Northwood Has Strong Showing at NAHA Tourny

In the last tournament of the year, the Huskies traveled to Stowe, VT for the annual NAHA Spring Tournament. The tournament is always full of emotion as the seniors realize it’s their last roadtrip with the team and underclassman begin to mourn their graduating classmates. This year, those emotions translated to terrific team play and chemistry on the ice.

In the first game of the weekend, the Huskies faced Ottawa Ice. They set the tone from the first face-off and controlled the puck for a majority of the game. However, a solid Ottawa goaltender prevented all but one goal in regulation. To score, Eva M. dangled an Ottawa defender and then sniped top glove. Ottawa scored on a flukie turn-over to tie it up. The game went into a shoot-out where Erin B. and Nicki C. scored and Lindsay P. turned away all but 1 shot.

On Saturday morning, after cooking themselves a hearty breakfast, the Huskies took on the home team, NAHA Red. The pace was fast and furious, but Northwood was not intimidated by the NAHA team despite NAHA Red scoring first. The Huskies kept to their game plan, playing smart and disciplined. Eva M. scored on the power play to tie it up, and then Cailey H. had a beautiful short handed goal for the game winner.

Being 2-0 meant that the tournament was in Northwood’s hand. If they beat Rice, they’d be the #1 seed from their division and make the semi-final game. Having played three times already this season, Northwood knew what to expect from Rice and they were hungry to get their first win against their league rival. They had the jump from the first drop of the puck. Megan C. netted one in the first and then provided some buffer room by scoring again in the second. She almost completed the hat trick when a dump-in nearly missed, but the two goals were good enough for the win.

Saturday night, the girls had a potluck dinner, where each condo was responsible for bringing a dish to share. Nicole M. and Julie D. took charge of the chicken, Jess B. and Hailey S. made sure there was plenty of pasta, Olga R.  and Rachel R. put together the salad, and Nicki C. made chocolate chip cookies for desert.

The semi-final game on Sunday morning pitted the Huskies against another league opponent, Stanstead. The teams were up and down the ice, forcing each other to cause turn-overs and odd player rushes. The Huskies scored first with a rebound goal by Serena M. Stanstead answered back shortly after with a rebound goal of their own, and then another off of a bad pinch. The Huskies battled back in the second, with a nice tip-in where Nicole M. tipped a knee high shot from Jess B passed the goalie. In the third, both teams traded goals, with Eva M. eventually scoring the tying goal on the power play and giving the Huskies momentum. After regulation, the teams selected three players to shoot in the shoot-out. Nicole G. made 2 great saves and let just one sneak by, but the Northwood shooters couldn’t find a way to beat the Stanstead goalie.

It was a great weekend where the girls put together 4 solid games to improve their overall record to 25-24-5. This next weekend marks the end of the 2012-2013 season when Northwood travels to Gatineau, QC and then plays host to the Express for their senior day on Sunday.

Huskies Up and Down as They Approach Season End

The season is winding down for the Northwood Huskies. With just two weeks left, it’s a bittersweet feeling. While many look forward to long, leisurely weekends with no team itineraries, all the girls and coaches will certainly miss the time together, the daily practice routines, and the excitement of a good game.

Last weekend, the team played a home/home series with Ontario Hockey Academy (OHA). In the Huskies game at Cornwall, they played tough, but uninspired hockey. Lindsay P. was stellar in net, only allowing one goal, but the typical enthusiasm of the team as a whole was not evident. They lost the game 1-0. The next day when OHA visited Lake Placid, the team vowed to bounce back positively. This time, they came out with a sense of purpose and urgency. They pounced on OHA early when Megan C. intercepted a break out pass and shot quickly. Cailey H. gave them a more solid lead when she scored on the power play, taking the puck behind the net and waiting for the goalie to move before stuffing it in. Oona R. also chipped in a goal from down low, her first of her Northwood career. Nicole G. allowed one goal against for the 3-1 win.

On Monday and Tuesday, the team prepared for their cross-town competitor, National Sports Academy (NSA). By Wednesday, the girls were prepared and started the game strong, but soon, the Mountaineers speed and quick puck movement wore them down. Nicole G. played a great game in net, stopping almost every first shot, but the NSA team was quick on rebounds. Grace D., Maci H., Cailey H., Erin K., Oona R., and Sophie G. all had exceptionally good games, but the team as a whole didn’t have the strength to stay in it.

After suffering such a big loss, Thursday could have been miserable. But this group of girls is special and they were determined to have a positive end to the season. The 3v3 and skills competition held in practice was fierce, with the Tighty Whities winning the title over the Big Dog and the Little Pups in a shoot out.

Just one of the many things this team will miss at the season’s end are the bus trips to and from the rink, complete with Bus Karaoke!