The Fire on Ice tournament in Rochester, NY is always an exciting event. With over 20 teams at the U19AA level, the tournament is always great competition with plenty of college scouts in the stands.
The Huskies started the weekend by boarding the charter bus Thursday night. After a chick flick, it was time for players to study and meet individually with the coaches to discuss the start of the school year and the season. These individual meetings allow time for players to converse honestly with the coaches about their strengths and weaknesses and for the coaches to get to know each player better.
On Friday morning, Northwood faced off against West Chester Quakers, a team from the Philadelphia area. The focus and determination of the team was evident as they took control of the game early on, passing around the Quakers. The Huskies got on the board half way through the first half when Alyson M. took the puck into the offensive zone and deked the goalie. Her defensive partner, Maci, added another goal in the first half. The scoring opened up in the second as Cailey, Nicole, and Moe all puck pucks in the net for a final 5-0 victory. Lindsay P. stopped a dozen shots for the shut-out.
Friday evening, the Huskies faced the Middlesex Islanders, a junior program out of Massachusetts. Again, Northwood had the jump in their step and The Islanders could not match the Huskies speed. A quick early goal by Cailey set the tone for the game, and the Huskies finished off the Islanders 6-0. Bridgit had a beautiful tip-in goal, Nicole sniped one high, Bautista had two beauties, and Moe dangled for the sixth. Katey turned away 10 shots for the shut-out.
On Saturday, the girls had the morning off. Many of them went for a relaxing brunch at Denny’s, a move they would later regret as the faster and more intense game against Compuware took a physical toll on the Huskies. This time, it was the Huskies who were set back from the start, not playing with their usual finesse. Compuware scored half way through the first half and then again close to the end of the period on a power play. The Huskies clawed back in it, getting some good chances, but a bad bounce on the power play led to a Compuware short-handed goal. They added another one later in the second half and despite the Huskies outshooting their opponent in the second half, only Cailey could find the back of the net – leaving the game 4-1.
In an interesting twist of fate, the elimination round lined up the same two opponents on Saturday evening. The Huskies knew they could beat Compuware if they played their game. Compuware again scored short-handed early in the game, but this time Northwood answered back when Kira sniped one on the power play. Compuware wasn’t giving up though, and they scored two more to put the Huskies down 3-1 going into the second half. It was another power play goal by Kira that gave the Huskies the momentum. Brooke found the puck on her stick with an empty net to tie it up, then Cailey scored the game winner with 5 minutes to go. The Huskies held on for the come-back win and a trip to the quarterfinals.
After leaving the arena at midnight on Saturday night, the Huskies had a tight turn-around with a 9:45am game on Sunday. After some chocolate milk and a cool down, the girls went to sleep, hoping their legs and minds could get some rest. The girls faced the Northern Cyclones, a junior team from northern Massachusetts in the morning. It was a back-and-forth game, with both teams getting chances and both goalies making great saves. The Cyclones scored first and second, but Maci sniped a beautiful goal after beating two players to put the Huskies within one. A power play goal at the end of the half extended the Cyclones lead. With three minutes to go in the game, the 2 goal difference wasn’t budging. Northwood hit three posts and had a lot of chances, but the puck wasn’t crossing the goal line. With an empty net, they buzzed the Cyclone’s net, but the Cyclones were able to clear it and score on the empty net. Not giving up, the Huskies tried again, and this time, Nicole scored with .01 seconds left for a final score of 4-2.
Overall, the Huskies had a terrific weekend. The crowds and college scouts were exciting to see such a hard working, disciplined, and skilled team. The team will recover from a long roadie and then take their game to Quebec to play in their first league weekend of the year.
Northwood School Girls Hockey 