Northwood ski team members at Copper Mountain. Photo provided.

The first week of the pre-race season ski camp in Copper Mountain, Colorado, is underway. The camp started out with a 4-day block of GS (Giant Slalom) training on the main training lane. A total of 33 FIS athletes are at the camp; 29 are Northwood athletes, and 4 are NYSEF Winter Term athletes.

The first two days of GS were easier days, with flowy courses to help us get our feet under us again. The next 2 days had a more rigorous set and also had timing, which made teammates fight for that top spot.

A typical day at the camp includes breakfast around 8:00 a.m., with a departure for the mountain at 9:15 a.m. and loading the lift by 10:00 a.m. On average, we have been getting 9-13 runs in our 2-hour blocks. Copper Mountain is a very popular training location because the conditions are very well-maintained. Because the training there is so good, we have to share the training lanes with other teams, including private schools like Northwood, national teams, and some professionals.

Husky ski racers saw the Northern Lights in Colorado. Photo provided.

When our 2-hour blocks end, we return to our nearby condo accommodations, have about 30 minutes for lunch, and then we have a 3-hour study hall.  Later in the afternoon, we have a video review of the morning runs and then tune our skis before or after dinner. This can take 45 minutes to an hour. At 7:30, we have a team meeting at one of the condos. Then it’s lights-out at 9:30. We all need to be well-rested for the next day.

This Cooper Mountain Ski Camp is very important preparation for the start of the official race season, which kicks off with a slalom race at GMVS (Green Mountain Valley School) on December 2^nd – 3^rd.

From November 14th to 17th, the Boys Prep Hockey Team will head up to Saint Andrews College, where the first PHC crossover weekend will be hosted. The Huskies will be taking on every other PHC team from the west division. These teams include the number 1-ranked team in the country, Shattuck St. Mary’s, the number 3 team in the country, Culver Military Academy, and the number 1-ranked Canadian Hockey Team, Saint Andrews College. Prep will take on Culver first at 2:00 p.m. on the 14th, followed by Shattuck at 12:00 p.m. on the 15th, and Saint Andrews at 2:00 p.m. on the 16^th.

“Ready,” said senior Henry Kress. “Ready to go out there and show out. These games are really hard fought, and one mistake can lead to your team losing,” said Kress about the upcoming weekend. “These games have been circled on the calendar for a while. Saint Andrews is our biggest rival, and they beat us last year in the finals. I’m looking forward to playing that game.”

“All of the teams that we play are on completely different levels from anyone else we have played this year,” junior Miles Van Mullen said. “I am excited to rise to the occasion and hopefully come out with some wins against three great teams,” he added. Van Miullen is eager to face one team in particular. “Shattuck for sure,” he said. “Last year, when I was at Mount St. Charles, we played them multiple times and never beat them once. I am really looking forward to hopefully beating them.”

Junior forward Anton Stackow played games with the Prep team last year, but never in a PHC crossover. “This team as a group still has a lot to prove,” said Stackow. “We have had some tough losses this year, but we are a great group, and we are going to prove that. I think we all have some fuel behind us,” he added. Stackow also has a team he’s eager to face. “Saint Andrews for sure. I really do not like them, and they really do not like us. It is a big rivalry, and beating them in their own rink would be awesome,” he added.

Last year, the Prep team finished first in their division, heavily dependent on their games within their own division. The Huskies were 9-8 last year in league play, with only 2 wins coming from PHC crossovers. The Huskies hope to improve significantly this year in the crossovers and substantially boost their ranking in the PHC.

The 2025 World Series will be remembered as one of the closest and most nail-biting World Series in history. From complete games to 18-inning games, it truly had it all. Initially, it was portrayed as a mismatch of talent, and many expected the Dodgers to handle the Blue Jays easily. This, however, was far from the truth; the Blue Jays gave the Dodgers a run for their money and fought to the end.

It was a ninth World Series title for the Dodgers, and their third in six years under manager Dave Roberts. Photo: Getty Images.

Game 1

The Dodgers would strike first and carry a 2-run lead into the bottom of the third. Toronto would respond by putting up two runs in the 4^th, and 9 in the 6^th. They (Toronto) would go on to win the game 11-4.

Game 2

In Game 2, the Dodgers had their ace, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, on the mound. They took advantage of their ace, who pitched a complete game, holding the Blue Jays to just four hits. The Dodgers scored five runs, 3 of which came from catcher Will Smith, who had a single, a force out, and a solo home run.

Game 3

When the teams headed to Los Angeles for game 3, the series was tied 1-1. The game would turn into two complete games, lasting 18 innings. Blue Jays fans on the East Coast – including those at Northwood – stayed up until about 3 am EST to watch the Dodgers walk it off with a Freddie Freeman solo home run in the bottom of the 18^th.  The game was an instant classic and tied game 3 of the 2018 World Series between the Dodgers and the Red Sox as the longest World Series game ever.

The game was tied 4-4 in the 5th, and 5-5 in the 7^th. The two pitching staffs would then pitch a combined 10 shutout innings. Both teams used virtually every player on the roster. Had the game gone to the 19th inning, the Dodgers had Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who, let’s not forget, pitched a complete game just 2 days before, warming up to come in and pitch. The Dodgers’ leaning on Yamamoto would become a theme in this series. The game was a gut punch to the Blue Jays, who used virtually all their pitchers in a game they ultimately lost.

Freddie Freeman after his walk-off double. Photo by BBC.

Game 4

In game 4, the Blue Jays came to play. You couldn’t tell they had played an 18-inning game just 17 hours ago. The Dodgers scored first in the 2^nd, but after that, it was almost all the Blue Jays. In the 3^rd inning, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a 2-run bomb off Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. In the 7^th inning, Toronto piled on four more runs with an RBI single from Andrés Giménez, an RBI groundout by Ty France, an RBI single by Bo Bichette, and an RBI single by Addison Barger. Innings like this would become a theme for the Blue Jays. They consistently got big hits from everyone on their roster, allowing them to turn over the lineup and pile on runs. Game 4 would end up as a Blue Jays win, 6-2, but more importantly, the Blue Jays had established themselves as a force. Coming into the series, many reporters were calling it a “David and Goliath” matchup, but the Blue Jays were proving that they were just as good as the Dodgers.

Game 5

Going into game 5, the series was tied 2-2. Whichever team won this game would be one game away from a ring and put the other team in a corner. Right from the start, the Blue Jays took control when on the first pitch of the game, Davis Schnieder hit a home run off of Blake Snell. Schnieder was only in the lineup because of an injury to George Springer. Then, two pitches later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went back-to-back with another solo home run.

Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage is leaving the mound in game 5—photo by MLB.com.

On the mound, the Blue Jays had their future ace in 22-year-old Trey Yesavage. In the 3^rd inning, the Dodgers would score their only run of the game off a Kiké Hernández. In the 4th, Ernie Clement hit a sacrifice fly to re-establish the Toronto momentum. In the 7th, Addison Barger hit a single, then advanced to 2^nd on a wild pitch, then to 3^rd on another, and finally home on a 4^th wild pitch. Then Bo Bichette hit an RBI single, making it 5-1 Toronto. Yesavage would leave the game with 12 strikeouts in 7 innings. Yesavage tied a World Series record for most strikeouts by a rookie in a World Series game with 12.

Game 6

Game 6 was back in Toronto, and the Blue Jays were one win away from a ring. For the Dodgers, it was a must-win game, and luckily for them, they had their ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound. He would go six complete innings with only five hits and one earned run. That run came off an RBI single by George Spinger, who was put back into the lineup even though he was injured. With every swing, you could hear him scream and see the pain on his face. He battled through and got the only Toronto run in game 6.

In the 3^rd inning, the Dodgers scored three runs off a Will Smith RBI double and a Mookie Betts 2-run single. The Blue Jays had chances in both the 7^th and 8^th innings but could not come through. Then, in the bottom of the 9^th, Alejandro Kirk was hit by a pitch leading off. Myles Straw came in to pinch run for him. Then, perhaps one of the strangest plays you will ever see happened. Addison Barger smoked a ball to the wall, and it managed to wedge itself under the wall. The Dodgers outfielders knew the ground rules perfectly, and as soon as they saw the ball get stuck, they threw up their hands and did not reach for the ball. This signals to the umpire that something is wrong, and the ball is declared dead. The runners are given two bases on the play if it’s a dead ball, meaning that Straw gets to go to 3^rd and Barger to 2^nd. Had the Dodgers’ outfielders reached to touch the stuck ball, they would have lost the right for it to be a dead ball, and both Straw and Barger would have scored, tying the game with no outs, giving the Blue Jays the chance to walk it off and win the World Series. This showed the depth of the preparation of the Dodgers team and their ability to perform under pressure.

The ball was wedged under the wall—photo by MLB.com.

Then came another play that you don’t see often—a game-ending double play made by outfielder Kiké Hernández. Andrés Giménez hit a ball into left field, but right to Hernández, who threw it to Miguel Rojas to put the tag on Barger at 2^nd to end the game.

Game 7

Game 7 is every sports fan and player’s dream. Every baseball player grows up imagining the moment, “bottom of the 9^th, game 7 of the World Series, tie game.” Every player wants their team to have a chance to win it all, and they want that chance to be in their hands. Game 7 is the most crucial game of the year. It defines how the team will be remembered. One team will go home World Champions; the other will go home with nothing. Baseball is often described as “the game of tomorrows,” as it has the longest season, and each day is just as important as tomorrow. There is always another game and another chance, except for game 7 of the World Series. There is no tomorrow. Every player leaves everything on the field, and they have the entire offseason to reflect on and scrutinize what they did or did not do.

On the mound, the Blue Jays had postseason veteran Max Scherzer, who pitched Game 7 in the 2019 World Series. The Dodgers had Shohei Ohtani, their superstar pitcher and hitter, on the mound. In the bottom of the 3rd, the Blue Jays would strike first, when Bo Bichette came up to the plate in what could be one of his last at-bats as a Blue Jay. He enters free agency this year after years with the Blue Jays, who drafted him. It was his chance to leave his mark on the fanbase, and leave a mark he did when he launched a 3-run home run to take a 3-0 lead in game 7.

Bo Bichette after his three-run homer in Game 7. Photo by MLB.com.

In the 4^th, the Dodgers responded with one run coming off a sacrifice fly by Teoscar Hernández. In the 5^th inning, Louis Varland set an all-time postseason record with his 15th postseason appearance on the mound. In the 6^th inning, Tommy Edman cut the Blue Jays’ lead to 3-2 with a sacrifice fly. Then, in the bottom of the 6^th, Ernie Clement tied the MLB record with his 29^th hit of the postseason. He would then steal 2^nd base and be driven in by Andrés Giménez’s RBI double.

In the 7^th, the Blue Jays turned a clutch double play to get out of a jam and carry their 4-2 lead into the bottom of the 7^th. The Blue Jays just needed six more outs to win a World Series. Then, in the 8th, Max Muncy hit a solo home run to cut the Blue Jays’ lead to 4-3. Then, in the bottom of the 8th, Ernie Clement had his 30^th hit of the postseason, taking sole possession of the record.

In the top of the 9th, the Blue Jays were two outs away from victory, when the Dodgers’ 9 hitter Miguel Rojas – who is the worst hitter on the team and hadn’t had a hit in almost a month, excluding the game before – hit a solo home run to tie the game. This is what makes baseball special. Any player has the chance to win it all. All it takes is one swing. The Dodgers, who looked like they were sleeping all game, had just woken up.

In the bottom of the 9th, the Blue Jays got their chance. Due up was Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who came just feet from a World Series-winning home run. Behind him, Bo Bichette hit a single, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa came in to pinch run for Bichette, who has a knee injury. Addison Barger worked a walk, moving the winning run in IKF to 2^nd. The Dodgers turn to Yamamoto to come in and try to close out the game. He then hits Kirk, loading the bases with one out. Then, Dalton Varsho hits a slow roller to 2^nd base, where Rojas picks it and makes the throw home. If IKF beats the throw home, the Blue Jays win the World Series. If the throw beats IKF, the Dodgers are one out away from getting out of a major jam. The throw beats IKF by an estimated 4 inches, and the game remains tied. Many were quick to criticize IFK for not taking a big lead off 3^rd base, but his teammates were quick to defend him, saying that they had to avoid a double play, which would end the inning. I believe that the actual baserunning error occurred when sliding feet-first into home plate. If IKF had either run through the bag or slid headfirst, he would have kept his momentum better and possibly won the World Series. I must admit that it is very easy to look back on it and see what he could have done differently, but it certainly is not his fault.

Ernie Clement came up with bases loaded and two outs, and he smoked a ball to the warning track. Off the bat, it looked like it might be a home run, or that the fielders wouldn’t get there in time. Kiké Hernández tracked the ball down and was running and looking up at it when his teammate, Andy Pages, came out of nowhere, running into him, but importantly making the catch to send the game to extra innings.

Kiké Hernández and Andy Pages are colliding in game 7. Photo by MLB.com.

The Blue Jays got out of a jam in the 10^th by getting the lead runner at home, and the game continued into the 11^th. Then, Dodgers catcher Will Smith hit a solo home run to make it 5-4 Dodgers. Yoshinobu Yamamoto then closed out the game, making it back-to-back titles for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers are quickly establishing themselves as a dynasty. This marks their second consecutive Championship and their 3^rd since the start of the 2020s. Yoshinobu Yamamoto won the World Series MVP after his complete game, his relief appearance, his second 1 run start, and, of course, his closure of the series. It was one of the most impressive pitching performances of all time.

Yamamoto with his 2025 World Series MVP trophy. Photo by MLB.com.

For the Blue Jays, this will forever be a tale of “what could have been.” The Blue Jays were fun to watch and played energetic, fun baseball. After the game, it was clear how much the players loved each other. When talking to the media, many cried, and veterans like Max Scherzer said they have never felt a bond and a connection to a team like they did with the 2025 Blue Jays. Hopefully, this is just the start of the Blue Jays’ playoff success, and we get to see them next year.

On October 25, the women kicked off the ski season with a GS race in Sölden, Austria, followed the next day by the men. Julia Scheib won the race for the women, with Paula Moltzan and Laura Gut-Behrami following, and Marco Odermatt won for the men, with Marco Schwarz and Atle Lie McGrath.

Austrian Julia Sheib was able to take home her first-ever World Cup win after 49 starts. “I did not see this coming for the women’s race; this was definitely someone new that we will have to look out for this season on the circuit.” Paula Moltzan took 2nd, her best World Cup GS finish to date. Mikaela Shiffrin took 4th, which is a very strong result after returning to GS and starting from bib 20. The race conditions were good, with softer snow as the racers progressed, but they ran very well.

Marco Odermatt becomes the second most successful men’s skier in Sölden, behind only Ted Ligety (USA) @FIS/ActionPress/MarcusHartmann

Marco Odermatt took home the win and carries his dominance over to the new season. This is the start he had in mind, and it must feel good knowing he is where he belongs. “I love watching all these top guys run because just watching them helps us get better, and it is entertaining,” Hudson Marshall, ‘27 said. The field was very stacked with the top 3 separated by just .27 seconds. The conditions were a bit rougher for men with heavy snow, very low visibility, and a delayed 2nd run. A big surprise to everyone was Lucas Braathen skiing out in the first run. He was definitely a favorite for the podium.

Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt celebrates on the podium after placing first with second place, Austria’s Marco Schwarz and third place, Norway’s Atle Lie McGrath REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

Sölden, Austria, is a notoriously challenging hill, and securing a first win is a massive start to the season. Hopefully, it can carry momentum throughout the year. It was a fantastic start to the season, with great competition and young racers getting a chance to shine!

The Northwood freestyle program has been in existence for several years, and coaches have been creating and refining the ideal workout schedule for pre-season training. Freestyle athletes typically work out four days a week before Whiteface Mountain opens.

Balance work on the slackline helps build core strength. Photo provided.

There are numerous exercises that freestyle skiers must do to prevent injuries while skiing. These exercises include box jumps, calf raises, sit-ups, pull-ups, squats, and more. There are over 20 exercises that the Northwood freestyle skiers perform.

The first day of the week is typically designated as a leg day and cardio day. The team starts playing a soccer game. This will get everyone’s heart rate pumping for the following exercises and help maintain a steady cardio pace throughout the workout. After the game, the team will head to the school’s weight room and start with a quick stretch, followed by 15 calf raises for 3 sets. Next, the team goes to jump squats, doing 5 reps for two sets, with the second set being heavier than the first. Then the team will do 8-12 reps of squats for 3 sets. Lastly, finish with 4 core exercises of the team’s choice, and this concludes day one.

The second day of the week is a full core day. The team starts by playing a game of knockout. After everyone is ready for the workout, the team will move to the weight room. Here, the team will start by doing sit-ups for a minute, followed by V-ups for a minute. These exercises will lead to a stronger core. Then, a four-minute plank, followed by some balance work, so the team will not get injured as often. This concludes the day’s work, with the core becoming significantly stronger to withstand larger hits and making everyone more balanced during workouts.

The third day is back day, consisting of a warm-up for soccer and heading into the weight room to train further. For back day, the team will start with pull-ups for 3 sets to failure, then work with weights to target the triceps, biceps, and back, aiming to build muscle and increase strength for the upcoming season. This day is very important, as it helps everyone on the team develop the upper body strength needed to withstand falls and maintain balance in the air.

“These workouts were made to help the team be more prepared for the upcoming ski season, to make everyone stronger and in more control,” NYSEF Freestyle Coach Jackson Deeney said. The workouts are helping the team prepare for the upcoming ski season, ensuring everyone stays strong and injury-free.

Day four consists of another leg day, following the same routine as day one, to strengthen our legs and help them endure the jumps throughout a long day on the mountain. All these workouts come together to make every team member stronger for the ski season. Without preseason training, the team will likely be more susceptible to injury while performing their impressive tricks.

The U19 soccer team traveled to the new turf field in Saranac Lake for a rare weeknight game where they faced the Division III Paul Smith’s College side.

“The boys played really well,” Coach Jose Coss said. “We gave a lot of minutes and chances to players who might not normally be in the lineup every week, so it was really good to see them in a competitive context, while dominating a college team. It was a good opportunity to give them confidence in what they are doing and what we are working on,” Coss added.

Mikey Mezzetti ’26 (center, in white). Photo provided.

Noah Moodey ’26. Photo provided.

Parker Borden ’27. Photo provided.

This game was really an opportunity for many of the nonstarters to show what they can bring to the team and give them some “game reps” for the coming weekends.

The game started off hot, with a couple of quick goals and some players regaining their touch. “The game started, and 5-10 minutes in, we had scored,” Coss said. “Mikey Mezzetti ’26 scored a beautiful goal. He has been playing as a striker this year, and he’s been doing really well, so it was good to see him up and running again.”

The dominance continued throughout the game with a final score of 5-0. Mikey Mezzetti ’26 had two goals, and William German ’27, Anthony Wan ’26, and Andres Castro ‘27 had one apiece.

This game was a great experience for many players, as they had the opportunity to play more minutes than usual and gain valuable game experience. This result demonstrates the competitiveness of the Husky U19 team, as they played a DIII college without conceding a single goal and gave many non-starters nearly 90 minutes of playing time.

Following this match, Paul Smith’s College men’s soccer team made it to the final four of their conference, the Small College Conference (YSCC).