FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A sea of red took over Fort Lauderdale Beach on Sunday as thousands of Florida Panthers fans gathered to celebrate a historic moment: back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.

From first-time spectators to lifelong season ticket holders, each fan had their own story that made the parade personal.

WATCH BELOW: Fans celebrate ‘amazing’ back-to-back Stanley Cup championships

Panther fans celebrate ‘amazing’ back-to-back Stanley Cup championships

Children danced, parents set up lawn chairs, and young fans dreamed big.

“Is the trophy heavy?” WPTV reporter Matt Sczesny asked young fan Owen.

“No,” he replied, beaming.

“Do you play hockey, Owen?” Sczesny asked Owen.

“Yes, I’m learning,” he said.

For fans like Owen, the championship win is a spark that could ignite a lifelong love for the game.

But for others, the celebration was the payoff after decades of loyalty.

“Season ticket holders since day one. We’ve seen it all, highs, lows, all of those years not winning anything. So these last few years have been amazing,” one fan shared.

The energy was electric, the message clear: South Florida is officially a hockey town.

“This is a great moment for South Florida that proves we are a hockey town, and we love it!” one fan shouted proudly.

“We have been fans since ’93, ’94 when they started. We have been absolute rockstar fans! We love you!” another added.

The celebration welcomed both long-time loyalists and brand-new supporters.

“I recently got into hockey this year, and I saw the Finals for the first time,” one fan said.

And while winning one Stanley Cup was historic, winning it twice was euphoric.

“Back-to-back champions, baby, WOOOO!” a fan screamed over the crowd.

Under sunny skies, a welcome contrast to last year’s rain-soaked parade, fans waved flags, wore jerseys, and held up mini Stanley Cups with pride.

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world. We were here last year and remember the rain, so it can’t be beat,” one fan said.

From scorching heat to soaring spirits, the celebration was more than a victory lap; it was a show of heart from a growing hockey community.

Read more of WPTV’s coverage of the Florida Panthers’ second straight title win:

On Friday night, a lifelong dream will come true for James Hagens.

The only question is how early.

The 18-year-old from Boston College is a no-doubt first-rounder in the NHL Entry Draft. The No. 3 ranked North American skater according to NHL Central Scouting, Hagens falls between No. 2 overall and No. 5 in most pre-draft rankings. In a poll at The Athletic, evaluators were unanimous in voting Hagens as the “best hands” in his entire class.

No matter where Hagens goes, he’s going to relish the moment.

That’s the advice he’s received from Boston College teammates like Ryan Leonard, Gabriel Perreault, and Jacob Fowler, all of whom have been drafted in the early rounds over the past two seasons.

“They all say the same thing: Just be grateful. Take it all in,” Hagens said. “It goes by quick. This summer is a little crazy, but this is something you’ll remember for the rest of your life. So these are all really special moments that you have to make sure you cherish with yourself and your family. It’s just something to be grateful for.”

Hagens has a chance to be drafted the highest of the bunch.

‘I’ve had to work for everything’

The son of two teachers, Hagens grew up on Long Island in Hauppauge, NY. His father, Michael, played defenseman for Division III SUNY-Brockport (1997-2000), and was quick to get the family hooked on hockey.

He built a backyard rink and all three of his children took to it.

Hagens’ older brother, Michael, is also a defenseman at Boston College, while his younger sister Emma plays at the Portledge School. Growing up they ventured to Islanders games at Nassau Coliseum and Hagens had a picture with Matt Martin on his bedroom wall. A playmaking forward on the smaller side, he liked watching clips of Blackhawks star Patrick Kane.

After being coaching by his father on the Long Island Royals, Hagens starred at Rhode Island powerhouse Mount St. Charles and the US National Development Team Program before landing at Boston College as a 17-year-old last fall. Feeling he’d accomplished enough after two seasons of juniors, he was ready to raise the bar.

“I wanted to be challenged at the college level,” Hagens said. “I wanted to join Boston College and I wanted to be pushed every day, playing against guys that are older and stronger that will push you and get you ready for the NHL… I knew that it would be the best step in getting me ready.”

Though it all, Hagens has carried a work ethic his parents instilled in him at a young age. When he attended the NHL Combine in June, he was hopeful that it stood out to teams.

“Just how high my compete level is,” Hagens said. “I love winning. I will do anything to win. Something that’s helped me get to the point where I am today is just how hard I’ve been able to work my whole life.

“Nothing has ever come easy. I’ve had to work for everything that I’ve ever gotten before. And that’s something I’m super grateful for. That’s something that’s just within my family. That’s something I was raised up, taught from my parents and my coaches. So going into those meetings, just really expressing how hard I compete and how badly I want to be on a team and hopefully win a Stanley Cup someday.”

‘He has that fire’

When Hagens arrived at Conte Forum, his new coach Greg Brown was struck by his demeanor right away.

“He’s a happy kid,” Brown said. “He comes into the rink every day with a smile. Just excited to be there. You can feel his positive energy when he comes into the locker room.”

As a teenager playing in rough-and-tumble Hockey East, Hagens acclimated to the competition quickly. He was named the Rookie of the Month in November, and once he returned from an exceptional World Juniors tournament — five goals, four assists en route to a Gold Medal — in January, Brown saw Hagens raise the bar even higher.

“You could see when games were tight, that he would elevate and really want to assert himself and try and take over the game,” Brown said. “Or (have) a major impact in the game. So he has that competitiveness. He has that fire.”

Hagens wound up with 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games as a freshman. The goal total wasn’t huge, but Hagens was centering a line with NHL-bound wingers in Leonard and Perrault. He was happy to make the right play to set a teammate up. Hagens just wanted the 27-8-2 Eagles to win games.

Though it wasn’t a Macklin-Celebrini-style explosion, he was pleased to be producing at a point-per-game rate given the level of competition he was facing.

“You’re playing against guys that are 25, 24-year-olds every night,” Hagens said. “It’s tough. It’s hard hockey, but I’m super grateful to be able to have the year I was able to have with the group of guys we did have.”

Away from the rink, there was one other thing that stood out to Brown.

“He cares,” Brown said. “He cares about his teammates. He wants to do the right things. He wants to learn. There’s a lot of — it’s not just going out there to show off his skill package. He wants to play the right way within the frame of the game and that’s not always easy for guys who grow up always being the best guy on the ice. He wants to understand the big picture of how it all works and then be able to be as big a factor as he can within that framework.”

‘Getting drafted has been my dream’

Now comes the uncertainty for Hagens.

After earning spots on the US Development Team and at Boston College, he won’t have agency in where he’s drafted. It could be his hometown Islanders at No. 1 overall, the Bruins at No. 7, or anywhere from East Coast to West.

If he slides to Boston, Hagens said he’d be embrace being a Bruin.

“I love Boston,” Hagens said. “Being at Boston College, we’re right in the middle of Boston there. So it’s a beautiful city. Only great things to say about it. I love it there.”

After the draft, Hagens said he doesn’t know if he’ll be back in Chestnut Hill for another season. That’s a conversation he’ll need to have with the team that drafts him and his family. NHL teams retain the rights of their draft picks throughout their college careers, so there’s no rush for most selections.

Brown would certainly welcome him back with open arms.

“He’s a driver on our team,” Brown said. “A key guy. All over the ice, but especially in offensive situations. He’s able to create offense where there seems to be none, and that’s not an easy thing to do. I also think he would grow his leadership in the locker room and on the ice coming back as a sophomore.”

Over the past year, there’s been plenty of speculation about where he’ll land next, but Hagens is doing his best to embrace the noise. Sooner or later, he knows his name will be called, and he’ll be one step closer to the NHL.

“Honestly, you just kinda have to be grateful about it,” Hagens said. “Being able to hear your name in those conversations and obviously leading up to the draft now, being allowed the opportunity to get drafted into any organization in the league, it’s something you have to be grateful for. It’s one step in your process, but you just have to be ready.

“Getting drafted has been my dream my whole entire life. That’s why I started playing hockey. That’s why I still play. I’m really just grateful for everything right now. The noise will always be there, but you just have to make sure you’re living in the moment.”

Recruiting

Florida State football added two players to its 2026 recruiting class over the weekend — the first being Luke Francis, a potential diamond in the rough from across the pond that will play for Coral Cables High this season as part of the NFL Academy program:

Florida State was his third scholarship offer following Syracuse and Georgia State. He received the FSU offer on June 18 as an offensive lineman (guard) and quickly scheduled an official visit for the following weekend. Check out this nice article from 247’s Chris Nee for some great quotes from Francis after getting the offer. Programs like the Texas Longhorns, Florida Gators, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and Maryland Terrapins are also interested.

Francis got to match up against powerhouses IMG Academy and De La Salle High School as part of the NFL Academy. His highlights, all on the defensive side of the ball, show that he has decent movement and pursuit for his size. He is difficult to move despite needing to work on his leverage, and when he gets hold of the ball carrier with his insane wingspan it’s a wrap. He has good upper and lower body strength and the developmental tools are apparent.

247Sports Composite has yet to put out a ranking for him, and he’s a bit of an enigma, having only played football for less than two years. As they say, you can’t coach size, and Francis certainly has plenty of it. He’ll undoubtedly be extremely raw coming into college, but the positive side is that he won’t need to unlearn bad habits and will truly be a blank slate for Herb Hand.

On Sunday, the Seminoles added a quarterback to the class, officially flipping four-star Jaden O’Neal:

O’Neal is a 6’3”, 215 quarterback who will play for Mustang High in Oklahoma this season, having previously played high school ball in California. He racked up 30 offers and FSU beat out some major programs for his services in addition to OU. 247Sports Composite has O’Neal as the 205th best player in the nation (14th best QB and the best player in Oklahoma).

O’Neal was a solid commitment to the Sooners until they fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell and replaced him with Ben Arbuckle. The Sooners continued to recruit other highly-rated quarterback prospects, zeroing in on past FSU target Bowe Bentley in particular, which led O’Neal to start searching elsewhere and eventually decommitting on June 19. After a ton of hard work, the FSU staff completed the flip today.

O’Neal throws a fantastic deep ball and has advanced accuracy at this stage. I’d consider him a top-5 pure passer in this cycle and his mechanics are great. He isn’t as mobile as you’d like to see and therefore isn’t a perfect fit in Gus Malzahn’s offense, but he can certainly operate within it and shows good footwork. This was, quite simply, a recruitment that FSU had to win after failing to gain traction with its two other primary targets in Keisean Henderson and Landon Duckworth.

O’Neal played in 10 games in his junior campaign and totaled 3,040 yards on a 61% completion percentage. He threw 28 touchdowns and only four interceptions. His sophomore season resulted in 2,475 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions on a 61% completion percentage in 11 games.

The Seminoles did lose a commit — three-star offensive lineman Xaiver Payne. From our recruiting thread:

Florida State Recruiting Class of 2026

Football

All Sports

Florida State baseball’s Jamie Arnold, Alex Lodise and Myles Bailey all tacked on additional All-American honors over the weekend, this time from Baseball America:

This is the fourth All-America honors this season for Arnold and Lodise and the second for Bailey. The trio was recognized by Perfect Game on June 10, with Arnold and Lodise on the First Team and Bailey on the Freshman First Team. The NCBWA named Arnold and Lodise First Team All-Americans on June 11, while the ABCA bestowed Arnold with First Team distinction and Lodise with Second Team accolades on June 13.

To headline the 2025 postseason awards, Lodise was named the recipient of the 2025 Dick Howser Trophy as the national player of the year on June 13. He also is a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award.

The trio helped the Seminoles to a second consecutive NCAA Super Regional appearance in 2025 with a 42-16 record. As they all earned All-ACC honors, FSU went 17-10 in the conference and finished in second place with a .630 winning percentage. The ACC runner-up finish and No. 2 seed at the conference tournament were the team’s best since 2014. Arnold and Lodise were both selected as team captains in 2025.

FSU soccer has locked in its 2025 schedule:

FSU will play its lone tune-up match at home against Alabama on Friday, August 8, at 6 p.m. before kicking off the regular season with an in-state rivalry match against Florida on Thursday, August 14, at 7 p.m. as previously announced. This marks the earliest start to a season in program history and first meeting between the Seminoles and Gators in an opening match since 2000.

Florida State will host FIU on Sunday, August 17, before making the program’s first visit to Kansas since 2003 on Thursday, August 28. The Seminoles will return to the Sunshine State to host Stetson on September 4 before concluding non-conference play at Florida Atlantic on September 7.

The reigning conference champions will open ACC play at home against Louisville before entering a three-game road stretch in eight days across the Atlantic coast. The away run will begin at Syracuse before facing North Carolina in a rematch of last season’s ACC Tournament Championship where FSU earned its fifth-consecutive title. The Seminoles finish the stretch with a Sunday afternoon battle at NC State.

Florida State will look to extend its five-match winning streak over Miami at home on Friday, October 3, at 7 p.m. before the away match at Notre Dame the following Thursday. The Seminoles will meet Stanford and California on October 16 and October 19, respectively, for the first time in ACC play. FSU will play Stanford for the first time since claiming its fourth national championship in 2023 and host the Cardinal for the first time while the Seminoles welcome California for the first time since 2009.

FSU closes out the regular season with a Thursday night road match at Virginia on October 23 prior to hosting the national runners-up Wake Forest on October 30. Florida State will await the results of conference play to determine seeding and qualification to the 2025 ACC Women’s Soccer Tournament.

2025 Florida State Soccer Schedule

• Aug. 8: Alabama (Home)
• Aug. 14: Florida (Home)
• Aug. 17: FIU (Home)
• Aug. 28: Kansas (Away)
• Sep. 4: Stetson (Home)
• Sep. 7: Florida Atlantic (Away)
• Sep. 11: Louisville (Home)
• Sep. 14: Syracuse (Away)
• Sep. 18: North Carolina (Away)
• Sep. 21: NC State (Away)
• Oct. 3: Miami (Home)
• Oct. 9: Notre Dame (Away)
• Oct. 16: Stanford (Home)
• Oct. 19: California (Home)
• Oct. 23: Virginia (Away)
• Oct. 30: Wake Forest (Home)

Florida State women’s lacrosse announced 14 transfers on Friday:

All 14 incoming student-athletes are transfers from Division I institutions. Four incoming transfers come directly from Atlantic Coast Conference programs and five transfers come directly from Big Ten programs. Four of the last five national champions have come from the ACC while 20 of the last 21 national champions have come from either the ACC or Big Ten conferences.

Sienna Cassella | Midfielder | 5-7 | Bradenton, Fla.| St. Stephen’s Episcopal School/Rutgers

Played first season at Rutgers…appeared in 15 games with three starts…recorded one assist…collected 10 ground balls and 10 draw controls with six caused turnovers…made the dean’s list in both semesters at Rutgers…pursuing her bachelor’s degree in finance…finished high school career with 403 points on 282 goals and 121 assists … also tallied 468 draw controls, 237 ground balls and 157 caused turnovers during time at St. Stephen’s… three-time captain and four-time MVP…led high school to two state appearances and broke every record in school history…three-time USA Lacrosse All-American…USA Lacrosse Academic All American…USA Lacrosse All-American Jackie Pitts Award recipient…two-time New Balance All-American South Highlight Team…two-time USA Today High School Lacrosse Player of the Year…named a 2024 Positive Coaching Alliance Triple-Impact Competitor…four-time First Team All-Area…2024 All USA Today High School National Top 50 Girls Lacrosse Team…member of National Honor Society…played golf in high school…two-time golf team MVP and captain senior year…2023 Saint Stephen’s Falcon Award recipient…loves to golf, bake, and spending time with family…parents are Patrick and Elena Cassella…father played baseball at Tampa…sister to Michael Cassella, who graduated from Florida State…her grandfather, Charles Tomeo, played lacrosse at Fairleigh Dickinson…her uncle, also named Charles Tomeo, was a quarterback at Florida State from 1994-1996.

Kate Christos | Midfielder | 5-7 | Madison, N.J. | Madison High School/San Diego State

Played first four seasons at San Diego State…appeared in 48 games with 40 starts…scored 40 goals with 27 assists for 67 career points…collected 72 ground balls and caused 33 turnovers with 141 draw controls…two-time Big 12 Midfielder of the Week in 2025…led the Big 12 in ground balls per game and fifth in draw controls per game in 2025…recorded two hat tricks against Eastern Michigan and Cincinnati in 2025…led the Aztecs in draw controls (54), ground balls (37), and caused turnovers (15) in 2025…San Diego State Scholar-Athlete in all four seasons…pursuing a master’s degree in marketing management communication…played basketball and soccer in high school…named 2021 US Lacrosse All-American…recieved 2021 The Varsity M Club Award…multi-Freedom South division first team honoree…all-conference honors in both basketball and soccer…recipient of the 2021 Morris County Athletic Directors Scholar-Athlete Award…has two dogs and enjoys being outdoors…parents are Kim and Andy Christos…mother played lacrosse at William & Mary…father played lacrosse and soccer at Hobart…sister to Andy Jr. Christos, who played basketball at Penn State, Mae Christos, and Georgia Christos, currently committed to play soccer at Providence. She is also cousins with Phoebe Christos, who plays lacrosse at Villanova, and John Gerard, who played soccer at Colgate.

Superia Clark | Defender | 5-5 | Wyoming, Del. | Dover High School/Syracus

Played first three seasons at Syracuse…appeared in 46 games with 34 starts…collected 28 ground balls and caused 17 turnovers…scored one goal and won eight draw controls…started every game in the Syracuse defense her freshman season…pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology…two-time USA Lacrosse All-American…two-time All-State First Team honoree…ranked No. 2 in the state of Delaware by Delaware Online…recorded 73 goals and 32 assists as a senior in high school…became high school’s first-ever All-American…HS team captain for two seasons…tied for the team lead in goals and assists as a senior…member of the National Honor Society…played field hockey in high school…can solve a Rubik’s cube…her mother is Tiffany Smith…stepfather is Foster Trader…father is Craig Clark…her aunt, Tyresa Smith, played basketball at Delaware and was drafted 18th overall by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2007 WNBA Draft, playing for four seasons in the league.

Jordan Conversano | Defender | 5-9 | Huntington, N.Y. | Harborfields High School/Johns Hopkin

Played first four seasons at Johns Hopkins…made five appearances, forcing one ground ball……graduated from Johns Hopkins University…named to Academic All-Big Ten Team in three consecutive seasons (2023, 2024, 2025)…pursuing a master’s degree of social work…competed in field hockey and indoor track and field in high school…named All-Suffolk County Team in high school…member of National Honor Society…raised ducks as pets with her sister…enjoys skiing…parents are Robin and Christopher Conversano…mother played field hockey and lacrosse at Hofstra…sister to Matthew, who played lacrosse at Western Connecticut, and Mackenzie Conversano, who will play lacrosse at Florida State.

Reilly Hunter | Defender | 5-9 | Toronto, Canada | Birchmount Park Collegiate/San Diego Stat

Played first four seasons at San Diego State…appeared in 42 games with 32 starts…collected 35 ground balls and caused 22 turnovers with 20 draw controls…recorded two goals and two assists…team captain at SDSU in 2024/25…named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honoree in 2025…graduated from San Diego State with cum laude honors…named to the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll in 2023-24…four-time Dean’s List recipient and San Diego State Scholar-Athlete…pursuing a master’s degree in public interest media & communication…won Canadian lacrosse national championship with Team Ontario in 2019…played ice hockey and track & field in high school…became the Toronto City Champion in 300m hurdles in 2018…named varsity track MVP in high school…was introduced to lacrosse by playing box lacrosse…all of three of her brothers wore #44 in their playing days…parents are Mary Ormsby and Paul Hunter…mother played volleyball at Ohio State and was inducted into Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame…father played lacrosse at Siena…sister to Rob, Sam, who played ice hockey at Queens, and Will Hunter.

Meg Kenny | Midfielder | 5-6 | Aquebogue, N.Y. | St. Anthony’s High School/Maryland

Played first season at Maryland…appeared in nine games…scored two goals…pursing her bachelor’s degree in elementary education…two-time USA Lacrosse All-American in 2023 and 2024…selected to the 2023 National Team Development Program (NTDP) National Combine…Brogden Cup winner with the 2023 USA U18 team…IL Women five-star recruit out of high school…No. 29 recruit in the Class of 2024…selected to the Team USA U16 squad…two-time Under Armour 150 in 2021 and 2022…MVP of 2019 Trilogy camp…outstanding player at Long Island 99 showcase…2022 Juniors Open…HLA School Girls Finalist at the US National Tournament…2022 Workhorse Award St. Anthony’s High School…first team All-Long Island…three-time CHSAA All League recipient 2022-2024…St. Anthony’s High School honor roll all four years…competed in cross country and track…traveled an hour to school everyday…parents are John and Kiersten Kenny…sister to Lauren, played lacrosse at Stony Brook, and Johnathan Kenny.

Katie McLean | Defender | 5-9 | Tewksbury, N.J. | Voorhees High School/Colorado

Played first four seasons at Colorado…appeared in 37 games with 16 starts…collected 26 ground balls and caused 24 turonvers…scored one goal and won 15 draw controls…two-time Pac-12 Spring Academic Honor Roll honoree in 2023, 2024…named to the Colorado dean’s list twice in 2022, 2025…named to the Colorado Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in all four seasons…named first team all-county and first-team All-Skyland Conference in high school in 2021…named to the second team All-Group in 2021…2021 Lehigh Lacrosse Player of the Year…2021 Hunterdon Warren Scholar-Athlete of the Year…played field hockey in high school…2021 New Jersey Sectional champion in field hockey…enjoys skiing, golfing, and visits the humane society to play with older dogs…played against the Dutch national lacrosse team in Amsterdam…parents are Sheila and Bill McLean…father played linebacker at Pittsburgh…sister to Megan Voetsch, who played golf at Penn State…her uncle, Joe McLean, played basketball at Arizona.

Marleigh Sanders | Attacker | 5-9 | Milton, Ga. | Milton High School/Notre Dame

Played first four seasons at Notre Dame…appeared in 11 games…scored a goal with four assists…participated in the ACC Women’s Lacrosse Student Athlete Advisory Group…named to the 2023 and 2024 All-ACC Academic team…Monogram Jacket recipient in 2023…graduated from Notre Dame college of business with a bachelor’s degree in management consulting…pursuing a master’s degree in business administration…No.29 Ranked Inside Lacrosse Recruit Class of 2021…three-time GHSA State Champion…three-time Under Armour All American…2020 Under Armour All American MVP…two-time GHSA 1st Team All State…played in the Israeli National Team 2018 World Games…Under Armour All-American Watchlists 2021…can drive a manual transmission vehicle…parents are Eric and Aimee Sanders…father played basketball, golf, and lacrosse at American International…sister to Lily and Dean Sanders, who plays lacrosse at Bucknell.

Erin Schaefer | Defender | 5-4 | Sayville, N.Y. | Sayville High School/Stanford

Played first four seasons at Stanford…appeared in 28 games…collected 14 ground balls and caused seven turnovers…two-time Pac-12 Champion…three-consecutive conference academic honor rolls from 2023-2025…graduated with a bachelor’s degree in science, technology, and society…three-time Under Armour All-American…2018 Nike Elite 120…played club for Long Island Yellow Jackets…played soccer in high school…enjoys watching sci-fi movies, painting, and collaging…parents are Tina and Tom Schaefer…mother played soccer at SUNY Oneonta…sister to Maddy, who played lacrosse at LIU, and twin brother Tyler Schaefer.

Reagan Terrell | Defender | 5-10 | Cary, N.C. | Panther Creek High School/Davidson

Played first four seasons at Davidson…made 31 appearances with 22 starts…recorded 19 ground balls, caused 19 turnovers, recorded six turnovers with two draw controls in three seasons of play…appeared in 10 games with five starts in 2024…caused four turnovers and collected two ground balls…earned the team’s Most Improved Player award in 2024…started in all 17 games in 2025…collected 17 ground balls, caused 15 turnovers, and two draw controls…recorded five multi-ground ball games, three multi-ground ball games in the last four games of the season…achieved career-highs in ground balls and caused turnovers against Winthrop in 2025…graduated from Davidson College with magna cum laude honors…named to 2025 A-10 All-Academic Team…named to the A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll in all four seasons…pursuing a master’s degree in sport management…competed in track and field in high school…enjoys playing pickleball, grandfather coaches the sport…parents are Matt and Katherine Terrell…sister to Kaylee Terrell Sandelin.

Catrina Tobin | Goalie | 5-9 | Sudbury, Mass. | Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School/UMass

Played first three seasons at UMass…appeared in 52 games with 37 starts in goal…recorded over 2400 minutes…made 302 saves with 30 career wins…captained the 2025 A-10 champions…2024 A-10 All-Championship team…2024 A-10 Second Team honoree…2023 A-10 All-Rookie team…two-time A-10 Rookie of the Week…graduated from UMass with a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and a certificate in Criminal Justice…earned Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll in all four years…pursuing her master’s degree in criminal justice…senior captain of the 2018 Dual County League champions…Dual County League All-Star sophomore and junior seasons…Dual County League All-Star honorable mention freshmen year…selected for Shriners All Star game her junior seasons…two-time lacrosse captain at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School…ranked number one goalkeeper in the Dual County League…held a 55% save percentage…earned athlete of the year at her high school…EMGCLA All-Star 1st Team…Metrowest All-Star…recognized by the Boston Globe and Boston Herald as All-Scholastic… number one ranked player in the Dual County League as a sophomore…earned Dual County League All-Star…guided her team to three Dual County League Lacrosse Championships in 2018, 2019 and 2021…played ice hockey in high school…has two dogs, Brody and Sully…parents are Sean and Deirdre Tobin…sister to Ryan and Fiona Tobin.

Julia Ward | Goalie | 5-7 | Forest Hill, Md. | The John Carroll School/Maryland

Played first season at Maryland…appeared in six games with over 55 minutes in goal…made six saves…made the dean’s list twice in one season at Maryland…pursuing her bachelor’s degree in accounting…appeared on 2023 USA Select U18 team…Baltimore First Team All-Metro…IAAM All Conference 2024…three-time Baltimore All America Champions 2021-2023…four-year varsity starter…515+ Career Saves…three-time First Team All County 2022-2024…SkyWalkers 2024 Blue…STX Athlete…first honors in all four years in high school…played field hockey in high school…2023 varsity team captain in field hockey…two-time Second Team All-Harford County in field hockey…parents are Brian and Angela Ward…father played lacrosse at Salisbury and claimed the program’s second D-III national championship in 1995…the Ward family has two sets of twins in the family…twin sister, Lydia, will play lacrosse at Florida State…sister to twin brothers, Giovanni and Brendan Ward.

Lydia Ward | Midfielder | 5-3 | Forest Hill, Md. | The John Carroll School/Maryland

Played first season at Maryland…appeared in 10 games…made the dean’s list at Maryland…pursuing her bachelor’s degree in hospitality…appeared on the 2023 USA Select U18 and 2022 USA Select U16 teams…five-star recruit out of high school…#18 in Class of 2024: Inside Lacrosse…#30 in Freshman Class 2024: Inside Lacrosse…All America Senior Game 2024…2023 and 2024 IAAM All Conference team…four-year varsity starter…captain and leading scorer junior and senior year…100+ career goals, points and ground balls…two-time Baltimore All America Champions 2022 & 2023…USA U20 National Team Tryout…SkyWalkers 2024 Blue…two-time First Team All County 2023 & 2024…Brogden Cup Coach’s Award: USA U16…Vice President of Spanish National Society…National Honors Society member…STX Athlete…played soccer, basketball, and swimming in high school…parents are Brian and Angela Ward…father played lacrosse at Salisbury and claimed the program’s second D-III national championship in 1995…the Ward family has two sets of twins in the family…twin sister, Julia, will play lacrosse at Florida State…sister to twin brothers, Giovanni and Brendan Ward.

Faith Wooters | Midfielder | 5-8 | McKinney, Texas | McKinney Boyd High School/Syracus

Played first two seasons at Syracuse…appeared in seven games…two-time NCAA Semifinalist…2024 ACC Regular Season Champion…Syracuse Dean’s List in Fall 2024…two-time All-ACC Academic Team honoree in 2023 and 2024…pursuing her bachelor’s degree in management information systems…2021 Texas state champion in high school…Adrenaline All American…recorded 300+ points in high school…competed in track and field in high school…has two dogs and loves to wakeboard…parents are Rebecca and Scott Wooters…father played football at Maryland…sister to Nicolaas and Georgia Wooters.

Hope everyone’s “summer” is going well.

(Sorry, it’s foggy, windy, and in the 50s as I start this blog, and none of us are surprised, so I’m cynical.)

As you read this, we’re close to the geographic midpoint of the UMD offseason. The actual halfway mark is either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on how you count the days. Our 100-days-to-go countdown starts on BlueSky Wednesday. It’ll be the only place to catch all 100 days of UMD men’s hockey history, so drop me a follow today.

The offseason — at least from UMD’s perspective — quieted awfully quick after some early transfer portal madness.

But let’s catch everyone up on what’s all been happening. Or not happening.

1. When the season wrapped up and we finally got around to putting a bow on it, we had a lot of questions and few answers when it came to the 2025-26 roster.

UMD had lost seven players to transfers. Forwards Kyle Bettens (ended up at Northern Michigan), Anthony Menghini (North Dakota), Matthew Perkins (Northeastern), and Jack Smith (Minnesota State) ended up moving on, as did defenseman Aiden Dubinsky (Wisconsin) and goalies Klayton Knapp (Michigan Tech) and Zach Sandy (North Dakota).

While the coaching staff had a lot of options, it felt like a situation where UMD had little choice but to dip into the portal. The business of “just bring this guy or that guy in from juniors a year early” is a dangerous one. It can work out well for some players, not so well for others. Player development, after all, is not at all linear.

Head coach Scott Sandelin wrapped up the season with me on my radio show April 3. He made clear at that point that they intended to use the portal to fill some holes.

“I said we’re going to use the portal. as we need to use it. So we’re going through that right now. We’ve got three forwards right now that we signed and we’ve got two defensemen. So we’re on the prowl to fill a couple of spots right now.”

2. And hit the portal the Bulldogs did. UMD added five players from the transfer portal, bringing in three forwards, one defenseman, and a goalie.

All three forwards — Kyle Gaffney from Alaska, Kyler Kovich from Cornell, and Scout Truman from UMass-Lowell — will be seniors this season. Defenseman Brady Cleveland (Colorado College) joins UMD for his junior season. Goalie Ethan Dahlmeir will be a sophomore after one year at Miami.

I haven’t talked to Sandelin since the five made their moves to UMD official, but I have talked to both Gaffney and Cleveland. The team was together the last couple weeks, and I jumped on the chance to meet up with a few of them during some downtime at Amsoil Arena. More on that in a moment.

Without coming across as any kind of sour grapes, allow me to take the same tact that I’ve taken with past transfers. I wish them all well, I do not begrudge any of them for deciding to move on. Enjoyed my interactions with them.

But let’s lay out the numbers surrounding these changes.

UMD lost five skaters. Those five skaters combined for 22 goals and 53 points last season. UMD added four skaters from the portal. Those four skaters combined for 22 goals and 55 points.

3. Arguably, Knapp may be UMD’s biggest loss. But he didn’t play again after giving up six goals in less than two full periods of the game Feb. 22 at North Dakota. He was injured during practice the next week, missed the home finale against Miami, and was dressed but did not play in the regular season finale at St. Cloud State or the playoff series at Arizona State.

When Adam Gajan went down during the Thanksgiving bye, Knapp seized the net for a few weeks and was mostly good. He had a tough start in the Friday game at Colorado College, but he rebounded the next night and basically gave his team a chance to win every time he played.

Dahlmeir’s numbers at Miami last season were not great (1-10-1, 4.04 goals against, .870 save percentage in 14 appearances). But was that him, or was that the product of a team that struggled all year in the defensive zone? Miami’s team save percentage last season was .865, worst in Division I.

It stands to reason Gajan will get the first chance to seize the net. Dahlmeir and freshman Cole Sheffield, however, are not coming in to be purely backups. They’ll be expected to compete for playing time, and Sandelin has never been afraid to use multiple goalies if he wants to accentuate that competition (the 2016-17 season, which ended in the national championship game, saw three goalies start games in October before Hunter Miska took over the rest of the way).

4. Cleveland is a large human. And he embraces the defensive part of being a defenseman.

When I asked him about his identity as a player, he said “it’s being hard to play against. I like to be hard on the opponent, and I like to kill penalties, block shots, do all the hard things.

“I’ve been working a lot on my stick and just using my size throughout my whole career. I really pride myself on being heavy and physical.”

The Wausau native started his college career at Wisconsin after spending time with the U.S. National Team Development Program in Michigan. After seeing action in just 16 games as a freshman, he moved on to Colorado College. The Tigers dressed Cleveland in all 37 games last season, but he told Matt Wellens something happened there that he felt would affect his opportunity moving forward, so he decided to enter the portal.

(Cleveland declined to get into detail, which is his right, but he made clear to both Matt and me that he was not planning to go in the portal a second time.)

5. Gaffney had 20 points last season with the Nanooks, and while he said it was hard to leave Fairbanks, he called his decision to head to UMD “easy.”

“I visited here about a month ago,” Gaffney said. “Staff was great. They were great talking to me in the portal. The facility (Amsoil Arena) is great. The campus is awesome.”

Gaffney, Kovich, and Truman join a group of seniors that was decimated by portal losses. Only defensemen Joey Pierce and Riley Bodnarchuk are back for their senior seasons.

“They told me I’d be an older guy coming in here,” Gaffney said. “Back in Fairbanks, we had a lot of young guys, so I’m used to that.”

We haven’t seen an announcement on UMD’s leadership group for this coming season, but it seems reasonable to suggest that there could be a newcomer who earns a letter (Joe Molenaar almost did last season, so it’s not completely unprecedented to consider such an idea). The last two weeks — which saw the group come together to work out, bond, and get some ice time — is part of that process.

6. UMD added one player from the major junior ranks, as those 1,000 Canadian Hockey League players are now eligible for NCAA hockey. Defenseman Grayden Siepmann joins after around 300 games in the Western Hockey League, most recently with the Saskatoon Blades.

Siepmann said the program’s history stood out to him when he found out he’d have a chance to play for an American college team.

“It was a long process,” Siepmann said of his recruitment, “but I was familiar with UMD.”

He said he’d been to Minneapolis for a tournament growing up, but never to Duluth. He committed sight unseen.

“Cool little spot for sure,” he said.

Siepmann should slot into UMD’s second or third defensive pairing, depending on how he transitions to college hockey. He has a chance to compete with guys like Ty Hanson and Aaron Pionk for power play minutes, given that Owen Gallatin graduated and Dubinsky went into the portal.

7. Other schools, however, are jumping into the CHL pool with both feet. Sandelin said at his end-of-year media conference that he wanted to wait and see how things went with this transition. Given his cautionary words, it is more than reasonable that UMD stopped at one major junior player in this recruiting class.

We’re starting to see top players from the CHL make the trek south. North Dakota has a few younger prospects committed, some set to join this season with new head coach Dane Jackson. But there is concern among some coaches about taking too many, as they can rejoin their CHL teams at the season’s midpoint if they aren’t happy with their college experience.

The great Mike McMahon noted this weekend that those players can’t be replaced on college rosters, meaning those teams will be a player short the rest of the way. That’s plenty of reason to be cautious moving forward.

(Siepmann, by the way, has exhausted his junior eligibility.)

Along with ramifications from the House settlement, which was approved a few weeks ago, it will be very interesting to watch how the CHL/NCAA relationship evolves. Everyone thought NIL money would ruin the sport, but Western Michigan won a national title with its athletes getting none, per head coach Pat Ferschweiler. Don’t just assume the game will fundamentally turn on its ear and the NCHC will stop dominating.

8. I asked the BlueSky audience for questions.

From Ryan: “What newcomer has the best chance to make an impact next year? What returning player will be most improved?”

The transfer forwards, all being seniors, are almost too easy to pick here. Among them, I’m guessing Gaffney and Truman are in the best position to make an impact. Among the incoming freshmen, I think Daniel Shlaine has a chance to center a middle-six line, and could be in line for some big minutes.

As for returning players, I’m going with Gajan. This is in line with an upcoming question, but he’s going to have a bounceback season. I can feel it.

From Clusiau204: “Is Adam Gajan ready to be the #1 goalie for the Dogs this season???”

I think he will be. Last season was not an easy transition for Gajan. He was learning how to be a college student, learning a new level of hockey, and trying to deal with the pressure that comes from doing all of that at the same time.

On the ice, he had to miss the season opener because the NCAA is dumb, his first start in Lowell was outstanding, and then UMD hung him out to dry with regularity against the Gophers and North Dakota. It was up and down for Gajan from there, both before and after he was out long term with an injury.

With a stable summer, I think he’ll be fine.

From Dan: “Things to do in Fairbanks in October?”

Wouldn’t know, because I won’t be there. The plan is to work those games off the video feed from our Duluth studio. More to come on that, because it might not be a traditional game call. Still working on that.

9. The rest of the summer? Hopefully some summer weather, more fishing, and some downtime throughout July.

As I mentioned, the countdown starts Wednesday. August goes fast, and we’ll be in the thick of season prep come September. NCHC Media Day won’t be happening this year, at least not in its old in-person format, but I expect that I’ll have all nine NCHC coaches, some student athletes, and all the other Minnesota men’s coaches on my radio show to get ready for puck drop.

Otherwise, we hope everything stays nice and quiet.