The Prep Team celebrates it’s third consecutive championship at South Kent. Photo provided.
The Prep Hockey team recently won its third consecutive championship at the South Kent Fall Invitational tournament. The Mirror spoke to a few of the players to understand what the accomplishment means to them.
“It means a lot, you know, being a second-year player, and having won it two years in a row. It’s a great feeling,” said Parker Thompson ’26. “Especially because it is such a prestigious tournament with top-level teams, it feels great to win it again, and I’m already looking forward to winning it again next year to make it a four-peat” Thompson added.
“Even though this is my first year at Northwood, I can feel how important winning this tournament was,” Henry Kress ‘26 said. “Even when coach Mallaro said, ‘We have a chance to do something special’ before the third game, I could sense how much it meant to the returners and the coaching staff to win this tournament. This was a big weekend for us as a team, beating a PHC [Prep Hockey Conference] rival in South Kent, and two good teams in the New Jersey Rockets and UCC. We’re going to build off this weekend moving forward,” Kress added.
“Being a part of a three-year win streak at the South Kent tournament is a very cool thing to have been on the team,” Drew Donatello ’25 said. “Being at Northwood for so long, I have always found it cool to have something to strive for that the team has accomplished before. I’m glad this year we could add to the win streak and that we can pass it on to the team next year,” Donatello added.
“I think it’s awesome,” said former Husky forward and two-time South Kent champion Ritter Coombs. “I think it shows what kind of program Northwood has had and continues to have. I think Coach Mallaro does an unbelievable job. We always went into that weekend with confidence and a willingness to win no matter what. Obviously, it is another PHC team. I think winning another PHC team’s tournament is awesome, and it’s one of the most meaningful tournaments of the year. I know Will Schneid, Mike Peluso, and Gavin Carr are doing an unbelievable job letting the traditions live on. Winning it back-to-back years wasn’t easy, so I can’t imagine going into the rink for year 3. Huge Props to the returning players and incoming guys for bringing it back to the Wood!” Coombs added.
