Huskies Close out 2015-2016 with a W

The last weekend of the Huskies’ season was deja vu of weekends past. In the four games the Huskies played, they ended up on the losing side of three, going 1-3 for the weekend.

The team started off with a crazy game between Rice Memorial. Traditionally, games against Rice have always been defensive battles, but this time, both teams let their offenses loose, with detrimental defensive results. The Huskies managed to score four goals, a number which usually assures them a win, but the Knights put home nine in the back-and-forth match. Moe Tsukimoto, Kira Collins, Bridgit Sullivan, and Madison Gneo all scored goals in the loss, and Bridgit received player of the game for the Huskies.

After the game, the team was welcome to the Dufresne home for a home-cooked meal to shake off the loss. The pasta and maple pie worked as the Huskies played considerably better in the following three games.

Both games on Saturday were against OHA Gold, a tournament format that may not have been ideal, but allowed the team to show improvement and growth. In the first OHA game, the Huskies got outplayed in the first and found themselves down three. They allowed one goal in the second, but made it their mission to win the third period, which they did with a 6-3 final score. Sara Donatello started to the scoring for the Huskies with a bomb from the half wall, and Moe Tsukimoto and Syd Collins contributed the other two goals. Hanna Markel took the loss in net, but had a solid game. Moe received player of the game, and was happy to share the honor with her friend Rui from OHA during the game.

In the second game against OHA, the two teams played closer. OHA again took the lead, but the Huskies held them close. With a few minutes left, they pulled their goalie when they had a power play to make it a 6v4, and finally the puck dropped in for the Huskies. The 3-1 loss wasn’t ideal, but the team felt good about their effort and improvement throughout the day.

In what would be the last game of the 2015-2016 season, the Huskies took on league opponent, KES. KES had gotten the better of the Huskies in their last three match-ups, but the girls knew it was a winnable game and they were determined to end the season with a W. Natalie Giglio got the team on the board in the first period with a beautiful goal off of the faceoff. Hannah Davis scored in the second to give the Huskies a two-goal lead. With a few minutes left, a KES player beat a Husky defender and sniped on Ashley Davis, ruining her near-perfect game, but the Huskies held on to the win, with Bridgit Sullivan scoring with just a second left to end her Northwood career on a high note.

Seniors Finish Strong in Last Home Weekend

The Class of 2016 enjoyed their last home game this past weekend. Prior to the game, a brief ceremony celebrated the six seniors.

Kiana Watson #27

Kiana joined the Huskies this fall and made an immediate impact. She has natural hockey sense which consistently lead her to be in the right place at the right time to capitalize.  Kiana has a signature grit and determination; she always came out of a battle with the puck.  Unfortunately, Kiana’s season was cut short due to a concussion, but she has remained optimistic. She is a positive member of our team, supporting her teammates through the season’s ups-and-downs. Hailing from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Kiana plans to return to Canada to study business or law in a Canadian University.

Tatum Gietl #4

A proud Colorado native, Tatum came to Northwood this past fall.  She was called upon to be a defensive anchor early on and she has continued to be a defensive force all season. Her soft hands and quick shot round her out offensively as the full package. Tatum is planning on attending the University of New England next year to study businesses and play for the Nor’Easters in the New England Hockey Conference.

Brooke Boyer #10

Assistant captain, Brooke Boyer, came to us from Raleigh, NC last year. Brooke’s sunny disposition and positive energy is always welcome, but that doesn’t mean she’s a pushover. Brooke’s feisty forechecking has led to many turnovers and scoring opportunities. Most importantly, she’s an ideal teammate and friend. In addition to her on-ice accomplishments, Brooke is an RA and maintains a 3.8 GPA. Brooke will attend Hobart and William Smith Colleges next year to play for the Herons.

Bridgit Sullivan #21

Bridgit, captain of this year’s team, is a day student from Saranac Lake, NY. Bridgit arrived as a shy sophomore and has grown as a player, student, and leader in her three years at Northwood. Her speed and intensity help set the tone in practices and games, and she can always be counted on to give her full effort. Bridgit is on the Headmaster’s Council, Judiciary Board, and Student Council. She will attend Union College next year and hopes to help the Dutchwomen earn some ECAC victories while studying International politics.

Natalie Giglio #26

Assistant captain, Natalie Giglio hails from Ogdensburg, NY. Natalie was a standout high school player before making the jump to the prep level. Her skill, play making abilities, and composure with the puck have transferred well and helped the Huskies win some big games. Natalie has been accepted to Clarkson University, the University of New Hampshire, SUNY Plattsburgh, Rochester Institute of Technology, and SUNY Oswego.

 

Kim Mongrain #31

Kim, from La Sarre, Quebec came to Northwood as a postgraduate student. Kim’s work ethic, on and off the ice, has helped her develop into a solid goaltender, earning multiple shut-outs this year for the Huskies. Kim’s easy-going demeanor and willingness to help others has made everyone’s experience at Northwood better. She’s waiting to hear good news from Canadian Universities so she can return to Canada and pursue a degree in physical education.

On the ice, the team split with Ontario Hockey Academy, winning on the road and losing at home. On Saturday, they converted on three of five power plays and added one even strength goal to dominate the game. On Sunday, the two teams played tighter in a back-and-forth effort that eventually saw OHA take the final lead for the win.

Saturday’s game got off to a great start when a clean faceoff win to Saara Keranan ended resulted in a shot from the point. The OHA goalie made the first save, but Madison Gneo was able to find the rebound for the goal. The Huskies scored a few minutes later when Sara Donatello had her own shot from the point on the power play. This time, it hit the post and went it, resulting in Sara’s first Northwood goal of the season and the second of the game. Bridgit Sullivan scored two more power play goals to make it 4, and Ashley Davis only allowed one goal against for the win.

The Huskies scored first in Sunday’s game, too, when Moe Tsukimoto dangled an OHA defender and beat the goalie high. Natalie Giglio followed it up with a beautiful walk and shot from the half-wall. OHA scored the next goal, and from then on, it was a ping pong match. Syd Collins was aggressive on the forecheck and scored a shorthanded goal, but OHA answered back after a bad bounce left an OHA player alone with Kim Mongrain, the Husky goaltender. Tatum Gietl had a beautiful shot on the power play, to gain the lead again. However, OHA scored the next two to tie it up and take the lead with two minutes left. The Huskies pulled their goalie, but took a penalty after, and they couldn’t convert on any of the opportunities.

 

NAHA Tournament Welcomes Spring

As the snow began to melt in Lake Placid, the feeling of spring was in the air. And with spring, comes the annual NAHA tournament. The Huskies took off for Stowe, VT after classes on Friday. They faced off against Stanstead College in the fourth meeting between the two teams this year. Stanstead got off to an early start, scoring two in the first period, and three in the third. In between periods, the Huskies vowed to make the third period count. Stanstead scored first in the third, but the Huskies answered back right away when Syd Collins found a rebound on the power play. She scored again later in the third to tie up the third period and leave the Huskies with a positive feeling as they moved forward in the tournament.

On Saturday morning, the Huskies came out flying against OHA White. It was Syd Collins again who got the Huskies on the board when she found another power play rebound. Moe Tsukimoto scored bar down to start the scoring in the second. Then Brooke Boyer had a beautiful forecheck and found Nikki Kendrick creeping in the slot for the third goal of the game and to close out the second period. Kim Mongrain played solidly in net Madison Gneo scored in the third period to make it 4-0. However, two mental lapses led to two quick goals by OHA. After a regrouping time-out, the Huskies went out and dominated the rest of the game, with Justine Dufresne adding an insurance goal when she beat the Maverick goalie high late in the third period.

The third game of the day was a match-up against OHA’s second team, Maroon. This battle was more competitive, and the two teams traded chances in the first. OHA scored first, but the Huskies kept at them. It Tatum Gietl’s fluky off-angle shot that finally beat the OHA goalie though, proving the adage, “you never know what will happen when you put the puck on net.” OHA scored again in the second period to take the lead, and this time, the girls’ couldn’t find a way to come back, losing the game with an empty net goal at the end.

For the consolation game of the tournament, Northwood played the home team, NAHA Red. It was a fast and intense game, and the Huskies outshot the Winterhawks, but nothing would drop. A tough bounce half way through the first gave a Winterhawk skater a breakaway, which she capitalized on to take the lead. They scored later in the first on a power player for a 2-0 lead after the first. The Winterhawks scored two more goals in the second period for a 4-0 lead, but the Huskies didn’t quit. Moe Tsukimoto finally found the back of the net late in the third period when she snuck a puck by the NAHA goalie, shorthanded. She scored again a minute later on the rebound to make it close, but the Huskies ran out of time.

Huskies Have Strong Showing at League Championship

After a weeklong winter vacation, the Northwood Huskies met in Buffalo, NY to compete in the NAPHA championship weekend. The team hadn’t done as well as it would have liked in the regular season of the league, so they had to “play-in” on Friday night to make it in the tournament. They faced off against Trinity College, a team that had beaten the Huskies twice in regular season play.

 

In this match-up, the Huskies played with a sense of urgency and competed in one of the most consistent games they played all season. Kylie Kroes opened up the scoring for the Huskies half way through the first period when she found a Nikki Kendrick rebound on the power play. The second period started out all Northwood, too. Natalie Giglio scored on a breakaway after Sara Donatello and Moe Tsukimoto regrouped the puck in the neutral zone and found Nat alone in the center of the ice. Syd Collins, Natalie, and Sierra finished the scoring in the second period, while Tatum Gietl and Nikki Kendrick found the back of the net in the third. Hanna Markel had a solid game in net, only allowing one rebound goal.

With the win, the Huskies moved into the tournament and faced the #1 seed, Stanstead College. In the last two meetings against Stanstead, the Huskies always had to play catch-up and were eventually outscored 12-1 in their two losses. This time, the Huskies scored first when Syd Collins scored far side on the Spartan goaltender after a nice pass from Bridgit Sullivan. The Huskies held the lead in the first, but the Spartans won the second period, scoring three goals to take the lead. Northwood scored again when Sierra Benjamin won the faceoff to Saara Keranan, who took a quick shot from the point. Her shot didn’t go in, but Sierra grabbed the puck, went behind the net and found Maddie Gneo in front, who put it home. The Spartans scored again on a 3v2 to extend their lead and the Huskies couldn’t find a way to even it up before the time ran out. It was their best showing against the undefeated Spartans, who became the NAPHA league champions later that weekend.

After the loss, the Huskies moved to the consolation bracket, where they picked up two more competitive games. They lost to KES in a back-and-forth game and then battled back from a two-goal deficit to bring the RNS game to overtime. Unfortunately, the Riverhawks scored early in OT to take the win. Despite the losses, the games were the best showing Northwood’s had at league events. Now, the season is beginning to wrap up as the Huskies only have three more weekends of hockey to look forward to.

Huskies Have Great Weekend – On and Off Ice

The Northwood Girls’ hockey program had another successful weekend, playing 4 games and going 1-1-2. Northwood White travelled to Troy, NY to play in the 16U Meltdown, while the Blue team stayed home and faced The Hill School in a two game series.

In addition to the busy hockey schedules, the girls also took part in a teambuilding activity to make their own skills video. The videos were screened on Monday afternoon and blended talent, humor, and creativity. Here’s one example…check our Facebook page for the links to others!

Northwood White   4,    Syracuse    4    T

The White team had a busy day on Saturday, traveling to two different rinks in Albany for as many games, just a few hours apart.  The series opened up with late-afternoon matchup against an unfamiliar opponent, the Syracuse Blazers.  The Blazers came out flying and established a two goal lead early in the first period.  Sabryna Strack closed the gap shortly thereafter, burying a feed from Nikki Kendrick and Abby Hatcher to make it 2-1 after one.  Midway through the second period, Sierra Benjamin too, found the net after a great setup from Kendrick, tying the game at 2 heading into the final period of play.  The Blazers struck back just two minutes into play, only to see Sierra Benjamin answered right back with help from Justine Dufresne.  Halfway through the third, Sabryna Strack took matters into her own hands and buried what could have been a beautiful game-winner.  Unfortunately, a late penalty put the Huskies down a skater and the Blazers were able to tie it up with just over two minutes remaining.  Olivia Skriloff made 20 saves in the effort.

Northwood White   1,    Troy-Albany  0   OT  W

With little time to spare, the White Team packed up their gear, and made their way to the second rink for Game 2 vs the Troy- Albany Ice Cats.  A couple footlong chicken parm subs proved just enough for the girls to wash away the bad taste of tying Syracuse earlier, and refuel them for another tough battle.  The tension was high headed into this game, as White had just defeated the Ice Cats less than a week ago to claim the first ever EJEPL title.

White came out flying, out-shooting Troy-Albany 8-4 in each of the first two periods and then 14-8 in the third for a three-period total of 30-16.  Although White came very close, and came close often, neither team capitalized on their chances during regulation.  Three minutes into the 4-on-4 overtime, the Ice Cats took a tripping penalty to give White a four-on-three power play until the buzzer.  Thanks to Nikki Kendrick, scoring her second goal of the day and earning her third point in two games, the buzzer did not sound.  Justine Dufresne and Sierra Benjamin earned assists on Nikki’s game-winner and Ashley Davis stopped all 18 shots to secure the shutout victory.

Northwood Blue 1, The Hill School 1

Northwood Blue started the weekend on the right foot, coming out strong against a solid and deep Hill School. The two teams traded chances in the first, but both goaltenders held strong. Moe Tsukimoto got the Huskies on the board in the second when she cycled the puck out of the corner and beat The Hill’s goalie high. Syd Collins and Zoe VandeKieft picked up the assists on the goal. Hill tied it up on a power play goal two minutes later, and from there the two teams were deadlocked. Hanna Markel made 27 saves and Camilla Ketola, Kiannah Thomas, and Issy Ren had strong efforts to keep the tie.

Northwood Blue 1, The Hill School 3

In the second game of the series, the two teams again played an even, back-and-forth match. This time, Hill got on the board first when they beat a Northwood defender out of the corner. The Huskies went on the power play shortly after. Saara Keranen grabbed the puck on the faceoff and fed it to Tatum Gietl, who found Moe Tsukimoto back door for a goal. In the second period, a tough defensive zone turnover led to another Hill School goal, and this time, the Huskies couldn’t find an answer. Hill scored again in the third to make it 3-1, and despite pulling the goalie for the extra attacker and getting chances, no one was able to convert.

 

Northwood White Wins Inaugural EJEPL Title

Winners of the EJEPL (all photos by VK Photo-Sports)

Semi: Northwood White  6      NJ Rockets 1

Final: Northwood White  3      Troy-Albany Ice Cats 1

On Sunday, the White team traveled to Danbury, CT to make history, competing in the first ever EJEPL Girls’ Championships in the White team’s inaugural season.  In the 9:00am Semifinal, White (1) faced off against the NJ Rockets (4) followed by Troy- Albany Ice Cats (2) vs Brewster Lady Bulldogs (3) later in the morning.

The girls came out flying, focussed, and with one thing in mind- to play hard and earn an opportunity to win the league championship.  They did just that, and fought hard every step of the way.  Despite a 6-1 final score in Northwood’s favor, the game was close until the very end.  Goals were scored by Kendall Dubin, Sierra Benjamin, and Zoe Vande Kieft while Hanna Markel denied a few big shorthanded chances and breakaways.

Nikki Kendrick skates into the zone with the puck

After the big win, the team made excellent use of the few hours they had to refuel, recover and prepare for the next battle- this time for the title.  Just at the Huskies sat down for study hall after a nice lunch at the local Olive Garden, Troy-Albany defeated Brewster in OT to advance to the finals at 4:40.

The last time Northwood and Troy-Albany met,  we got a preview of just of tight the championship game would be.  In a double header on Dec 6, the Ice Cats scored their first goal in OT and handed the Huskies their first EJEPL loss after three scoreless periods.  In the second round, Northwood came back to defeat them 3-2 in a gritty rematch.

In the Championship game, Northwood White defeated Troy-Albany 3-1 to earn the title of the first ever EJEPL Girls’ 16/19 Champions.  Hanna Markel earned MVP honors and she along with four other Huskies, Nikki Kendrick, Abby Hatcher, Sara Donatello, and Zoe VandeKieft, were selected to the EJEPL All-Star Team competing in Boston in April.

Mia Wright leans in to a NJ Rocket player

Blue Team Struggles to Earn Points in League Play

Sierra skates up ice (Photo by VK Photo-Sports)

Northwood Blue had back-to-back league weekends to gain some points and finish the regular season off strong. They headed first to Cicero, NY and then to Norwich, VT, where they played once each against opponents from the west, MacLeod division.

The action started Friday morning when the Huskies faced off against the Gilmour Lancers. Gilmour is probably one of the most consistent teams in the league, always bringing their best effort, but the Huskies caught the Lancers sleeping in the first period, taking control of the game right from the start. They kept the Lancers pinned in their defensive zone and had multiple scoring chances, but couldn’t get the puck across the goal line. The tide turned late in the first period when Gilmour caught the Huskies sleeping on a faceoff and buried a rebound. The two teams traded chances in the second, but only Gilmour converted on a 2v1. The Huskies finally got on the scoreboard in the third period, when Justine Dufresne scored on her own 2v1, beating the Lancer goalie high. The Huskies pulled goalie Hanna Markel for the extra attacker in the third and had a flurry of chances, but nothing was able to drop. They took a penalty with 16 seconds left that sealed their fate, and the Lancers took the game 2-1.

The first Northwood Blue game Saturday was against Nichols School. During the first period, Natalie Giglio scored the Blue Team’s first goal. Although that goal put them in the lead, they kept missing opportunities to score. Sydney Collins couldn’t convert on a break away and Nicole Kendrick almost scored. The goalie, Hannah Markel, did a great job and even stopped a break away but unfortunately, she couldn’t stop Nichols’ first goal during the second period. Multiple opportunities to score presented themselves later but none were taken advantage of. After Nichols’ second goal, the blue team tried to but failed at making a comeback. A minute forty seconds to the end of the game, Nichols took a penalty and were down to four players so the Huskies pulled out their goalie and had six players against four. This tactic brought chances but unfortunately was not rewarding. (By Aude-Marie Ackebo, Team Manager)

Northwood lost to Trinity College School in the third game of the NAPHA weekend. The game was back-and-forth from the start, with Bridgit Sullivan, Moe Tsukimoto, Natalie Giglio and Nikki Kendrick scoring the Huskies four goals. Unfortunately, it was Trinity that scored the last one, though winning the game 5-4.

In the final game of the weekend, the Huskies took on a tough Ridley College. This was a better effort by the Huskies, but they still came up short, losing 1-0 and finishing the weekend 0-4.

Bridgit Sullivan wins a draw

The Northwood Huskies met the Ridley College Tigers at Norwich University less than a week after they saw them last. In what turned out to be deja-vue, the Huskies battled hard, but found themselves down to the Tigers 1-0 after a screened shot from the point trickled past Hanna Markel. There were spurts of action and Moe Tsukimoto, Zoe VandeKieft, and Sierra Benjamin all had good scoring chances, but nothing could get past the Ridley goaltender.

On Saturday morning, the Huskies met Gilmour Academy. Earlier in the season, they had ended up on the wrong side of a one goal game, so this time, the girls made sure there would be no repeat. The Huskes came out strong on the first face-off and dominated the game from start to finish. Moe Tsukimoto scored first when she literally beat all five Gilmour skaters and then scored on her own rebound. Natalie Giglio gave some reassurance with her own rush to put the Huskies up two. Hanna Markel played great in net, turning away over 25 shots.

The Huskies hoped that the good feeling from the Gilmour victory would continue throughout the Saturday evening game against Trinity, but it was not to be so. The game was a barn burner from the first drop of the puck, with Trinity scoring first on a rebound and but Northwood scoring the next two. The first was a nice one-timer from Moe Tsukimoto and the second was slapshot from Natalie Giglio on the power play. Trinity tied it up on bad turnover, but the Huskies answered right back when Moe put in a backhand. Trinity took the lead again after Trinity kept digging for a rebound and this time, the Huskies didn’t have enough time to come back. Trinity won the game 5-3 with an empty-netter.

In the final game of the weekend, the Huskies skated with a short bench and took on Nichols. It was a great effort and everyone dug deep, but they lost 3-2. Moe Tsukimoto and Natalie Giglio scored the goals with Hannah Davis receiving assists on both. Ashley Davis played solid in net to keep the Huskies in the game throughout.

Huskies Don’t Get Results at Home Tournament

Getting pumped before the game

Kendall Dubin looks to make a move

Sara Donatello with her head up ice

Hanna Markel tracking the puck

Lauren Sherer playing a 1v1

(Photos by Michael Aldridge)

The Northwood Invitational is always a highlight of the season. Taking place directly after exams, the athletes are full of energy and excited to play in front of a home crowd.

Northwood Blue played in the fourteen-team Adirondack Division. This was the inaugural year of Northwood White’s division, the Mirror Lake division, which included Brewster Bulldogs, the Quakers, and Northern Cyclones 16U.

With five players out with injuries or playing in International competition, many “light blue” players pulled double duty and played up to six games in two days. The tired legs were apparent, but the girls worked hard throughout the weekend.

The weekend began with an early 7:45 game for Northwood White against the Northern Cyclones.  The first half was a fast paced, evenly matched game.  Both teams kept a strong defense and quick aggressive offense resulting in a score of 0-0 at the half.  As both teams entered the second half it began to show that this was Northwood’s first game since before Christmas their legs began to get heavy and the crispness of play slowed.  The Cyclones took advantage of this fatigue and score three quick goals.  Though the team persevered to the end, they were unable to get on the board and tallied a loss.

Blue started with a win against Wyoming Seminary. Despite a slow start, they dominated the second half. Nikki Kendrick scored the first goal, which would be the game winner. Bridgit Sullivan scored a beautiful backhander for assurance and Kim Mongrain got the win in net.

The second game of the tournament for White was against the Brewster Bulldogs.  Northwood White has faced Brewster before and was ready for a physical match up.  Brewster went ahead in the first half tallying three goals to Northwood’s two, scored by Mia W and Kendall D.  After a between periods heart-to-heart, the huskies came out determined to even the score. Though they fought hard, they did not get any more shots by the Brewster goaltender and the game finished with a final score of 5-2 Brewster.

In the second game of the day for Blue, they took on Walpole Express. This game was faster paced and the Huskies found themselves down early in the game after a bad turnover. They traded chances throughout, but only Walpole could score again. Hanna Markel made 22 saves in net.

Game three of the Mirror Lake Division round robin play was against the U19 Lady Quakers.  This game was played on the historic 1980 Herb Brooks Arena.  Northwood White was still trying to get their game legs under them and the large ice surface of the 1980 rink did not help this cause.  All of the girls battled, and most of the play took place in the Quakers’ zone.  The Quakers were depending heavily on their goalie and the huskies could not find the net.  After 24 shots on net, the game ended with the huskies snake bitten for goals and a third loss on the weekend.  The final score was 3-0 Quakers.

For the final game of the tournament for the Blue team, they faced OHA Maroon. The first half was back-and-forth with the Huskies getting more high quality scoring chances without any conversions. A bad turnover at the blue line opened the scoring up and led to an OHA goal. The Huskies went down two after a rebound snuck by Ashley Davis. The Huskies didn’t give up though, and Kylie Kroes gave the team some momentum when she shot a low wrister that snuck in five hole. Despite a flurry of chances with the pulled goalie, the tired Northwood team couldn’t tie it up.

Northwood White then faced Brewster again in the Consolation game and was ready for a second chance at them for a win.  Again, the struggle to find the back of the net continued. Brewster scored first but then Northwood came back with the tying goal by Sierra B.  The game finished in a 1-1 tie.

With some players playing up to six games in two days, the tournament certainly helped the Huskies conditioning. Struggling to put pucks in the net also will make them more hungry in the future. The best highlights from the weekend, though, came from off the ice. With family and friends in town to watch the games, most Huskies got the chance to spend some much needed quality time with loved ones. The parents also got to have some fun, playing pond hockey at the Kroes home!

Northwood Blue Has Strong Finish to 2015

Northwood Blue peaked at the right time, going 3-1 in one of the most highly scouted tournaments of the year, the EG Watkins tournament at Cushing Academy.

The Huskies started the weekend off against Winchendon School, who had a sizable student body cheering section at the rink. The game was physical and Winchendon tried to intimidate the Huskies. They took two major penalties, hoping to draw Northwood into scrapping, but the Huskies kept their cool and took advantage of the power play. Syd Collins scored at the end of a 5v3 on a rebound to gain the lead. Nikki Kendrick scored on her own rebound later in the game. Hanna Markel earned the shut-out turning away some great Winchendon chances, especially late in the game.

In the second game of the tournament, Northwood was matched up against Worcester Academy. Northwood got on the board first when Moe Tsukimoto grabbed the puck off the wall and took a quick shot as she walked across the offensive zone. Worcester tied it up later with a power play goal and the two teams played even for a while. In the second half though, it was all Worcester. They scored twice from outside the circles, both off of a rushes were the Husky D sank bank too much. The Huskies pulled their goalie for the extra attacker, but it was Worcester who found the back of the net for the 4-1 win.

 

Later that day, Northwood faced Berkshire School. In a deja-vue moment, Moe Tsukimoto again scored the first goal of the game when she walked off the wall. This time, the Huskies didn’t settle back. They kept attacking and Justine Dufresne put them up 2-0 when she didn’t give up on a puck in front of the net. Soon after, Moe Tsukimoto scored her second of the game with a beautiful breakaway goal to go up 3-0. Berkshire got on the board after a tough Northwood turnover left Hanna Markel with a 2v1, but the Huskies responded. Tatum Gietl fired a slapshot from the point on the power play to secure the 4-1 win.

With the win, Northwood ended second in their bracket and were matched up against Culver Academy for the third place game. The game was dead even through the first and second until a Culver forward beat a Husky defender and snuck the puck past Ashley Davis. The Huskies answered right back though when Moe Tsukimoto carried the puck into the offensive zone off of the neutral zone face-off. Natalie Giglio followed up the play, grabbed the puck, and cut to net. Her shot didn’t go in, but Kylie Kroes was there with her stick on the ice to slide the puck in. After that goal, the Huskies gained momentum and Kira Collins got her first of the season on a rebound goal. Sierra Benjamin tipped a beautiful Nikki Kendrick shot by the Culver goalie to go up 3-1 and secure the win and third place. Moe Tsukitmoto and Hanna Markel were named to the all-tournament team, and the Huskies improved their record to 11-15-0.

Great Weekend for Girls’ Hockey Program

This weekend was jam packed with hockey for the Northwood girls’ program, with some players playing up to six games between the mixed teams, and white, and blue teams. The highlight of the weekend was certainly the White winning the CHE American Cup and going 4-0 with zero goals against. Below are the game write-ups and some pictures and videos to enjoy!

Team Lucy/Nemec  7,  Brampton  0

Team Lucy faced off against a tired Brampton team later that evening.  Kim Mongrain earned her first Northwood shutout and seven different Huskies earned at east one point on the night.  Moe Tsukimoto scored twice in the opening period and once more again in the third for the hat-trick, adding an assist to earn a four-point game.  Hannah Kessel, after a handful of quality chances, scored her her career goal and added an assist for a two-point night.  Natalie Giglio added a goal and two assists, Nikki Kendrick scored one goal with help from Sabryna Strack and earned an assist on Maddie Gneo’s redirect late in the second period.

Northwood White 4,  Brampton 0

On Saturday morning, Northwood White geared up for the 3rd round in our weekend series against Brampton.  Most of the first period was scoreless, until 2:11 when Kendall Dubin scored her first goal of the weekend with help from Mia Wright and Moe Tsukimoto.  Less than a minute later, Nikki Kendrick decided to pad our first period score and beat three consecutive Brampton players before snapping the puck over the goaltender’s shoulder with authority.  In the second period, Moe Tsukimoto cashed in on a great play set up by Zoe Vande Kieft, who found her in the slot right in time to tuck the puck behind the Brampton goaltender’s left pad.  Zoe earned her second assist of the morning in the final period of play  as Nikki Kendrick buried her second goal of the game and earned game MVP honors.  Ashley Davis was steady in net and extended the Northwood shutout streak to thee games.

Northwood White  2- Brampton  0

The White Team closed out the series with another shutout and win on Sunday Morning.  Ashley Davis held the Canadettes scoreless the entire weekend and played a big role in the White team’s tournament win.  Kendall Dubin came up big for the Huskies in the second period, earning an assist and a goal in a span of 3:05.  Issy Ren scored the game-winner, burying Dublin’s rebound just wide of the Brampton goalie’s right pad.  Sierra Benjamin also earned an assist on the play.  Kylie Kroes earned MVP with her tough, responsible, and consistent play throughout the weekend.

 

Team Farmer/Killer 4 – Brampton 0

Friday afternoon’s game against Brampton Thunder proved to be a good warm-up for the weekend. The Huskies came out with jump in their step and took control of the game right away. They used their knowledge of how to play on Olympic sized ice to their advantage and spread out the Brampton players, then beat them with speed and puck movement. Bridgit Sullivan led the scoring with a hat trick, Moe Tsukimoto scored on an end-to-end rush, and Saara Keranen scored with a slapshot. Hanna Markel played the game in net and recorded the shut-out.

 

Northwood Blue 3 – Lawrenceville School 7

On Saturday evening, the Huskies met Lawrenceville School at Union College. They again came out strong, scoring the first goal after Abby Hatcher made a good pinch on the boards and Madison Gneo picked up the puck and roofed it over the Lawrenceville goalie. After that flurry though, it was all Lawrenceville. They scored first on a shot from the point, then another when they beat a Huskie defender out of the corner, two power play goals, and a bad turnover left the Huskies down 5-1 going into the third. After a Zamboni ice cut gave the Huskies a chance to regroup, they came out with a greater intensity and sense of purpose. The tied the third period, with a nice in tight goal by Syd Collins and and end-to-end rush by Moe Tsukimoto.

Northwood Blue 0 – Lawrenceville 2

Saturday morning was a much better showing for the Huskies. The game was fast-paced and physical, and both teams competed hard. Lawrenceville generated more offense than the Huskies in the first two periods, but the Huskies played solid in the defensive zone and limited their scoring opportunities. Hanna Markel played great in net to keep the Huskies in the game and give them a chance. After killing off a penalty in the third period, Lawrenceville converted on a bad bounce to go ahead 1-0. They scored again a few minutes later when the Huskies turned the puck over in the neutral zone. The Huskies went on the power play with three minutes left and were able to generate a few scoring chances after a time out, but nothing dropped for them and they lost 2-0.

Northwood Blue 7 – Troy Albany 1

After some subs and a nice walk around Union College, the Huskies travelled across the Hudson to Troy, where they played the Troy Albany 19U team. The Huskies had more time and space against the Ice Cats and used it to play a game of possession. They scored early in the first when Moe Tsukimoto won a defensive zone draw to Natalie Giglio who found Tsukimoto breaking through the center and fed her for an open ice breakaway. Another goal five minutes later came when Abby Hatcher pinched on the boards and took the puck to net for a shot. She didn’t find a hole, but Justine Dufresne was in the right spot to bury the rebound. Tsukimoto scored her second of the game short-handed and the Huskies came out of the first period with a 3-0 lead. Natalie Giglio beat the Ice Cat goalie low stick side off of a nice feed from Tsukimoto for the only goal in the second. Hanna Markel stopped all five shots for a two period shut-out. Another short-handed goal by the Huskies set the tone for the third period. This time, Tsukimoto made a beautiful pass to Madison Gneo who made going bar down look easy. The Ice cats scored not much after when a shot from the top of the circle snuck by Kim Mongrain, but the Huskies answered back with two more goals: Tsukimoto’s third of the game and Bridigit Sullivan’s low shot that just beat the buzzer.