With spring break over, all that remains for the soccer team is their annual May tournament in Albany, NY. While most Co-curriculars have finished up for the year and students are enjoying fun in the sun around campus, the soccer team remains dialed in for the remainder of their season. Despite how it may seem, this tournament isn’t just a farewell send-off for the seniors; it remains a very important opportunity for underclassmen to be seen by college coaches, which is why motivation is so high going into it. This year’s competition is expected to be even more difficult than last year’s tournament, with teams such as Boston Bolts, Woodstock Academy, and South Kent headlining the groups.

Last year, the U17s made quick work of their opponents in the group stage, then faced a difficult final, which they won 3-2 to take the cup home. It was a fitting way for them to end the year, and Hamish Riddle ’26 was able to add a college commitment to the title that weekend as the Bucknell Coaches were thoroughly impressed with his performance. The U19s, however, were left with a much more bitter taste in their mouths. Despite running through the group stage without conceding a goal and scoring 12 goals in three matches, they ended up falling short to South Kent in the finals on a penalty shootout, sending all the seniors home regretting how their Northwood careers ended.

The starting 11 before last year’s final game. Photo: Northwood Soccer.

This year, the U17s hope to repeat the success they had at this time last year to redeem themselves after a disappointing performance in the Jefferson Cup. At the same time, the U19s look to continue their momentum from the Jefferson cup and finish the year the right way, sending the seniors home on a high.

Now, while the sun has been shining in Lake Placid and the morale is high, all the players know that this is one of the best opportunities of the year to get scouted, going into the summer when colleges won’t see them. It’s of the utmost importance for Northwood players to build interest going into the summer so they can foster relationships with these coaches and be in a good spot when they return for next fall. With players going home to various countries and states all over the world, it’s nearly impossible for coaches to scout them over the summer. Hence, they need to be interested enough to remain in touch until those opportunities resume in September.

After a successful weekend of training, with morale high and intensity even higher, both teams seem geared up and ready to go for their final ride together. Their minds are sharp, and their bodies are well-rested, meaning it should be a fun weekend with lots of excitement and emotion, as seniors say goodbye to the program that made them. “It’s going to be tough, you know. This program has been my whole life for the last 3 years, and realizing that’s coming to an end has been a tough pill to swallow. That being said, we are going to give everything we’ve got to go out with a bang; it’s the only way we see fit.” Said senior captain Tziyon Morris when asked about the mixed feelings heading into this tournament. It’s the end of an Era for Northwood Soccer, and we are hoping the Huskies can send this era off in a blaze of glory as it deserves.

Despite the year ending and spring breaks inching closer, the members of the Northwood soccer program are all focused on the same thing. Victory at Jefferson Cup. Every year, no matter how good the prior season has gone, the Huskies always fall short at the Jefferson Cup. Whether it’s the heat, the focus on spring break rather than the games, or just the stiff competition in general, something about the Jefferson Cup makes it stand out from the rest.

First, some context. Jefferson Cup is, size-wise, the biggest tournament in the United States, and, competition-wise, second only to the world-famous Dallas Cup, which takes place the same week. The tournament began in 1981 and features around 2,000 top teams across every age group and skill level. Black Rock is good enough to make the top bracket of the whole tournament, but since making the top group, Northwood’s best finish has been fourth place out of the twelve-team group.

The field where Northwood claimed victory over Arlington SC last year. Photo: Jefferson Cup.

Last year, the U19 team was on pace for a great tournament. They won their prior tournament in Las Vegas and came in well rested, ready to do what no Northwood team before them had done. They started the tournament off with a big win over Arlington SC and carried that momentum into the next game, the biggest game of the tournament, a clash against the hosts, Richmond United. Despite a valiant effort, the team fell 2-1 on a last-second goal, thereby dashing their hopes of a tournament win. With all hope lost heading into the final game, the team fell 4-3 in a less heartbreakingly close game. This has been the case for Northwood teams for years; they always build up the Jefferson cup well, only to fall short right before the finish line.

However, that is not the case this year. This week, the coaching staff met with the players, and everyone agrees that this year the focus is sharper than in years past. Every player has their eyes set on one goal and one goal only: winning the Jefferson Cup. Also, another factor that will help this year’s team is having a chip on their shoulders. Coming into the Jefferson Cup, most Northwood teams have been coming off an easy win of the Las Vegas Players Showcase, but not this year. The Northwood U19 team faced the hardest schedule in years in Las Vegas and came away with an anticlimactic haul of three ties and one loss, leaving them gripped with anger and frustration. When asked about the team’s mindset for the Jefferson Cup, senior captain Tziyon Morris had this to say: “For a lot of us, it’s our second-to-last tournament at Northwood, and it’s the biggest one that we play each year, so we’re playing every game like it’s our last and trying to cherish every moment. Along with that, in a certain sense, we feel like we let the program down in Las Vegas, and we have a chip on our shoulders and something to prove at this year’s Jeff Cup. We want to be the first team ever to win the Jefferson Cup for Northwood and send the year off in the right manner.”

Morris sums up the team’s mentality perfectly, and for those looking on from Northwood, expect big results as we head into spring break.

In March, there are plenty of sports events that garner plenty of interest. There’s the World Baseball Classic and the tail end of the NHL and NBA seasons, leading into the playoffs. However, none of those sports garner even close to the amount of attention that March Madness does at this time of year. The annual tournament is just the same as all other NCAA Division One sporting tournaments in layout, but it means a whole lot more to Americans than the rest. Every March, millions of Americans print out brackets of the field of play and pick what teams they think will win. Some do it for lots of money, some do it for none, but all families in America have heard of March Madness.

The famous trophy that is the pinnacle of so many players’ careers. Photo: Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos/Getty Images.

There are numerous reasons why March Madness is so much more popular than the other NCAA tournaments. Still, the most important is the emergence of bracket culture in the U.S. Around the late 70s and early 80s there became a small group of people in Long Island, NY who would fill out brackets every year for the NCAA Basketball tournament and as this went on it grew more and more until it effectively enveloped the whole country and became what we know today as March Madness. The difference that filling out a bracket makes is that it creates a personal investment in the tournament; people are much more likely to watch if they have a stake on the line. This culture, paired with the iconic Cinderella runs of the past, forms the perfect storm that is March Madness.

Now, while the bracket has yet to be released this year, some teams seem highly likely to make some deep runs. Teams such as Duke, led by standout first-year student Cameron Boozer, Houston, a consistent top team, and Florida, last year’s reigning champions, are all safe bets to go far in the tournament. Some lower-seeded teams are sure to make a deep run in the bracket. For example, Miami (OH). Miami had a historic season, going undefeated 31-0 before suffering its first loss of the year in the conference quarterfinal. Despite their superb record, they will still be seeded low because they hail from a conference outside the Power 5, and they did not win their conference tournament. This low seeding will lead to them messing up a lot of brackets and surprising some bigger schools.

St. John’s players celebrate after winning the Big East. Photo: St. John’s University.

Lastly, my prediction for the tournament. This year, I think a team that may fly a bit under the radar is the St. John’s Thunderbirds. Under the leadership of head coach Rick Pitino and coming off a huge Big East Conference Tournament win, the team is flying into March Madness. Last year, they were ranked as a two seed and expected to go deep in the tournament, but they fell prematurely when they were upset by Arkansas in the second round, breaking brackets across the country. So, with the chip on their shoulder from the prior tournament and the momentum from the Big East victory, I’m sure St. John’s is a good pick to go far in this year’s tournament.

This summer, Northwood’s partner soccer club, Black Rock FC, looks to build upon a successful season in the USL2 league. For context, USL2 is the highest division of semiprofessional soccer in the United States, and Black Rock competes in the Northeast Division. This division is widely regarded as the toughest conference in the league, as it has been home to the past two national champions, Seacoast United and Vermont Green FC. Despite the stiff competition, Black Rock finished third out of eight teams, losing only three matches—two of which came against eventual champion Vermont Green.

Throughout its existence, the USL2 program has served as a bridge between Northwood players and the college levels they aspire to reach. Last year, the team was led by Sachiel Ming ’24, who recently completed his second season at Syracuse, and Leo Doyle ’25, who is headed to UPenn this fall. Other notable alumni include recent Stanford graduate and professional player Liam Doyle ’22, as well as fellow professionals Alvaro Garcia Pascual ’21 and Calem Tommy ’22. All of these players honed their skills in USL2 before heading off to college—and often between college seasons—before reaching the pinnacle of the sport.

Black Rocks home stadium at Rivier College. Photo: Rivier College.

This year, the division is only becoming more competitive with the addition of Connecticut Rush. Every team features rosters stacked with top talent from all divisions of college soccer, along with a handful of elite high school players. As a result, each game feels like a coin flip, with both sides competing at an exceptionally high level.

One distinguishing factor among USL2 teams is their approach to player housing. Some teams, like Black Rock, operate on a college campus, where players live and cook together, forming a close-knit summer community. Others consist primarily of local commuters who travel in for training sessions and matches. Both models have proven effective, but last year Black Rock felt it had found something special.

Players on Black Rock’s USL2 side prepare for the clash against Vermont Green. Photo: Brady King.

With the team living together and building strong bonds, players felt they were truly competing for one another. “We have guys from every corner of the globe teaching each other to cook, sharing music—it’s just like one big family,” said star Leo Doyle when asked what made Black Rock’s USL2 experience so unique. “I think that’s what allowed us to play so well together. Our lineup may not have boasted as many big-name players as other programs, but at the end of the day, we played for each other, and that showed in our results.”

This season, the team hopes to build upon last year’s culture and make a push for the conference championship. It won’t be easy—the season stretches across three months and includes roughly 15 matches—but if any team can do it, it’s Black Rock. With several Huskies expected to feature prominently once again, all eyes will be on Nashua, NH, eager to see how this Husky-led squad performs.

This past Tuesday and Wednesday were quite eventful in the world of soccer: the second-to-last match day of the Champions League – soccer’s biggest club tournament, played out dramatically with clashes between the world’s best in every corner of the globe. The tournament bracket is set up as follows: 36 of the best teams from across Europe are added to a single league. In this league, the top 8 teams at the end of the 8 “matchdays” automatically qualify for the final round, which is an elimination tournament featuring 16 teams. The other 28 teams compete in a play-in to fill the last 8 slots. Most recently, matchday 7 concluded, with numerous results worth reporting.

Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon pulled off a massive upset against the reigning champions Paris St. Germain. This win bumps Sporting within striking distance of the top 8. Across Europe in England, Arsenal secured a massive win against Italian giants Inter Milan with a 3-1 victory. A Liverpool team in much need of 3 points emphatically battered French side Marseille 3-0 on enemy soil to bump them up to 4^th in the table. Lastly, Spanish giants Real Madrid put 6 goals, including a brace (2 goals) from star striker Kylian Mbappe, past a young and talented AS Monaco side, to push themselves to safety in 3^rd place.

Goal scorer and match-winner Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid is celebrating the second of his two goals. Photo: FOTMOB

However, aside from Arsenal, currently top of the table, and Bayern Munich, a close second, none of the remaining 8 slots are at all secure. Just 2 points separate 3^rd place from 12^th, meaning in the final match week, everything is up for grabs. Every team will be putting their life on the line because this could be where many Champions League campaigns end. Some games to look out for are Paris St. Germain vs. Newcastle United, Newcastle are within striking distance of the top 8 and Paris are in 6^th, easily replaceable in the top 8 and Benfica vs Man City, Benfica is a powerful Portuguese team with a lot of history, and Man City despite having an amazing season are coming of two losses in a row and lacking confidence.

Regardless of what happens, it is sure to be an exciting matchday, full of goals, controversy, drama, and last-minute heroics. Standings this tight leading up to the final game have never been seen before. 12 teams competing for the final 6 safety slots are sure to bring the excitement, and while the table may seem set for the next round, I assure you, there will be some changes. Stay tuned because you won’t want to miss this upcoming match week, the last match week for a couple of weeks.

Illustration: Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Earlier this month, Northwood soccer traveled to Geneva, New York, to visit and play at the prestigious Hobart & William Smith Colleges. It had been seven years since the program had last been to Hobart, so the players had to rely on what the coaches told them to prepare for the trip. Coach Jon Moodey spoke highly of the campus and coaching staff, which had the players excited for the journey. “Coach Griffin and his staff have a special program and special facilities over there; they are heavy on culture and have built something quite remarkable.” The drive was treacherous on icy highways, but after a quick dinner stop, the 5-hour ride was complete.

The next morning, the boys took a quick walk to the campus of Hobart & William Smith, where Coach Griffin led the team on a tour of the stellar campus and facilities. He even took the time to give the team a nice talk about the program’s culture and why they are so successful. After the tour, it was game time; the games were held in Hobart’s full-sized indoor dome, and both coaches and fans packed the sidelines. The showcase started well with the U19s grabbing an emphatic win before the U17s unfortunately fell in a tight clash that night.

Sunday morning rolled around, and things started to heat up. Both teams had two games on the day against outstanding opponents, so the day was definitely not going to be a cakewalk. Sunday started with a solid performance from the U17s, who were unlucky to only get a tie in their match. The U19s, however, didn’t leave any room for error and beat St. Andrews College firmly, with a shutout to boast. The toughest match, however, was yet to come; both teams’ final match was against Vaughan, a formidable opponent from the Ontario region of Canada. The U17s took the lead early on a goal from Samuel Andoh ’28 before Vaughan snuck in an untimely equalizer with minutes left to play. The match finished 1-1, but the U17s thoroughly outplayed their opponents. The U19s match was the final game of the weekend for the Huskies, and it didn’t exactly go to plan, despite jumping out to a one-goal lead from William German ’27. The Huskies ultimately fell 2-1, despite 2 penalty saves from goalkeeper Gavin Kruger ’26.

So, while it was a good performance overall, the U19 team left with a bitter taste after being defeated for the second time this year, and the first time since October.  Despite this, however, it was a good first weekend back and is definitely something the program can build on. The Huskies are hoping to carry their momentum into this weekend’s tournament, the Best of East Cup in Delaware. This is a tournament featuring only the very best teams from the East Coast, so it should be a good way for the Huskies to test their mettle as they head into the most challenging stretch of the season.

The U19 team ended the season ranked number one in the nation among prep schools. Photo provided.

After 12 weeks of consistent work and dedication, Northwood can proudly announce that, for the first time in program history, the Soccer team has finished the season ranked number one in the country. When this journey started, there were 14 prep schools ahead of the Huskies, and countless more nipping at their heels, so ranking #1 would require a spotless campaign. Off the bat, the team gained both momentum and attention as #5 Kiski and #12 Pennington fell to the Huskies, 5-3 and 2-0, respectively.

As the season rolled on, the Huskies continued to win, and by early October, they had effectively secured a spot in the top 5, with significant results continuing to come. From then on, the arguments for the number one ranking began to roll in. The only draw the boys had on the season was a 2-2 tie with Taft in preseason, and Taft had been holding firm at the #2 ranking since the beginning (virtually). So, the question remained: why, after knocking off 5 teams in the top 15, were the Huskies still stuck at 5? It simply came down to a lack of games; the Huskies had played 8 games and had a record of 8 wins and 1 tie, while most teams ahead of them had played between 15 and 17 games. This would not matter, though, if the boys could get one last significant result, and that is precisely what they did. The boys made the day trip down to Berkshire School, then ranked 3^rd in the nation, and pulled out an emphatic 2-1 victory in enemy territory. At this point, the argument for anything except a top 2 spot was out the window; Northwood had beaten more ranked opponents than anyone else in the nation, and it did not look like anyone else in the country would catch up. However, this was unfortunately the end of Northwood’s prep season, and they were stuck at #2. With no more matches left to play against other prep schools, it was simply a waiting game to see if the only team ahead of them, Woodstock Academy, would lose.

Going into the last weekend before Thanksgiving Break, things looked dire. Woodstock had picked up a tie against Vermont Academy, but that wasn’t enough to drop them below Northwood in the rankings. However, they still had one game left to play. When all hope seemed lost for the Huskies and their dreams of #1 seemed crushed, Woodstock picked up their first loss. The Hoosac School, which Northwood had beaten twice, both at home and away, had defeated Woodstock in a brilliant performance that displayed both quality and grit. So, on the final possible day, Northwood finally obtained the crown of #1 prep team in the Nation.

This achievement will not only help Northwood’s recruitment efforts but also serve as a model of what Northwood teams can do when they put their mind to it. The classes of players that follow in this team’s wake will always strive for this achievement, forever pursuing the title of best in the nation.