The Northwood Boys’ Prep Hockey Team played in its first tournament of 2026 in early January. The prep team had won this tournament the last 2 years, but the competition this year was tougher than in the past. As the first games since the break, the boys were looking to make a strong start to the back half of the season. 3rd year senior and prep captain said, “The first games back are always tough. It has been a while since we have all been together, and hopefully, we’ll pick up where we left off in the first game.” The first game was a big test for the boys. Kimball Union is always a great team, and the boys were looking for a challenge in their first game back.
In the first period, the boys were rolling—3 goals to Kimball’s 0. There was a hiccup in the 2nd period, and Kimball came back to score 3 goals. Despite taking the foot off the gas, the boys came out flying in the 3rd period to seal the game with an impressive 5-3 win. Senior goalie Owen Maclean said, “I thought we played a great first game. We dominated most of the game and pushed through adversity. It was a great way to get back into it.”
The boys moved on to the second round, where they faced a very tough opponent in Culver. After a hard-fought game, the boys unfortunately fell to Culver. The next day was a consolation game, and the boys knew it would be hard to get everyone excited. They faced Frederick Gunn. The boys ended the tournament on a high note, winning 3-2 and carrying momentum for the next big weekend at home. Despite the loss, the boys played a great tournament. It was the perfect way to get back into the swing of things this season.