Nate Boak ’20 (Photo: Mr. Mchael Aldridge).
Northwood’s Junior Hockey Team has had a lot of success in the past few years, including ending last season ranked 4th out of 139 teams. Led by celebrated coaches Trevor Gilligan and Chadd Cassidy, the 2018-19 squad made it to the USA Hockey Tier I U18 National Championships but lost in the semi finals.
With only three returning players from last year’s team, this is a rebuilding year. When asked how the team is doing so far, head coach Chadd Cassidy said, “To be honest I don’t know what the potential of the team is yet, because we are just getting started and the players are getting acclimated. We have so many players that aren’t used to the style and the system that we play and haven’t played at this level before. So it’s going to be a learning process in the beginning, but we have three really good returning players that are great leaders for us.”
Defenseman Nate Boak ‘20, one of the returning players, said, “It is different since there are only three returners on the team, but we see it more as an opportunity than a challenge. We will have to battle through adversity at some points and things might not go the way we want all the time but that’s a part of growing,” said Boak. “Just like past years, our team will develop into a family. The most important factor is time, it’s not gonna happen overnight,” he added.
Cassidy, Boak and rest of the team are ready to face new challenges and help this new team evolve into something greater. Boak is optimistic. “Just like past years our team will develop into a family,” he said.
The Huskies lost a 2-game home-and-home against New York State Tier I rival CP Dynamo and this weekend they face stiffer opponents. Husky-watchers are asking: Can they continue the legacy?
