“My hidden talent is martial arts. I originally started karate with my father when I was 8. I went from doing kickboxing to Shorin-Ryu, which is a form of art that’s not necessarily about fighting but mostly about technique. To put it simply, It’s like a kung-fu variant. So, I did that up until 16, when I focused solely on football.

“Does pineapple belong on pizza? Absolutely not. I’m not saying it isn’t good, but I would and do keep fruit off pizza. So yeah, no pineapple on pizza.

“Most of you have probably seen it, but I have a big tattoo on my arm. So, there are four Roman numerals depicting the years 1971, 1975, 2006, and 2011. Each of these is for the birth year of my parents, myself, and my sister. Ever since I got this first one, I have kept thinking about the next one so there’s one in the works.

“A piece of advice I’d give to a student-athlete is to be grateful where you’re at. I’ve had a lot of troubles in the past couple of years with different things. Maybe you’re not playing as much as you’d like, but you have to be honest and look at the situation and say, ‘Hey, I’m still here; let’s take matters into my own hands and work.’ So yeah, take the initiative, do what your gut feelings say, and be appreciative.

“I have to credit my dad; he’s been the biggest factor in my success. He’s helped me overcome many challenges, and I definitely wouldn’t be here without him.

“I’d say the biggest area of growth for me since leaving home to go to school in the US is my mental strength. I’ve faced lots of challenges, and those obstacles have helped me grow. So yeah, all the ups and downs have gotten me to a point where I’m well-equipped to face any situation.”

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

“I’ve always been so fascinated with outer space and planets and stars since I was young. I also love architecture because of all the places I’ve visited. I love the places where classical architecture captures the beauty of the time period. I really want to bring beauty back into buildings.

“I’m from Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, about an hour’s train ride from the city. I wanted to come to Northwood mainly to be able to pursue skiing more without the constraints of a typical public school curriculum. I wanted to be able to ski every day in the winter while balancing schoolwork with it. It was my dream to get into a school that values sports and the outdoors as much as Northwood as well, which compelled me to come.

“In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with friends and listening to music. I’m super into photography, even though I don’t have a professional camera. Anything I see on a walk that I take every day could look slightly different and I’d want to take a picture and capture the beauty of it. I’m constantly trying to get the perfect picture on trips I go on to capture the experience’s true feeling. I have 44 thousand pictures on my phone, obviously not all of nature and places I’ve been to, but most are, and I think that’s pretty crazy.
“As for sports, I would love to keep skiing and horseback riding in college. If I could practice more and maybe get on an actual team later in college, that would be amazing because I know some schools have good pipelines from the club to the actual team. Overall, though, I’d like to just pursue these sports casually and enjoy them as much as I can, and maybe I could look into other things with that, like rock climbing and hiking.”

As told to Jesse Schoch ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“I have a dog named after a Russian hockey player, Ovie, because it’s my older brother Nick’s favorite hockey player.

“My favorite part of Northwood so far has been creating friendships with my teammates that I know will last forever. A specific moment of my Northwood career I will always cherish would be winning the semifinals of PHC playoffs against Saint Andrew’s in overtime last year.

“A piece of advice I would give to a Northwood student is to embrace the time you have here, no matter how long it is. Don’t take any of it for granted, and enjoy the little things about life at Northwood, like meals, classes, and practices. A big passion of mine is hockey, but I’m also passionate about school and keeping my grades up. I strive to make my parents proud in the classroom.

“My favorite class at Northwood is Advanced STEM Research with Mrs. Walker because I get to research something I’m passionate about, and I get to do it with one of my best friends, Will Schneid ‘25. Our topic is related to hockey performance, which relates to me and my sport.

“After Northwood, I plan to keep playing competitive hockey and continue to chase my dream of playing college hockey. I will miss my friends on the hockey team, the culture and vibe of the school, road trips and hotel stays, having meals with my teammates at the same table every day, and practicing and playing with my teammates every day, when I leave Northwood. I will also miss Coach Mallaro because he has given me so much and I appreciate everything he’s given to me and taught me.”

As told to Sydney Kuder. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“I first found out about Northwood when one of the older kids in my hockey organization went there. I actually started looking into it during my sophomore year when my coaches wanted us to look at prep schools. While doing my research on schools with good hockey and education that are not too far from home, Northwood came up.

“I think this first semester of my second year has been great. Although there are a lot of new people this year, the community is great and very close-knit. I think something memorable has been walking into town with my friends, whether it be big groups or just a few people.

“My favorite memory over my first year and a half at Northwood has to be the long bus rides with the team. While it can be boring at times, I think it is a great opportunity for bonding with the whole team.

“Right now, I am not sure what I want to do after I graduate from Northwood. I am applying to a few colleges, but I am also looking into junior hockey. Either way, I plan on playing hockey at some level next year.

“One thing I would change is for the cafeteria to offer more fresh fruit options around meals.  I think it would be better for the school and our health.”

As told to Pete Moore ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“I came to Northwood because I felt like I needed to go to a place where I could blend my academics and athletics at a high level. I think the part that shocked me the most was how close I got to the community so quickly. Every day when I wake up, I think to myself I wish I could have been here longer than just my senior year.

“‘’Doesn’t matter, get better,’ my dad has always said this to me since I was little. I find it applies to all aspects of my life and keeps me present where my feet are. It’s easy to look ahead, especially when I think about college, upcoming games, or where I want to end up in the future. Keeping me grounded and my motivation at its peak is its focus and the biggest thing I get out of it. My dad has always been a person I’ve looked up to my whole life. Having him work in hockey and coach at a high level has been a blessing as we share the love for the sport both so deeply. While I wouldn’t consider myself a superstitious person, the one thing I must do on game day is text both my parents that I love them. They both play such a huge role in me deciding the type of person I want to be in this world.

“The biggest takeaway about being at prep school is to throw yourself into everything. It’s easy to stay within your comfort zone and shy away from activities, but the memories are made when you’re stretching yourself outside your usual circle and enjoying the school for what it truly is: a tight-knit and vibrant community.

“Being from Carp, Ontario, and spending last year at our rival school Stanstead College, I am nothing but grateful that I decided to come to Northwood. I am thankful for the opportunities I have been given to this point, not only by the people of Northwood but also by my family. With that being said, I am extremely excited to play Division 1 hockey at The College of The Holy Cross for the next four years. While I am only halfway through my year here at Northwood, I already feel like I’ve grown so much, not only as a player but, more importantly, as a person, and I am proud to call myself a Husky.”

As told to Sophia DeAnzeris ’25. Photo provided.

“This is my second year at Northwood; before, I did NYSEF Winter Term. I switched because it’s easier to go on workouts and you can be here for the whole year, so I can fall jump as well. It was easy to adapt to Northwood because I already knew a lot of people.

“My favorite thing is training. I like training here. We have great ski jumps.

“I love Agario. I was in my room playing Agario lately, and I got a record for my most mass eaten. It was 40 million.

“Like most everyone else, my favorite meal is the orange chicken. Who doesn’t like the orange chicken? It’s the best meal. Number two is beef with broccoli. The kitchen staff do know me by name, and it’s probably because I eat so much—I see them all the time. They’ve asked me if I have even tasted the food. I do, I just eat so fast.”

As told to Jack Kroll ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

“I think I have grown like 8 inches since I got here, but I’ve changed so much mentally, too. I became so much more responsible and mature, and I developed my social skills so much since my sophomore year. Northwood made me grow in a way that I really needed, and I’m so thankful for that.

“Once I leave Northwood, I want to play junior hockey somewhere. Playing juniors for a few years will help me achieve a goal I’ve had my whole life: playing college hockey. I also want to stay in touch with all the people I have met at Northwood. The people here have been such a big part of my life, and I don’t want that to change when I leave.

“One quote I live by is from Bugs Bunny: ‘Don’t take life too seriously, you might not get out alive.’ I like this quote because I try to make sure I am having as much fun as possible and really enjoying life, and I think this quote says something similar. Another quote I love is from a teacher here who has had such a great impact on me, Doc Campbell. He says, ‘Be curious, not judgmental,’ and that has been something I have embraced since meeting Doc.”

“In my time at Northwood, I would say the thing I am most proud of is developing into a leader and becoming a person my teammates look up to. Knowing that they trust me and know they can come to me if they need anything is important to me.”

As told to Michael Peluso ’25. Photo provided.

“My favorite part about Northwood is the Soccer team and being around the Soccer guys because it feels like family. The soccer team travels all around the country to play in Numerous showcases and events but never goes out of the country. Going on that trip two years ago was something that every player enjoyed, and I look forward to doing the same in Costa Rica. Northwood has prepared me for college by living in a dorm room environment with people from all over the world.” In college, there are always people from all over the world who suddenly become everyday faces because of their living circumstances.

“My last shoutout has to go to Coach Moodey because he helped me a lot by showing me what the college game requires to succeed.”

“I tend to overthink a lot of stuff. Piano focuses me on the instrument.

“My name is Leo Doyle ‘25, and I’m from Tokyo, Japan.

“Piano is something I picked up when I was out for a long time with my surgery, and I think it’s one of the only things other than football that calms me and puts me in the present.  Just focusing on pressing the instrument’s keys helps, and I really enjoy it. I played when I was six, and I enjoy picking it back up and learning some songs.

“If I played any sport besides soccer, I would play rugby because my dad used to play rugby growing up, and it’s a really big sport in Ireland. I also played a lot of rugby until I was around the U14 level. I really enjoy it. I love watching it with my family. It gets passionate, and I just love the respectful nature of the sport as well as the aggressiveness and passion about it.

“My biggest piece of advice would be to just do what you can on that day. Don’t read too much into the future or the past, or what you could have done, or what you did not do when you should have. Just do the little thing each day and know that you got a bit better, whether in football or academics or whatever, and you will see so much progress over time.

“The person I would most want to give a shoutout to here at Northwood would be Reno. He constantly checks up on me. He has done so much for me, like taking me out to dinner and inviting me to his home to discuss my personal stresses and problems one-on-one. He is a great listener and wise, so he gives great advice. He is someone I really counted on all three of my years here.

“I’m very grateful that I came here. The chances of me coming here were super slim because of where I grew up. The program, the soccer program, as well as the school, has put me through a lot of joy and a lot of obstacles, and I am so glad for the emotional maturity I gained to tackle these problems, which I otherwise would not have back home and for all the people I’ve met. So, I would not do it any other way. And I am so glad I came here.”

As told to Cedric Lemaire ’24. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.