Battle at the Beach: FSU Defeats UF 5–3 in Rivalry Thriller

By: William L'ecuyer

Florida State University Hockey Club (ACDC) and the University of Florida Hockey Club

(ACDC) faced off in one of the highlight matchups of this year’s College Hockey South (CHS)

Battle at the Beach tournament. The annual event brought together programs from across the region, including Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (M3), Florida Atlantic University (M2+ ACDC), Lynn University (M3), the University of Tampa (M3), and Florida Tech (ACDC).

With so many competitive programs in attendance, the weekend promised fast-paced hockey and intense rivalry games.

The FSU–UF matchup immediately lived up to expectations. Florida State came out strong,

controlling early possession and generating sustained pressure in the offensive zone. That

momentum paid off when Alexander Jenson (11) opened the scoring, then added a second goal later in the first period, giving the Seminoles a confident 2–0 lead heading into the intermission.

L'ecuyer, 2025

UF responded early in the second period as Josh Shraiberg capitalized on a defensive breakdown to put the Gators on the board. The spark was short-lived, however, as FSU answered quickly with a goal from Charlie Lakis (37), restoring the two-goal advantage. Still, the Gators refused to fade; late in the period, Jack Tepper (73) found the back of the net to pull UF back within one and shift momentum heading into the final frame.

To start the third, FSU regained control when Luke Collins (2) buried a key goal, stretching the lead to 4–2. UF continued to fight, with Junga (23) striking shortly afterward to once again make it a one-goal game. But the comeback ultimately fell short. In the closing minutes, Jenson completed his hat trick, sealing a 5–3 victory for Florida State and delivering a statement performance in one of the tournament's premier rivalry games.

The following day, Florida State carried that energy into a 4–2 win over Florida Atlantic

University, finishing the weekend with strong momentum. However, the University of Tampa

ultimately emerged as the overall winner of the Battle at the Beach Tournament after a consistent and dominant series of games.