After a long and successful season on the ice, most of the Northwood Huskies were ready for some downtime this spring. However, that downtime didn’t last long as these energetic and motivated girls kept busy training, giving back to their community, and buckling down in the classroom.
First up was the annual Faculty vs. Girls game. This tradition is a fun way for the girls to show their skills against some of their favorite teachers, or for teachers to give their students a little more schooling! The faculty ended up winning the game, with Coach Farmer putting home a few goals for the win.
After the grudge match, there wasn’t much time to let the blades dry out as Northwood’s community service organization, Care, hosted Pink the Rink, a breast cancer fundraiser. Many Huskies helped out with the effort by organizing, running, and playing in the 3v3 tournament which eventually raised over $5,000 for the cause.
Then came one of the most anticipated events of the school year, Winter Carnival. Northwood students were drafted into four teams and they competed in over twenty events as varied as a bake off, lip synch contest, snow soccer, and broom ball. Nicole M. and Rachel R., captains of the team pink, helped lead their team to overall victory. Coach Kilbourne-Hill and Coach Farmer, drafted by the captains, also got the chance to celebrate their first winter carnival wins as faculty.
With winter sports over and the ground still covered with snow, the Huskies had a chance to get some skiing and snowboarding in at Whiteface. Many also ice climbed, went snow shoeing, and cross country skied before leaving for spring break.
Upon return, campus was a whirlwind of activity. Another college scholarship signing took place, as Cailey H. signed her National Letter of Intent for the University of Maine. Spring sports started in earnest. Many huskies took to the lacrosse field or tried their hand at rowing. Some rock climbed, white water rafted, or took part in the Lake Placid experience. We had a beautiful day for prom and a great sports awards banquet. Our last team meal was a fun night at the Donatello’s where the paper plate awards were given out to seniors and the team had one last chance to be together before graduation.
Graduation was a mix of excitement and nostalgia. Seniors were eager to begin the next chapter but anxious about leaving their home-away-from-home. Underclass students were sad to see their friends move on but proud of their accomplishments.
The Huskies were well represented in the awards categories: Nicole M. won the Holt Hockey award, Rachel L. won the Linda Friedlander athletic award, and Maci H. and Nicole M. won the headmaster’s awards. The seniors weren’t the only ones celebrating that weekend though. Coach Farmer also graduated from Columbia University’s Teacher College with her Master’s Degree in English.
Once the seniors departed and the underclass students wiped their eyes, the experiential learning week of spring program began. The offerings were varied this year, but a majority of the hockey players participated in Rockets, Adirondack 101, Inner Peace, Farming, or Music Production.
Although it was a busy spring of off-ice activities, spring is also the prime time for national team development opportunities. Alyson M. participated in the Canadian U22 training camp while some of the underclass students headed to their home districts to compete for a spot at USA Hockey national camp. Sierra B. was the top ranked defender in her district and was invited to the National Camp. Incoming sophomore Zoe V. will see her out in St. Cloud as she made National Camp out of the Great Plains district. As the girls were testing themselves against others, Coaches Kilbourne-Hill and Farmer traveled around North America evaluating talent to add to the roster. So far, more than a dozen new student athletes will join the program, with the additional development team taking shape nicely.
It was evident during the spring fitness testing that the returning players are already excited for next year. The girls can feel that they are part of something special, and they are determined to improve: for themselves and for their school. We’re looking forward to what the next school year will bring!
Northwood School Girls Hockey 