The 2022-23 Prep hockey team during September action at the Olympic Center (Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge).
This past weekend, the Northwood Prep Team completed their penultimate week of play this season with a 2-game weekend series against Prep Hockey Conference rival St. Andrews.
It’s first game took place on Friday, March 10th, and was high-scoring. It saw Northwood jump out to a 4-2 lead in the middle of the second period, only to lose 8-5. St. Andrews scored 6 of the last 7 goals, including 4 in the 3rd period, to take the opening game of the set.
The second game took place the following afternoon and was similarly high scoring. It didn’t seem all that competitive at first, as Northwood stormed out to a 4-1 lead, with goals from Ritter Coombs ‘25, Billy Batten ‘23, and two from Princeton Commit James Schneid ‘23. However, St. Andrews would come back and tie the game, on a series of net mouth scrambles that all ended up with the puck in the back of the net. At 4-4 deep into the 3rd period, Northwood goaltender Josef Zilinec ‘24, facing a Two-on-one, made one of the best saves of the season, reaching out with his toe to rob a St. Andrews player. Minutes later, Nikita Mescheryakov ‘24 would score the go-ahead goal, and Schneid would complete his hat trick to put the game away at 6-4. This game also had a physical edge to it. Numerous scraps and fights broke out after the whistle, resulting in the penalty boxes being almost constantly full throughout the game. A fight even broke out after the final horn.
Northwood has since concluded their season, and now will stand by for the start of spring Co-Co’s. In the meantime, they have developed their own March Madness basketball league to keep them busy. Batten and Henry Thornton ‘23 are the favorites to win.
