When the Gators hit the ice at the Igloo on Wednesday afternoon, they had one goal in mind: reigniting the magic that had propelled them to that moment. It was the spirit of the previous years’ picture-perfect playoff run living on — one that ended with a championship and a promotion to Division I.
Despite a late-year four-game skid, Florida closed out the regular season strong with a commanding victory over Florida Atlantic University. Confidence was high going into Nationals, and Florida felt it had what it took to make a run again.
Instead, the final buzzer sounded, and the Gators found themselves trudging through the handshake line in front of the solemn home crowd, with the sharp sting of defeat burning in their mouths.
The Florida Gators Ice Hockey Club was eliminated in the group stage of the AAU Division I National Championship to end its season. Florida opened the tournament with an upset win against Tennessee on Wednesday, but fell to Buffalo on Thursday and Quinnipiac on Friday to finish second in its group standings.
The Gators were far from the favorites heading into the tournament. They barely snuckin as the 13th seed, and their reward was an opening matchup against the fourth-seed Volunteers, who had swept Florida during the regular season.
The matchup wasn’t favorable for the Gators, and Wednesday’s scoreboard quickly showed it. Tennessee immediately jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, tearing through Florida’s weak zone coverage.
One of the great parts of the playoffs, though, is that nothing from the past matters — it's all about here and now. When the pressure peaked, it was Tennessee that crumbled.
A pair of goals from freshman forward Liam Lecauchois and sophomore forward Maddox Olenick in the second period sliced Tennessee’s lead to one. Storming into the final frame, sophomore winger Kegan Lampinen threaded one past sophomore goaltender Lincoln Simons' cream-colored glove to knot the score on the man-advantage.
Barely a minute later, Simons was beaten once again, this time with a goal from UF junior defenseman Evan Edwards.
In a mere 39 seconds, Florida went from trailing 3-2 to taking a 4-3 lead, leaving the Vols stunned. Despite a late-game surge, Tennessee couldn't recover, and two additional goals from the Gators sealed a 6-4 upset over the group favorites.
Just like countless other times this season, Florida’s spark was ignited by its youngest players, particularly sophomore netminder Connor Lee. The win wouldn't have been possible without the heroics of Lee, who stopped 50 of 54 shots, only allowing one goal after a shaky first period.
Following the unexpected win, the Gators faced off against the fifth-seeded Buffalo Bulls, riding a wave of confidence. However, the outcome wouldn’t be in the Gators’ favor.
Though Florida entered the final frame with a 2-1 lead after fighting back from a one-goal deficit, a late holding penalty by Lampinen allowed Buffalo to tie things up on the man-advantage.
A problem that had plagued the team all season — lackluster defensive coverage — reared its head at the worst moment. The Bulls caged the Gators in their own zone, and just minutes later, Buffalo junior winger Matthew Bielinski ricocheted one through Lee’s pads to take the lead.
The Gators staged an unlikely comeback against Tennessee, but less than 24 hours later, they were left to taste the bitterness of being on the other end of such a game. With an empty-net goal to rub salt in the wound, the Bulls sealed the 4-2 victory.
Florida’s fate hung in the balance in its final matchup against Quinnipiac, and the team came out with energy for Friday’s matinee. Sophomore winger Michael McCoy put the Gators on the board less than a minute into the game with a goal against Bobcats goaltender Ryan Soloman.
However, the same issues from the previous game persisted. Although Florida held a lead on two separate occasions, Gator defensive blunders and squandered chances allowed Quinnipiac to take over, leaving UF trailing 4-3 in the final 90 seconds of regulation.
With the goalie pulled, McCoy stepped up to play hero, sliding a shot past Quinnipiac’s netminder to send the game into overtime. Sudden death, next goal wins with Florida’s season on the line.
The Gators dominated play throughout the extra period, hemming Quinnipiac in its own zone. However, they couldn’t capitalize on any of their opportunities, and after yet another defensive breakdown in front of the net, Quinnipiac forward John Cielo found himself all alone in the slot. He struck, burying the puck without a second thought.
Florida lost 5-4, eliminating it from the tournament.
Though the Gators lumbered through the handshake line for the last time, eyes downcast in defeat, it would be unreasonable to call the tournament — and the season as a whole — a failure.
There are certainly major issues that need to be addressed during the offseason. Florida's inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities plagued it throughout the year. Combined with a defense that was frustratingly inconsistent, the Gators frequently found themselves playing catch-up.
Nevertheless, the program's foundation remains solid, and its young core shined in these three games. The freshman Lecauchois, who led the team in points during the regular season, tied the sophomore McCoy for the most goals in the tournament, each netting three. Meanwhile, the sophomore Lampinen topped the score sheet with five total points.
More importantly, the Gators proved they can compete with the best of the best in Division I. Wednesday's game against Tennessee highlighted one of Florida's best offensive performances of the season, outscoring the Vols even though Tennessee took 32 more shots than UF. The two losses were brutal — but the Gators fought until the very end.
Florida has the talent. Now, it’s all about putting it together.
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.
