Northwood Life – The Mirror

Dorm Room Tour: The Betsch Brothers

January 28, 2026 by Casey Morrissey

Welcome to Kevin ’26 and Cody Betsch’s ’26 room. This is their second year of boarding at Northwood. The twin brothers live on Second East at the end of the hallway leading towards the West side of the main building. They have one of the more unique rooms on campus. Their room features rustic wood paneling lining the walls and ceiling. They also have a magnificent view of the front entrance. Their room is one of the larger ones on campus.

The Betsch brothers’ room on Second East. Photo: Casey Morrissey ’27.

One interesting thing about their room’s construction is that their light switch is located outside the room, in the hallway.

The light switch. Photo by Casey Morrissey ’27.

In the corner of the room, they keep their beloved fishing rods. Both twins love to fish; they are excited to spend some time on the dock in the spring and, hopefully, catch some fish.

The Betschs’ fishing poles. Photo by Casey Morrissey ’27.

Next up, the gaming setup. This is where Cody plays his favorite game, Call of Duty – only after all of his work is done, of course. Overall, an upgrade from their room in Berg last year.

Their gaming console. Photo by Casey Morrissey ’27.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Burger Review: Lisa G’s

January 28, 2026 by Cody Betsch

Welcome back to another Lake Placid Burger review! It has been a while since the last one, but we’re picking up right where we left off with another popular spot, Lisa G’s. They have three different burgers on the menu, but today we went with the “Le Burgermeister.” The burger is very simple and fully customizable to your liking. It is also very cheap compared to most burgers in town, at only $13.

Lisa G’s Restaurant. Photo provided.

This burger is fantastic, especially for the price. It is juicy, flavorful, and filling. “This is one of my favorites for sure. The quality of the burger is great, especially for the price,” Thompson said. Lisa G’s burger has a completely different feel from a lot of the places in town. It’s much less formal and feels more home-cooked than a restaurant-style burger, which is a great touch.

“Le Burgermeister” at Lisa G’s. Photo: Cody Betsch ’26.

Overall, this burger is great. The price, the quality, the flavor, everything was great. This burger reminds me of home and is competing and beating other burgers in town. This place is a must-try when you’re craving a burger. For my rating, I give it an 8.2, and Parker gave it an 8.5. Pretty great scores!

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Opinion

The Senior Night Tradition Continues

January 27, 2026 by Anna Monette

Although the Northwood tournament is always special, it was especially so for the Girls’, Varsity, and Prep hockey teams, who had their senior night games. All the teams celebrated their seniors by having their names called, sharing their future plans, and then taking a picture on the ice with their family and loved ones. After their senior games, all the teams celebrated by having a “senior dinner.”

Seniors from the Varsity Team. Photo provided.

The boys’ varsity team has ten seniors. The senior varsity dinner was held in the Olympic Center banquet room, where they ate, and then the seniors received water bottles to remember their time at Northwood. “It’s my second year at Northwood and second Northwood tournament, and it was such a special night for the nine other seniors and me, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the parents and underclassmen,” said Harry Vant ’26.

Girls’ hockey has nine seniors, and had a very special night planned for them. The night began before the on-ice ceremony, in the locker room, when each underclass player gave a senior their senior basket. “It was crazy to see all the hard work the underclassmen did for our night, between the baskets and locker room being decorated, it was a great and emotional night,” said Anna Monette ’26.

A decorated locker in the girls’ locker room. Photo provided.

Seniors on the girls’ hockey team. Photo provided.

After the game, they celebrated with a senior dinner at the Voco hotel in Saranac, having dinner, a senior slideshow, and much more. The seniors also received Northwood blankets. “It was a great night celebrating all we have accomplished, and being a three-year senior, it was especially special for me, but the season definitely isn’t over yet,” said Monette.

The Prep team has 14 seniors; they celebrated their senior dinner at Big Z bowling alley. “The dinner was a lot of fun. We bowled, there was a golf simulator and even arcade games we were all playing,” said Charles Pigeon ’26, one of two third-year seniors on the Prep team.

The gifts given to the prep players. Photo provided.

Seniors (in hats) and the Prep team at Big Z’s.

“It was a fun night to celebrate all the seniors. I enjoyed the food and bowling as well as getting to know my teammates’ families a little more. For the gifts, each senior got their own water bottle and a custom hat. It was special because it celebrated all the boys and their hard work. Watching other seniors move on was always sad to me, and now I feel it is that time for me,” said Parker Thompson ’26, the other third-year senior on prep.

Senior Night during the Northwood Tournament was a meaningful way to honor the hard work, dedication, and memories made by each senior, making an already special weekend even more unforgettable.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports

Northwood Invitational Recap

January 27, 2026 by Andrew Sherland

The 46^th Annual Northwood Invitational was a mix of emotions for the Northwood teams. Some were ecstatic, some satisfied, and some disappointed. Overall, it was a great weekend of hockey and a celebration of the Northwood community.

Girls’ Hockey

The girls’ hockey team is the champion of the Northwood Invitational for the fourth year in a row. Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge.

The Girls’ won their 4^th straight championship while maintaining a perfect 5-0 record this weekend. On Saturday, the Huskies crushed Academie Ste. Cecile 11-3, and then on senior night beat Nichols School 6-0. Sunday brought more of the same, as they beat Appleby College 9-0 in the last game of pool play. In the semifinals later that day, Northwood beat Nichols 4-1. The championship on Monday was a rematch of last year, when Hilary Wilkin ’25 scored the game-winning goal in OT, but this year was nowhere near that. Northwood beat Appleby 7-2, extending their streak to 4! Outscoring opponents 37-6, the Huskies handled business and left no doubt. The Girls head to Minnesota this weekend for a huge weekend against Shattuck St. Mary’s School, NAHA, and more. “I am super proud of our team! Winning this tournament was huge for us and our confidence as we head into the back end of our season. We will build on this momentum and continue to work hard and win games,” said Penelope St. Pierre ’27.

Prep Hockey

The Prep Hockey Conference (PHC) crossover was a success as well. On Saturday, Northwood kicked off its weekend against #2-ranked Shattuck St. Mary’s School, and huge performances from Henry Kress ’26 with 2 goals and Adam Sherman ’26, who posted a 0.955 SV%, carried the Huskies to a 4-1 win, avenging an 8-1 loss to Shattuck earlier in the season. On Sunday, the boys faced the #1-ranked Culver Academies on senior day. After beating Shattuck less than 24 hours earlier, Northwood was pumped up for this game. It was a back-and-forth game as the 1^st period ended 0-0. Culver got on the board first in the 2^nd period, but a snipe from Patrick McCormick ’26 tied the game up 1-1 at the end of the 2^nd period. Culver took a 2-1 lead in the 3^rd period, but Anton Stackow ’27 scored on the power play to tie the game late. The game went into OT, where Culver eventually won 3-2. While still a loss, the Huskies battled hard and were proud of their efforts. On Monday, Northwood ended their weekend against St. Andrew’s College (SAC), a huge rival. Henry Kress ’26 started things just 18 seconds in with a goal. Unfortunately, it was pretty much all SAC from there. In the 3^rd period, there was a long parade to the penalty box, and the game ended in a 5-2 win for SAC. Prep will head to the St. Andrew’s College MacPherson Tournament next week and is looking to bring home some hardware. After this weekend, Northwood remains 2^nd in the East Division and 5^th in the overall league standings. “We had a great team effort this weekend. It was a shame to fall short of Culver and SAC, but we have momentum to grow from, especially leading into MacPherson. The atmosphere was also great and super fun to play in all weekend. It was great to see my family on senior night, and I am glad that we performed how we did,” said Patrick McCormick ’26. Can we add the PHC logo?

Varsity Hockey

The Varsity team in action earlier this season. Photo: Jacob Slagel ’26.

Varsity opened its weekend against Bridgton Academy on Saturday. The game was deadlocked at 0-0 until Griffin Mangan ’26 sniped from in the slot to make it 1-0. Bridgton then tied it up 1-1. Then, Elliott Murch ’27 exploded for 2 goals, and the Huskies won 3-1. On Sunday morning, Northwood faced Blyth Academy and handled them with ease, winning 6-1. On Sunday night, Varsity had their senior night game against St. Francis Prep and honored 10 seniors for their dedication to Northwood. The game was a gritty matchup that featured a fight and saw 3 players ejected, including Jett Travis ’27 and Ray Peters ’27. Regulation ended 2-2, and per the tournament rules, they went directly to a 3-round shootout. Luke Hurlbut ’26 was fantastic in net, stopping both attempts by St. Francis. Elliott Murch ’27 scored on the first attempt, and Jack Pitts ’27 ended the game with a snipe for a 3-2 Huskies win! On Monday, Varsity faced Philadelphia Little Flyers in the semifinals at 7:15 in the morning, playing a tight game that came down to the wire, but ultimately lost 1-0. Atlantic Coast Academy won the tournament 6-2 over the Philadelphia Little Flyers. While not the outcome they wanted, the Huskies played hard all weekend and have a 3-1 record to show for it. They play Bishop Timon at home this weekend and look to continue their strong play. “I am happy with how the boys played this weekend. It definitely hurts that we weren’t able to win, but it’s nothing to hang our heads on. We have important games coming up, and we need to keep up our momentum and continue to work hard in practice and in the weight room,” said Ryan Demers ’27. Can we add a picture of the team in a huddle (preferably one different from the one in the last article)?

U16 Hockey

The U16 team had itself a very solid weekend. They started their weekend with a monstrous 10-1 win over Lovell Academy and then beat the Philadelphia Little Flyers 5-1. Heading into the second day, they faced Bishops College. The 16s split with Bishops College earlier in the season, so this was a very tight game. Ultimately, Bishops won 3-2. Northwood earned itself a spot in the semifinals against Nichols School, whom they handled easily, 9-3. The championship was set between Northwood and Atlantic Coast Academy on Monday. Northwood jumped out to an early 1-0 lead thanks to Kelly Matozzo ’27, and not long after, Gavin Boccard ’27 tallied another one to extend the lead to 2-0. However, once the second half started, Atlantic Coast took all the momentum, netting a goal 5 minutes in the power play to make it 2-1. Then, a wild shot from behind the net deflected off Riley Doyle’s blocker and went in, evening things 2-2. With all the momentum, Atlantic Coast scored again to make it 3-2, then scored an empty netter for a 4-2 final. The final game was a bummer, but the weekend wasn’t a total failure, as the 16s still posted a 4-2 record and gained some good momentum heading into the PG Winter Classic this coming weekend. “This weekend was fun for sure. It was my first Northwood tournament, and it was great having my friends here to support me. It sucks that we didn’t win, but we need to find a way to close out games, and we are working on it. This momentum is much needed as we head into a tough stretch of games at the PG Winter Classic and South Kent,” said goalie Everett Marin ’28. Can we add a picture of the 16s team in the huddle or something?

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports

Another Northern Lights Sighting in Lake Placid

January 26, 2026 by Jacob Slagel

Photo of the northern lights over the school on January 20, 2026, by Jacob Slagel ’26.

A faint glow of the northern lights showed up over Lake Placid recently, giving Northwood students and faculty a rare chance to see the aurora without leaving campus. The lights weren’t super clear for everyone, but enough people noticed and stepped outside, looked from dorm windows, or tried taking a few quick photos.

Max Mortimer ’29 said he mostly saw the lights from the field and from his window. He said it was not a full, bright display, but it was still different from anything he had seen before. “I’ve never really seen anything like that, because, like in the city, that stuff doesn’t really happen,” Mortimer said. He added that if it happens again, people should make the effort to go outside and see it. “If it’s happening, you should probably try to see it,” he said. Mortimer also suggested taking pictures and dressing for the cold, since it was easy to forget the temperature once people started looking up.

Soccer coach Mr. Jose Coss said seeing the northern lights is always exciting, even when conditions are not perfect. He said he saw the northern lights last year as well and thought they were clearer then. Coss explained that light pollution can make the aurora harder to see with your eyes, which is why some people can only pick it up through a phone camera. Still, he said it is worth stepping outside. “It’s a natural phenomenon that you don’t get to see often, and can’t see everywhere in the world,” Coss said.

Coss said he found out about the lights while he was in the fitness center, when someone told him to go outside. He said the sky was also a little cloudy that night, which made viewing harder. Even so, the aurora gave people a reason to stop what they were doing and look up for a few minutes.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Real World, Top Story

Two Northwood Alumni Named to Olympic Teams

January 26, 2026 by Jack Kroll

Photo by US Ski Team.

On Thursday, January 22, the US Ski Team announced its team for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. US Ski Jumper and Lake Placid Local and former Northwood student Tate Frantz was among those named to the team. And on January 26, Team Canada announced that ski cross athlete Kevin Drury ’06 would represent Canada in his third Olympics.

Frantz started jumping at the age of 9, but his Olympic dreams stretch back much further. “Since my first time on skis at the age of two, I’ve dreamt of having the honor to take part in the holy grail of sports,” said Frantz on his Instagram when he announced his naming to the team.

“I don’t think it’s fully hit me yet, but when I take a second to think, or look at my post or all the messages, I realize how freaking cool it is. I’m so beyond excited and proud of the work and years behind it.”

Frantz attended Northwood for a year in 2020-21. He then took the leap, moving to Norway to hone his skills. Then, 2 years later, he returned to Lake Placid in 2023 to make his World Cup debut.

Since then, Frantz has established himself on the World Cup circuit, racking up three Top 10s and a 14th-place finish at the World Championships in 2025. He also took home three medals in the 2025 Junior World Championships here in Lake Placid.

Kevin Drury ’06 (File/Getty Images)

At 37, Drury is set to compete in his third Olympic Winter Games. He narrowly missed the podium at the PyeongChang 2018 Games, finishing fourth in the big final. After several injury-affected seasons, Drury returned to top form last year, earning five World Cup podium finishes following a nearly three-year drought. In December, he captured his first World Cup victory since February 2020, marking his 19th career podium. Drury previously claimed the Crystal Globe in the 2019–20 season, one year after winning bronze at the FIS World Championships.

“I’m incredibly honored to represent Canada in a third Olympics,” Drury said in a statement released by Team Canada. “Really excited to finish my career with the opportunity to win a medal. For first-time Olympians, my advice is to take it all in, have fun, and enjoy the experience. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment, though I guess in my case it’s three in a lifetime, which I still can’t believe. “

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports, Top Story

Northwood Robotics Team Prepares for New Season

January 25, 2026 by Jacob Slagel

Northwood’s Robotics Team has begun preparing for the 2026 season with a new competition that combines familiar challenges with updated rules and game elements. Early in the season, the team focused on planning and building a practice setup to better understand the field before committing to a final robot design.

Robotics teacher Mr. Jeffrey Martin said this year’s competition is unique because it brings together elements from past games under an archaeology-themed challenge. “First Robotics is focusing on an archeological theme,” Martin said. “So, they’ve actually pulled all of the old game elements together into one game.”

Orrin Tracy-Deuss ’27 in the robotic lab at the Innovation Hub on Main Street. Photo: Jacob Slagel ’26.

One of the main scoring tasks involves collecting “fuel,” which Martin described as hard foam balls about six inches in diameter. Robots must pick them up and shoot them into a hexagonal funnel target that stands about 6 feet high. While the concept is similar to past challenges, Martin said differences in size and weight mean the robot will require new programming and mechanical adjustments.

The game also includes a human player role. According to Martin, a student can score fuel by throwing it into the funnel during matches. This adds another strategic layer and requires coordination between the robot and the human player.

Field obstacles will play a significant role in robot design this year. Martin said the drive train must be engineered to handle changes in angle, speed, and power to navigate the course effectively. “Obstacles are challenging, so we have to engineer our drive train so that it gets the right angles and the right speed and the right power,” he said.

The most demanding element of the competition may be the endgame climb. Teams must climb a three-level ladder, which Martin described as the most complicated challenge. He said the team is considering a ratcheting system and has already begun discussing design ideas. Despite the difficulty, Martin said he has been impressed with the group so far and believes they are up for the challenge.

Students said the new competition feels more complex than last year’s. Orrin Tracy Deuss ’27 said the game includes more parts and rules, even though there are fewer overall goals. “I think compared to last year, it’s got a lot more parts to it and a lot more rules to think about during the game,” Tracy Deuss said.

Instead of immediately building robot components, the team has prioritized constructing a practice field. Tracy Deuss said this step is important for understanding dimensions and objective placement before completing the robot’s specifications. “We’ve been really focusing on constructing a practice field for when we have a robot to test around on,” he said.

Flo Richard ’26 said the new season has encouraged more collaboration among students. “Since it’s a different project than the last one in the fall, we have a lot of problem-solving to do, and I think that’s a good thing,” Richard said. “It makes it exciting and makes us want to collaborate more in class.”

Other students described the season in simpler terms. Will Wong ’27 said the new competition is “exciting” and said he is looking forward to seeing how the season develops.

As the team moves from planning to building and testing, the coming weeks will focus on turning ideas into working mechanisms, especially for fuel intake, shooting accuracy, and the three-level climb. Martin said he is encouraged by how the team has started the season and is confident in their ability to compete.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports, Top Story

ADK Science Class Attends Aerials World Cup

January 25, 2026 by Owen MacLean

The FIS Freestyle Skiing Aerials World Cup was in Lake Placid on January 11-12. It was originally supposed to be in Utah, but due to climate change, it was relocated to Lake Placid. This was the final World Cup event before the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. This was a critical event for the athletes before they head to Cortina, Italy, to compete for a gold medal.

Aerials are one of the most exciting winter sports to watch. Athletes perform crazy flips and twists trying to get the highest score based on their form, air, and landing. The higher the difficulty of the trick, the higher the score.

Ms. Fagan’s ADK classes had the opportunity to watch the men’s and women’s freestyle finals on Monday afternoon. For most students, this was the first time they had seen an event like this in person. “It was one of the coolest events I have ever seen, and I was so glad we did this trip as a class.” Said Devin Smith 26′

The events featured some high-flying tricks and two first-time World Cup winners on the podium. On the women’s side, Michigan native, Kaila Kuhn, won with a score of 105.60 by completing a back-full-full-full. Kuhn is on the US national team and headed to Italy. In second place was reigning Olympic Champion Mengtao Xu from China, and in third was Danielle Scott from Australia. On the men’s side, 20-year-old Li Xinpeng from China won the event with a massive back full-double-full-double-full, scoring 137.19 points. A huge margin of win over his teammate Wang Xindi, who scored 112.0 points, and Canadian Miha Fontaine, with 107.73 points, in third place. “I thought the winners definitely had the best technique and control. They were not going for a ton of air like the other athletes, and they performed their tricks with a lot of precision. Especially Xinpeng that day, he was on another level compared to the rest of the field.” Stated Smith.

Attending school in Lake Placid offers great opportunities to see elite athletes compete at Olympic venues. This experience has gotten students excited to watch the upcoming Olympics. “I’m really excited after getting to see these athletes in person to watch them on the big stage.” Said Smith. The Olympic Winter Games will be happening from February 6-22, 2026.

Photos by Ms. Marcy Fagan

Filed Under: Northwood Life

Humans of Northwood: Kevin Betsch ’26

January 25, 2026 by Andrew Sherland

“Being an identical twin is extremely interesting. Besides people calling me Cody, I actually enjoy it. The thing I take away most from my relationship with Cody is competitiveness. We are always trying to get better, faster, and stronger than each other, so by doing this, we both improve. I have been blessed with the opportunity to play hockey my whole life with my best friend right beside me, and Northwood has bolstered our relationship.

“My favorite hockey memory is winning USA Hockey Nationals in my 15-year-old year. I felt like I was on top of the world. Being able to share this experience with some of my closest friends and brothers was amazing, and I’d give anything to go back to that moment. The following year, we lost in the semifinals at Nationals, and it was a very tough loss to process, because we knew what it was like to win the whole thing.

“Originally, I was nervous about coming to Northwood, just because it was a new place and I had played hockey in California for my entire life. However, I was coming with Cody, my twin brother, and Henry Kress ’26, two of my best friends from the LA Jr. Kings team. This made the adjustment process much easier for me, because I was not alone.

“Northwood has given me so many outlets in hockey, academics, and life. I have built lasting relationships with my peers and faculty that I will carry with me after I graduate. My favorite memories from Northwood are, for the most part, the common things, like playing Teqball with the boys during open gym. It is these little moments that build unbreakable bonds, and I love it so much. With only a few months left of the hockey season, I am going to make the most of every opportunity that comes my way!”

As told to Andrew Sherland ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Humans of Northwood: Mikey Mezzetti ‘26

January 25, 2026 by Gavin Kruger

“A piece of life advice I would give to someone is to enjoy what you have and not take things for granted.

“If I had to choose between skiing and biking, it would be tough because I feel they go hand in hand with each other. But in the end, I would choose skiing just because the risk is lower. How do they go hand in hand? I feel like Skiing and mountain biking both have such a connection to the mountains. They both wind through the trees and the harsh mountain environments. Also, both sports provide adrenaline and the connection with your equipment that pushes you to go further and faster.

“I think my dad has been the most important person who has helped me during my time in Northwood. Firstly, he helped me decide to go to Northwood for a better education and the opportunities it offers. He also supported my decision to play soccer year-round instead of doing both ski racing and soccer, which was a significant turning point during my time at Northwood because I had done both my entire life, and giving up one felt like giving up a piece of myself.

“I’m a person who is 50/50 if pineapple belongs on pizza. It really depends on what I’m in the mood for.

“Something about me that not a lot of people know is that I used to be a pretty good lacrosse player in my old school.”

As told to Gavin Kruger ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.