As the puck dropped and the game began on Friday, it was evident the Gators were playing with an added sense of urgency.
The shadow of a four-game losing streak hung over them, and they had one goal in mind:win the game, snap the skid and finish their first DI season strong. And they did.
Despite playing with a shorthanded roster, icing only three forward lines and two defensive pairings, the Florida Ice Hockey Club dominated the DII Florida Atlantic Owls on Friday, cruising to a 4-1 victory. The young stars led the way for Florida, with every goal coming from either sophomore or freshman players.
Florida struggled to find its rhythm at first. Missing crucial opportunities and allowing FAU too much open ice.
The first goal came nearly halfway through the second period. Florida sophomore winger Michael McCoy spotted some open ice for Florida and threaded a pass through the slot to junior winger Josh Weinstein, who ripped one past the goaltender to put the Gators on the board.
That goal seemed to tip the scales in Florida’s favor, as the Owls spent a majority of the rest of the game caught in their own zone.
Freshman forward Liam Lecauchois tallied another for the Gators on a 2-on-1 break, capitalizing on a rebound from sophomore winger Kegan Lampinen’s shot. Lampinen quickly followed with his own goal, as his shot barely squeezed through the pads of FAU sophomore goaltender Rocco Bruno. Just like that, Florida was ahead 3-0.
The Owls got one back midway through the third period, with sophomore forward Brady Baehser taking advantage of the momentum shift following a tough penalty by Florida. However, it didn’t make a difference, as Gator freshman forward Robert Sheets Jr. found the back of the net with just one minute remaining in the game, sealing Florida’s 4-1 victory.
There are certainly critiques to be made about the Gators' performance against the Owls. The same issues that have plagued them all season resurfaced on Friday— they failed to capitalize on scoring chances while allowing the opposing team too many opportunities in return.
Some of these faults, however, could be looked over, given that Florida was playing with a shortened bench.
UF sophomore goaltender Connor Lee delivered one of his best performances of the season, saving 50 of the 51 shots he faced. With goaltending being inconsistent for the Gators this year, this strong showing should provide them a sense of stability heading into nationals.
The fact that the Gators’ young players stepped up when the team most needed them is an encouraging sign as well. Lecauchois wrapped up the regular season as Florida's top points scorer, an impressive achievement for a freshman; the next four players in Florida's top five-point leaders are all sophomores.
As the Gators finish their first season as a DI team, there are plenty of questions leading up to nationals. Will they be eliminated early, or will they make another deep run? Both possibilities seem equally likely.
No matter the outcome, Florida’s performance this season is something the team can be proud of and should use as a foundation to continue building the program—Florida Gator ice hockey is here to stay.
The next time the Gators see the ice will be for the AAU DI Nationals, held March 4–10 in the Gators’ own Community First Igloo in Jacksonville, Florida.
Contact Daniela Ortiz at dortiz@alligator.org. Follow her on X @danielaortizUF.
Daniela Ortiz is a sophomore sports journalism major covering the UF club hockey team for Spring 2025. This is her first semester at the sports desk for The Alligator. When she's not watching sports, she likes to draw and read.
