With the roster officially finalized this week, the Prep season is in full swing. The boys’ Prep team heads to Pittsburgh for the USHL Fall Classic on September 19th. They have three round-robin games, and if they perform well enough, they can compete in the championship on Monday, September 22nd.
The team has only 8 returning players who played more than half of the games with the team last season. This left room for many players to compete for spots on the prep team. The Blue vs. White scrimmage was extremely competitive at the start of this season, and many athletes displayed their talents, emerging as potential stars for the prep team. Also, athletes who played varsity last season made strong cases to make the Prep team, with 4 of them eventually earning roster spots.
This year, the team recruited many players from top programs across the country. Two kids are from the Chicago Mission 16U team, which had won the National Championship the previous year. Additionally, three kids come from the North Jersey Avalanche 16U, which won the USHL Fall Classic last year during this time. Additionally, players from Mount St. Charles, Dallas Stars Elite, Seacoast Performance Academy, and numerous other notable programs have chosen to join the Northwood Huskies this year.
When Captain of the Prep team, Parker Thompson ‘26, was asked what he was looking forward to most during his senior season, he said, “I am just so excited to become close and create a brotherhood with this group. We have a great group of guys, and I am excited to lead by example this year!” Thompson also went on to say, “I’ve been here for the past three years and I’ve kind of taken all of those bus rides and team dinners for granted, I am really going to take in everything this year and make the most of my senior year.”
I asked both Thompson and returning senior defenseman Devin Smith what their biggest goal was for the upcoming season. Their answers were the same: “win the PHC” (Prep Hockey Conference). Smith also went on to mention, “Last year losing in the finals, it really has stung all summer long. You must sit and think about that loss all summer, it really sparks a flame in you to want to win that much more!” He then went on to say, “All the returners feel the same way, we all grinded all offseason with the same common goal in mind: win the PHC.”
The Prep Team has a tough standard to live up to, set by previous teams. However, the boys seem confident that they will be able to replicate the season they had last year, and even think that they could outdo the previous team. The Huskies are hoping to reach 40 wins as they did last year, but instead of losing the PHC final, they are going to win it!