The past two years have been a study in contrasts for the University of Florida Ice Hockey Club.
During the 2023-24 season, the Gators rode a dominant postseason performance to their first AAU Division II National Championship, a run that vaulted them into Division I. Only a year later, UF was shown the door in the opening round of the playoffs, losing in front of its home crowd in the Community First Igloo in Jacksonville.
After an offseason of adjustments, including a change that moved them to play under the American College Hockey Association, the Gators faced their first challenge in their new conference: Division III Embry-Riddle.
They rose to the occasion.
The Florida Gators dismantled the Embry-Riddle Eagles 7-1 in their season opener on Friday. Junior winger Michael McCoy was the star on offense, tallying two goals on the night.
Sophomore forward Liam Lecauchois set the tone for Florida early, forcing a turnover and firing a top-shelf shot just four minutes into the first period. Despite the constant offensive zone pressure, ERAU was able to keep it close, limiting the deficit to a single goal after 20 minutes.
The second period, however, went in favor of the Gators. They erupted for four goals, three of them coming off the rush. McCoy struck twice — first catching the Eagles flat-footed in transition to double the lead, then finishing a tap-in off a slick feed from junior defenseman Noah Horwitz to make it 3-0.
The key of the game was Florida’s relentless forecheck. From the opening shift, the Gators dictated play, pinning the Eagles against the boards and opening them up to odd-man rushes. That same pressure was what led to the fourth goal. After an extended offensive-zone shift, freshman forward Brian Pine found space in front and buried it for his first goal in his first collegiate game.
Senior winger Nicholas Ho then capped the period by firing the puck between the legs of Eagles junior goalie Lucas Holland, stretching the lead to 5-0 and leaving ERAU floundering in front of the home crowd.
UF continued its dominance in the final frame, taking advantage of the same mistakes Embry-Riddle continued to commit. Horwitz and junior forward Kegan Lampinen brought the Gators’ total to seven goals, each scoring from point-blank range after being left unmarked in front of Holland.
Florida hit only one speed bump all evening. Their shutout bid ended midway through the third when junior goaltender Connor Lee misplayed a clearing attempt that landed squarely on the stick of Eagles sophomore forward Jake McCaw, who made him pay, tapping it in without hesitation.
Despite a late push and some added chippiness from ERAU, the final score held at 7–1, capping a dominant season opener for UF. The Gators controlled the pace from start to finish, forcing the Eagles to play on their terms and exposing defensive lapses at every turn.
It’s a stark turnaround from the end of the 2024-25 season, when missed opportunities and a lack of finishing plagued UF down the stretch.
The Gators look to sweep Embry-Riddle at Community Ice Igloo in Jacksonville on Sunday, with puck drop set at 8 p.m.
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.
