewhere else,” Cyr said. “But you have to start somewhere, and it’s great to see so many people getting involved. Without some people out there willing to take a chance, something like this will never grow.”

Cyr said that, while she’s enjoyed playing hockey, and enjoyed success while continuing to pursue her athletic passion, this season will likely be her last at an elite level.

“It’s hard to find a place to play in a real competitive league,” Cyr said. “You see some starting to get bigger in Canada, and in Minnesota I know there are some good teams. But I don’t know where my career path will even take me at this point, so I’ll probably still try and play, but it won’t necessarily be all that competitive.”

Wherever she goes, and into which ever field she eventually settles after earning a mechanical engineering degree with a minor in business administration from Maine, she’s going to get there the only way she knows how.

By trying.