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Jaques, who is Black, earned both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in engineering during her time in Columbus—no small feat while balancing the demands of elite athletics, and she was named the Arthur Ashe Jr. Female Sports Scholar of the Year in 2022, an award that celebrates academic and athletic excellence among student-athletes of color.”

Jaques was the 10th pick in the inaugural PWHL draft in 2023, going to a Boston team and market that was excited to have her and recognized the significance of her career. Alas, after just seven games with the Fleet, Jaques was sent to Minnesota as the centerpiece of the first trade in PWHL history.

“I just got a phone call from the Boston GM. Not much notice,” Jaques recalled. “I found out on a Sunday evening, and my flight left Monday morning.”

It was a sudden shift, but quick turnarounds like that come with the territory in professional sports. It could have rattled just about any player, but Jaques landed on her feet thanks to a familiar face. “One reason I was able to adjust pretty quickly is because [Minnesota] had Liz Schepers from Ohio State on the team,” Jaques explained. “She had space for me to live in her home, so I didn’t have to stay in a hotel. That made it really easy for me, and meant I didn’t have too much to worry about off the ice. On-ice came natural and was pretty easy.”

Jaques played 15 regular-season games for Minnesota last season, notching two goals and eight assists, and hitting her stride along with her teammates right when it mattered most.

After qualifying for the playoffs as the fourth and final seed on the last day of the regular season (sound familiar?), Minnesota hit its stride at just the right time. “We had some highs and lows and were just able to have success when it counted,” recalled Jaques of a run that saw Minnesota overcome a 2-0 deficit in the best-of-five first round series against Toronto before beating Boston in another five-game series in the PWHL Finals to capture the first-ever Walter Cup.

The team celebrated its win that late-May night and again at various times throughout last offseason, but one of the sweetest moments came recently, when last year’s champions were each presented with an official Championship ring.

Entering a professional sports league as a brand new franchise is a significant challenge, regardless of the event or competition level. Inaugural-season teams often struggle due to obstacles that more established teams have already overcome, including assembling a roster of unfamiliar players, building team chemistry from scratch under a new coach and settling into an unfamiliar city.

When Athens was awarded a professional minor league hockey team, one of the first and most critical steps was hiring a head coach to lead the roster-building process. When Steve Martinson, one of the most accomplished minor league hockey coaches of all time showed interest in the position, a deal came together quickly.

Before his illustrious coaching career, Martinson played professional hockey himself. Born in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Martinson began his career at the collegiate level at St. Cloud State University.

Afterwards, Martinson played over a decade of professional hockey for numerous franchises. While most of his career was spent in the minors, he did appear in 49 games for the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and his hometown Minnesota North Stars.

After his playing career, he went straight into coaching. His first year came during the 1995-96 season, when he immediately led the San Diego Gulls to a title. Martinson would go onto coach a few different teams in several minor hockey leagues, winning a total of ten championships. Martinson most recently coached the Allen Americans, but after ten years with the team was not offered a new contract in 2022.

“The people that hired me, they knew me from Allen,” Martinson said. “They had kind of put a feeler out and said, ‘Hey, would you be interested? We’re not sure what league it’s going to be in [yet],’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I’m interested.’”

A few key factors enticed Martinson to take on a new position in Athens.

“The organization that I worked for before, by the time I left, was really bad. It was really frustrating to go out if I wasn’t going to coach again. When I had the chance to work for an organization that does everything right, then you’re like, ‘Okay, this is going to be completely different’. It’s great to have an arena downtown, and Athens being a college town and having some live music were things that were attractive to my wife and I,” he said.

Once Martinson was officially on board, it was time to start acquiring players. Most of the Rock Lobsters’ group were signed after spending last season with other teams, either in the FPHL — the league the Rock Lobsters ultimately joined — or the SPHL, a tier above.

Some were recruited in groups. For example, Garrett Milan, Malik Johnson and Orca Weisblatt all played for the Pensacola Ice Flyers of the SPHL, while Troy Murray, Riley Robertson and Justin Portillo came from the Knoxville Ice Bears, also in the SPHL.

“The key is just having good guys,” Martinson said. “No matter where they’re from. I always say good guys refer other good guys and bad guys refer other bad guys.”

Over the course of the season, many players played the best hockey of their careers, truly bying into Martinson’s system.

“It’s got to be a part of [coach Martinson’s] knowledge, putting the right guys out on the power play,” Rock Lobsters forward Kayson Gallant said earlier this season.

Gallant credited Martinson as a key factor in his development over the course of the season, particularly for his emphasis on defensive responsibility — a focus that Gallant said ultimately created more opportunities and helped him finish as the league’s leading goal scorer.

Martinson didn’t just guide his players to individual success though — he earned his own recognition too, being named FPHL Coach of the Year. Under Martinson, the Rock Lobsters exceeded all expectations, and the league took notice.

Despite winning far more games than imagined in the regular season, the Rock Lobsters’ season ultimately came to an end after a loss to the Columbus River Dragons in the first round of the playoffs. While questions remain about the future of several key players, the team appears well-positioned moving forward under the leadership of Martinson, whose track record suggests prolonged success in the league.

It didn’t take John Lloyd long to find a new hockey home.

The former Fort Erie Meteors netminder has committed to Adrian College in Michigan where he will don the pads for the Bulldogs and study science and physics with the goal of becoming an engineer.

Lloyd, whose junior career ended recently when the Meteors were eliminated in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League Eastern Conference finals by the St. Catharines Falcons, is thrilled to be able to continue his hockey career.

“Obviously, the goal was to continue playing junior hockey, to try and play at the next level, especially (getting) a degree along with that as well,” the 21-year-old North York native said. “It’s fantastic. I mean I think it’s what everyone in junior wants, if they want to do the school side of it especially. I look at some people on my team and it sucks. The hockey’s over for them and I’m lucky enough to get the opportunity and the chance to play for another five years here.”

Lloyd said academics played a big factor in his decision.

“The school side is big for me and they run a great program, hockey wise and school wise. I’m getting exactly what I want. I think they’re getting exactly what they want as well,” he said. 

Lloyd said he was contacted earlier this season by representatives from Adrian.

“They reached out to me after the showcase in Caledonia. I guess they’ve been following me, tracking me, and they follow the league as well and I had good numbers.”

A trip to Adrian, located near Ann Arbour, followed.

“I did a visit, a tour earlier in the year, and they have great facilities,” Lloyd said. “They run a great program. They’re the top program in their division and league and they really run a great facility and all that.”

The Bulldogs play in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (Division 1) in the Great Lakes Conference.

Lloyd is ready for the challenge of playing at the next level.

“They just said it was a grind. You’ve got to balance school and hockey and you’re playing every weekend and practising every single day of the week,” he said. “You’re grinding through the week to play the games.”

Lloyd has been told he will get a chance to play as a freshman.

“What I learned from the coaching staff is it would be 50-50 for the first 25 games of the season and then they would play whoever’s hot for the playoff tournament there.”

Lloyd joined the Meteors last season and put together a solid season as back-up to Charlie Burns before taking over as the No. 1 goaltender this year where he fashioned a 2.03 goals-against average, .924 save percentage and four shutouts in 27 regular season games.

He credits Meteors general manager/coach Nik Passero and associate coach Anthony Passero for helping him develop. 

“Nik and Anthony have a college hockey background, so they definitely helped me in that path a lot,” Lloyd said. “They run a great program and their big goal is to get guys on to the next level and that’s exactly what they do.”

Lloyd has fond memories of his two seasons with the Meteors.

“One of the great memories I have is just looking up around the Leisureplex and seeing all the fans come out. I think almost the whole town knows that Saturday night is the Junior B’s night in the Leisureplex,” he said. “(I’ll miss) pulling on the black and orange and white sweaters and playing for the packed house there.”

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NCAA coaches across all divisions are meeting in Florida this week at the annual American Hockey Coaches Association convention. The official meetings wrapped up this afternoon (Tuesday).

One of the most significant parts of the three-day conference was a meeting between NCAA coaches and NCAA president Charlie Baker. It’s believed to be the first time that a sitting NCAA president met with coaches (virtual or in-person) as part of the convention. Baker met with the coaches for two hours on Monday as part of a panel with Penn State men’s head coach Guy Gadowsky, Northeastern AD Jim Madigan, Dartmouth women’s head coach Maura Crowell, and NCHC commissioner Heather Weems.

This is a non-rule change year, which means there wasn’t significant discussion of on-ice issues. However, there were several high-level discussions on off-ice issues.

The Tulane Green Wave football team was one of the Group of Five rosters notably poached in the new college football landscape of NIL and the transfer portal.

Tulane football head coach Jon Sumrall finds himself in a consecutive quarterback competition searching for the successor to Darian Mensah, who received one of the highest reported deals in college sports to transfer to the Duke Blue Devils.

The team needed to replace running back Makhi Hughes, tight end Alex Bauman, and nose tackle Parker Petersen in addition to multiple contributors. Sumrall spoke about allegations of tampering surrounding former punter Will Karoll, who recently transferred to the UCLA Bruins.

Tulane athletics is set to massively benefit from a transformative NIL donation that the program announced as they launch a new NIL fund known as the Green Wave Talent Fund.

Longtime Green Wave supporters Don and Lora Peters are donating $3.5 million toward name, image, and likeness opportunities for their college sports programs.

“This fund is a game-changer for Tulane Athletics, courtesy of two of our most generous supporters,” athletic director Davis Harris said in a press release. “Don and Lora Peters have stepped up time and time again over the years, and their leadership sends a strong message: Tulane is committed to empowering its student-athletes to thrive both on and off the field. Their generosity will help us attract and retain top talent while maintaining our tradition of integrity and excellence.”

Don Peters is an alumnus of the school and understands the need for these funds to compete in the current college sports landscape as he serves in multiple leadership roles.

“NIL has reshaped college sports, and Tulane must remain competitive in this new landscape,” Peters said. “This initiative ensures Tulane stays ahead in the evolving landscape. It’s about empowering student-athletes to succeed in their sports, their academics, and their future careers.”

The funding is also going towards upgrading facilities, as the football program is in the middle of building an indoor practice bubble that will be crucial in inclement weather.

While the gift is to be spread across sports teams and facilities, it’s notable that the $3.5 million amount matches the reported NIL deal for Mensah this year.

Tulane’s NIL funding isn’t public because it’s a private university, but this type of donation will go a long way in the school’s efforts and prioritization of college athletics and name, image, and likeness as a necessity for that.

More NIL On SI

North Carolina’s David Ford is one of three finalists for the 2025 Ben Hogan Men’s Golf National Player of the Year Award presented by Baird.
 
Joining the Tar Heel star as finalists are Florida State’s Luke Clanton and Auburn’s Jackson Koivun.
 
The Ben Hogan Award honors the top college golfer based on all collegiate, amateur and professional events over the previous 12 months. Ford, Clanton and Koivun will attend a black-tie dinner May 19 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, where the winner will be announced.
 
Ford, a three-time semifinalist for the Hogan Award, is a first-time finalist. He is the nation’s No. 1 player in the NCAA’s Scoreboard/Clippd Rankings, is No. 1 in the PGA TOUR University standings and is third in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
 
The Peachtree Corners, Ga., native has set a UNC record this season with five victories, including an unprecedented three in a row in March-April.
 
Ford won the prestigious Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational at Colonial by three shots in the fall. He also has victories at The Williams Cup, Valspar Intercollegiate Invitational, Augusta Haskins Award Invitational and the Tar Heel Intercollegiate.
 
His 68.70 stroke average is on pace to set the Tar Heel single-season record, and he is first in UNC career scoring with an average of 70.14.
 
Former Tar Heel Mark Wilson won the Ben Hogan Trophy in 1996.