4 v 4 Tournament participants. Photo: Instagram/Northwood School.
The Northwood 4v4 hockey tournament has finished, and it was a success. The tournament was well-planned, with many memorable moments. All the memories would not have happened if Shayna Deutsch ’24, Brac Kelley ’24, and Sophia Deanzeris ’25 had not worked so hard to organize the event.
On the first day of the tournament, 36 games were played across two sheets of ice. Two teams dominated the day and became the buzz of the tournament. The OGs included Coaches Gilligan, Rose, Fellhaber, Mallaro, and Lynch. Canadian Goose was made up of Charles Pigeon ‘26, Loelie Lachapelle ‘26, Ben Plusinki ‘24, Sheldon Cassidy ‘24, and Jacob Brunton ‘24. These two teams went undefeated, earning them first-round byes in the playoffs. Many players were impressed by how well Team OGs performed; people could not believe how much they had beaten every team.
The first day was not just about the games, but also about the camaraderie and preparation of the teams. The morning started with teams gathering for breakfast, discussing plays and strategies. The level of investment and preparation was inspiring, with one player remarking, “It was amazing how everyone on my team was so invested. We had our uniforms chosen the day we found out the rosters, and the preparation we put into the tournament made it a truly memorable experience.”
The teams were receded, giving four teams a bye in the first round of playoffs. The OGs, Canadian Goose, Snowstorm Slayers, and Team 11 all received byes.
The second day was scheduled for playoffs, and the organizers had incorporated a loser’s bracket. If you lose in the playoffs, you’ll move to the other rink and play against other people who were eliminated. This allowed us to get the most out of the two sheets of ice while providing more games for the players. The playoff rules were simple: if you won, you advanced; if you lost, you went to the loser’s bracket. After numerous games, the final ended up being the OGs and Canadian Goose.
Following the semi-finals and losers’ bracket, everyone headed to the 80 to watch the championship game. The game was tough and close. Everyone expected Canadian Goose to win because of their youth and vitality, but the OG’s once again dominated play and won the trophy.
