Everblades Move On To Eastern Conference Finals, Eliminate Solar Bears To Take South Division Title
The Florida Everblades find themselves in a position they've become quite familiar with: waiting for their opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Florida eliminated the Orlando Solar Bears with a 3-1 victory Saturday to capture the South Division crown, winning the series 4-1. It was the Everblades' 14th consecutive post-season series win as they attempt to win an historic fourth straight Kelly Cup.
Cole Moberg's power-play goal with 1:48 left in the third period was the difference Saturday, snapping a 1-1 tie and giving the Everblades the win.
Orlando scored the only goal of the first period as Anthony Bardaro put the Solar Bears in front 1-0 at the 7:51 mark of the opening frame. That early tally proved to be the only goal of the contest for the home team, as the Everblades limited the Solar Bears to just 11 shots on goal over the rest of the contest.
Colton Hargrove tied the score 3:25 into the second period, tipping home his fifth goal of the playoffs with Moberg and Logan Lambdin picking up the assists.
While the Everblades couldn't score in the middle frame, they dominated the shot count 13-4 in the period.
The score remained tied until late into the third period. With the possibility of overtime looming, Orlando's Alex Frye was whistled for a tripping minor with 2:10 left on the clock. That penalty would be critical, as Moberg potted the game-winner just 22 seconds later. Alex Kile and Hargrove each earning assists.
Oliver Chau, the Everblades' captain and Game Four hero, closed out the scoring with an empty-net goal that beat the final buzzer for his third goal in two nights.
Florida outshot the Solar Bears 15-3 in the third period and 37-15 for the game. Cam Johnson stopped 14 shots to backstop the Everblades' eighth win in nine playoff contests.
Florida now awaits the winner of the Trois-Rivieres Lions-Norfolk Admirals series to determine who their Eastern Conference Finals opponent will be. Those two teams are currently tied at two games apiece in the North Division Finals with Game Five of that series scheduled for Sunday.
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Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gulf Winds Foundation raises over $78,000 with Chip in Fore Charity golf tournament
Gulf Winds Foundation recently hosted its second annual charitable golf tournament, Chip in Fore Charity, at Stonebrook Golf Course in Pace. The day brought the credit union community together for a fun-filled experience of golfing, networking, and giving, raising over $78,000 for the Gulf Winds Foundation and its charitable activities. A full roster of teams competed in a classic four-player scramble featuring a $10,000 hole-in-one challenge and several on-course games. Among the participants, Clay Mallard, Billy Burch, Dale Wright, and Louie Roberson claimed the first-place title, followed by David Feliciano, Colby Scruggs and Kyle Mitchell in second place, and Tony Silva, Chris Munro, Jonathan Smith, and Bryon Cobb in third. Funds raised from the tournament will support Gulf Winds' annual scholarship program and several local non-profit partners including Manna Food Pantry, Council on Aging of West Florida, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida, Rally Foundation, and other organizations that create sustainable change in the region. Visit for details. Santa Rosa County Animal Services is hosting a Community Cats Day for Santa Rosa County residents June 5 at the Santa Rosa County Animal Shelter, 4451 Pine Forest Road in Milton. The shelter will only accept 45 stray/feral cats for free spaying and neutering. Participants must be Santa Rosa County residents and are required to show proof of residency in Santa Rosa County. Participants can bring up to three community cats per participant, first come, first served. Cats must be at least three months of age and over three pounds, outdoor, unowned, and free-roaming to be eligible for the program. In addition to neutering/spaying, cats will receive a rabies vaccination and ear tip. A tipped ear indicates that a community cat has been altered. Residents are responsible for trapping and transporting cats to and from the shelter. Cats must be dropped off at the shelter at 8 a.m. June 5 and picked up from 9 to 10 a.m. the following day after drop off. Cats must be secured in a humane trap that they can stand comfortably in and only one cat per trap. A limited number of traps are available to rent from SRCAS. Visit for details. Lighthouse Private Christian Academy recently announced the expansion of its Milton campus, made possible through the generosity of Mike Papantonio, a senior partner at Levin Papantonio law firm, and other community donors. The new building, located at 6225 Dixie Road, will accommodate middle and high school students, helping meet the overwhelming demand for quality Christian education in the area. Since its founding over two decades ago, LPCA has been committed to providing a Christ-centered education to students in need. The school's rapid growth in Milton, where enrollment quickly reached capacity, underscored the urgent need for expansion. Until now, LPCA has operated out of a leased church space, with limited room for growth. With the new building, the school will separate its K-5 students, who will remain at the church, and move its 6-12th grade students into a dedicated campus. LPCA campuses have always had a math and science focus. The new Milton campus will feature not only traditional academic programs but also a unique agricultural component. The school will leverage the property's five acres, blueberry fields, and greenhouses to provide students with hands-on learning experiences in both STEM and agricultural commerce. LPCA invites the community to celebrate this expansion and learn more about its mission to provide high-quality Christian education. For more information about enrollment, donations, or upcoming developments, visit For Escambia County District 5 resident Luverne Bonner, the dream of having a brand-new home to call her own once seemed out of reach. Now, that dream is a reality thanks to Escambia County assistance programs, which provided Bonner with a new home that she and her family can enjoy for years to come. After living in her previous home for over 25 years, Bonner said she experienced numerous issues with the house that became unmanageable and overwhelming, including electrical problems, major leaks, roof and flooring issues, and more. In need of help, she applied for the Escambia County Neighborhood and Human Services Department's Housing Demo and Replacement Program, which demolishes deteriorating houses and replaces them with brand-new houses for income-eligible residents in need. The program is funded through a grant from the State Housing Initiatives Partnership, or SHIP, program. Bonner said the new home is lifechanging for her, especially since she will now have a clean, safe space to host her children, grandchildren, and other family members. For information about eligibility requirements and assistance programs for Escambia County homeowners, contact the Neighborhood Enterprise Division at ned@ or 850-595-1642. Take part: To make a Causes submission, email giving@ Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Pensacola News Journal using the link at the bottom of the page under Stay Connected. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Gulf Winds raises over $78K with Chip in Fore Charity golf tournament
Indianapolis Star
37 minutes ago
- Indianapolis Star
25 years later, Pacers back in NBA Finals: 'It's almost a replay of the way it felt in 2000'
INDIANAPOLIS – Waiting in the wings of the Staples Center 25 years ago was a 7-1, 345-pound behemoth who could dribble, drain a jump shot and shut down any opponent who came his way underneath the basket. Shaquille O'Neal was dubbed by sportswriters as "a wrecking ball in the paint." Alongside this Los Angeles Lakers giant who wore size 22 shoes, ready to battle the Indiana Pacers in the 2000 NBA Finals, was a 6-7, 215-pound, svelte, smooth-shooting guard who could slice and dice two and three players at a time. Kobe Bryant, media said, was "an artist in high tops." This Lakers team was indisputably one of the most lethal, powerful and successful in the franchise's rich history. That didn't faze the Pacers. They were in the NBA Finals for the first time in their franchise's history. The team was floating on what seemed to be an eternal high after beating their nemesis the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. The trash-talking Pacers superstar Reggie Miller was telling anyone who would listen the Lakers would choke just like the Knicks. Coach Larry Bird was ready to re-live his Boston Celtics era and trounce the franchise that had been his nemesis in his playing days. Looking back, Pacers center Rik Smits says it was beautiful oblivion as Game 1 of the Finals was set to begin. "We believed in ourselves," he told IndyStar this week. "That was the mindset back then." Even Pacers president Donnie Walsh, known for his no-nonsense, tell it like it is, realist persona, wasn't counting his team out. "I knew it was going to be difficult, let's put it that way," Walsh said. "Because Shaq, nobody had seen anything like him, unless you were around to see Wilt (Chamberlain). Not only gigantic, well-built, strong men, they were also great athletes. "Still, I thought we had a chance (to beat them)." Jalen Rose didn't think there was a chance. He knew the Pacers could beat the Lakers. His Game 1 attitude was confidence on steroids. He had no doubt his team was ready to take the leap into the glorious hall of NBA champions. "I felt like when we made it to the NBA Finals, not only were we going to win it, but our team and the franchise would continue to make it back," Rose told IndyStar. "I had no idea 25 years would pass." After the Pacers lost to the Lakers 4-2, squashing a basketball state's dreams to finally have an NBA title, a quarter of a century unfolded. And as the years passed, the city the Pacers called home transformed into an NFL city. The Indianapolis Colts, up to then a virtual non-player in the NFL, started winning. Then they won a Super Bowl. The Pacers became background noise in Indy's sports scene. "The Colts started really winning consistently and people really embraced the Colts," said Bart Peterson, who was Indianapolis mayor from 2000 to 2008. "And it's not like they weren't basketball fans anymore. Of course they were. But I think that the love got transferred a bit to the Colts." In those 25 years, the Pacers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals just four times (2004, 2013, 2014, 2024), but they could never get past the opponents. The Pistons in 2004, the LeBron James-led Heat in 2013 and 2014 and then being swept by the Celtics in 2024. Now, as the team heads to its first NBA Finals appearance since 2000 to face the Oklahoma City Thunder, they are considered by most, including the oddsmakers in Vegas, as heavy underdogs. Just like that roster in 2000 who had no idea they were underdogs — until O'Neal and Bryant emerged from the wings of the Staples Center surrounded by a solid cast of teammates and took the court in Game 1. "Well, you know, look, the joy of making it to the Finals is a big thing," said Walsh. "But you quickly come to the realization, now you've got to go play in the Finals." GOLD RUSH! How the Indiana Pacers claimed their first Eastern Conference title in 25 years As the bright lights shined inside the Staples Center June 7, 2000, in front of nearly 19,000 fans with throes of celebrities sitting courtside, Miller came out and gave an unbelievably unremarkable performance, going 1-of-16 and scoring seven points in Game 1. Miller didn't score a single point until a pair of free throws, four minutes into the third quarter. He hit his first field goal three minutes later and it would be his last. "He offered no excuses, regrets or apologies," IndyStar reported after talking to Miller about his dismal, career playoff low. "I couldn't put the ball in the basket," he said. "But I'll tell you what, if they continue to give me those looks, they're going to be in trouble." The Lakers didn't dispute that one bit. "You would think aliens would come down from outer space before Reggie Miller shoots 1-16 again," said Lakers forward Rick Fox. O'Neal, on the other hand, had no problem draining shots. His Game 1 attack included 43 points, 19 rebounds and three blocked shots, much to the delight of the likes of Jack Nicholson and Chris Rock and every other Lakers fan who roared and reveled in the 104-87 victory. The Pacers leading scorer was Mark Jackson with 18, followed by Austin Croshere with 16. Rose, who scored just 12, was called out by Bird, who simply said, "Jalen didn't play tonight." "We're a funny team. We can be a hard-nosed, good, steady, tough team like we were in Games 5 and 6 against New York, or we can be a soft team," Pacers assistant coach Dick Harter said. "Somehow, we have to find our toughness." Part of that toughness for Game 2 included a series of adjustments by the Pacers to try to contain O'Neal inside and take their chances dealing with Bryant's full court game. "If we need to pick our poison, we'd rather it be Kobe," Pacers' backup point guard Travis Best told IndyStar at the time. "You can always get help on Kobe." The strategy failed miserably. The Pacers lost Game 2, 111-104, with O'Neal scoring 40 points and shooting 39 free throws after Bryant left the game early with an ankle injury. The Pacers committed 38 fouls. O'Neal made 18-of-39 free throws. While Miller scored 21 points, he had zero in the fourth quarter. Rose, seemingly ready to prove himself to Bird, scored 30 points. It wasn't enough. As the team prepared for a trip home, 0-2 in the series, to see if the magic inside Conseco Fieldhouse and an absent Bryant in Game 3 would be the answer, Bird was calm but adamant. "We have to find a way to win one," Bird said. "It's up to us to make adjustments and get some scoring inside." Being down 0-2 didn't hamper the electricity permeating Indianapolis. Smits remembers arriving home to an indescribable "excitement in the air," which is still one of his favorite memories of being a Pacer. The love his team felt from the city. It was almost as if the basketball gods had planned this whole NBA Finals just for the Pacers, who were getting to host the next three games in a flashy, glitzy, brand new $183 million arena. Conseco Fieldhouse had just opened the winter before and was getting rave reviews from fans and opposing teams. "And Reggie was, you know, the hero of the city. And everybody in Indianapolis loved him," said Peterson. "And the rest of the team was full of a bunch of really likable players. And so the city was in love with the team exactly like it is today." Fans were on the edge of their seats with this NBA Finals, a culmination of years of playoff runs with the Knicks throughout the 1990s. This time, the Pacers had overcome their big-city nemesis, beating the Knicks in six games in front of a rowdy, New York-heavy crowd of nearly 20,000 people. Rose says it was his No. 1 moment of being a Pacer, sweet revenge for the season before when the the teams were in the exact same arena playing Game 6 and the Knicks beat the Pacers 90-82 taking the series 4-2. "As I look back at the journey and there's an image of us winning against the Knicks, who obviously at that time it was Hicks versus Knicks, there's an image of Reggie Miller and I hugging at half court at the Garden," Rose said. "We did it on the logo. This was our turn for redemption and it was only right that we did it against them." To win the Finals would simply be icing on the cake. And the Pacers had a sixth man on their side for Game 3 — the city of Indianapolis. "We got a lot of guys that feed off this crowd," Rose said, "and we get a lot more energy from that." With Bryant out for Game 3 with a sprained left ankle and O'Neal scoring just one basket in the first 11 minutes (dropping him from his previous two 40+ games to 33 points), Miller racked up his own 33 points, combined with Rose's 21 for a Pacers' 100-91 victory. There was a collective sigh of relief across the city. "If we were down 3-0," Miller said after the game, "you could have pretty much written us off." Instead, the Pacers returned to their home court three days later and proved they could compete with the Lakers in a thrilling overtime ... loss. But still, they were right there. Down two points with 5.9 seconds left in overtime, the Pacers walked back out on the court confident Miller would do what he usually does — be clutch. "The first thought is you just want to run him off the 3-point line," said Bryant, who returned from his ankle sprain for Game 4. "But then I saw Robert Horry with those long arms running toward him. If there was anyone who could get a piece of the ball, it was Robert." Coming out of the Pacers' timeout, Miller came off two double screens, cut the pass and turned to launch the 3-pointer. "It was an image burned into the mind of anyone who has ever watched the slender Pacers guard move to stage center at the end of close games with everything to win and everything to lose," IndyStar wrote. "As he turned, the fieldhouse crowd, already on its feet, seemed frozen in breath and thought as he let it fly." The ball arced toward the hoop, hit the rim and bounced high into the air. But as the final buzzer sounded, that ball didn't fall through the basket as it bounced onto the court. "It felt good," Miller said after the game. "What distracted me was when Robert Horry was running at me. I had to shoot it higher over his hand and when you do that, you've probably got to shoot it a little bit longer, which I didn't, but it was right on target. It was just short." The Pacers lost 120-118, but it didn't feel exactly like a loss. It felt like they had really competed and, if they continued to play the way they did in Game 4, they might be able to call themselves NBA champions. Inside Conseco Fieldhouse for Game 5, trailing 3-1, the Pacers went on a rampage to finish a contest that can best be described as an outright blowout, 120-87. The Pacers seemed virtually unstoppable from tipoff to the final buzzer, hitting six straight 3-pointers early, and giving the Lakers their worst Finals loss since 1985. O'Neal led his team again with 35 points and 11 rebounds but got little help from his supporting cast. Bryant shot 4-of-20 and the Pacers dominated the boards 46-34. Miller and Rose combined for 57 points — 32 of those belonging to Rose. "He was sensational against the Lakers," Walsh said this week. Those two players were exactly who his team had planned to tame going into the game, Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. Instead, they went wild. After the game, Jackson was asked if Indiana's performance may have pumped new life into the Pacers going into Game 6. "I guess that's an obvious," Jackson said. "Yes." As they headed back to L.A. for Game 6, the Pacers were smiling, now down a respectable and doable 3-2 in the series. "We have nothing to lose and everything to gain," Miller said at the time. "Everybody had written us off, so let's go out there and have some fun." There was just one thing that might put a glitch in that fun for the Pacers — they would have to win two games playing in the Lakers' kingdom. "I felt really good about our team," Walsh said. "Now, I also understood we were playing a powerhouse. I knew we were in for a tough thing and they had the homecourt advantage. So right there, that was the difference." The Pacers led much of Game 6, 26-24 after the first quarter, 56-53 at the half and 84-79 after three periods. They controlled the pace of the game, coming out aggressively from the outset and pushing back at the Lakers each time it seemed they were inching closer. The Pacers had three players with at least 20 points, led by Rose with 29, Miller with 25 and Dale Davis with 20 points and 14 rebounds. But a victory wasn't meant to be. "Monday night, reality dawned upon the Indiana Pacers that it would not be their championship, that their journey had gone as far as it would go, that they were one game short," the IndyStar wrote after the 116-111 loss. "A game in which they won the first three quarters only to have it all slip away in the last 12 minutes." O'Neal sealed the series with 41 points and 12 rebounds, but the Lakers' surge in the fourth quarter came with the help of Derek Fisher and Horry. As Walsh walked out of the Staples Center that night, he said he wasn't thinking about how long it would be until the Pacers made it back to the NBA Finals again. But then 25 long years passed and, when they clinched the spot last week, Walsh went back and watched some of those 2000 games. "We were competitive. I mean, we weren't just, you know, getting swept. But they were really good. They really had a powerful team," he said. "They just had one player after another so, you know, we got beat by a better team. That's the way I look at it now." The way he looks at it now is that his 2000 Pacers should have felt joy in just making it to the Finals, win or lose. "But once you get to the Finals and you lose, you don't feel good, you know, wanting to win," he said. "But when you really look back on it, yes we made the Finals. We're pretty damn good." Fast forward 25 years and there is only one person, one human common denominator, who was on both the Pacers teams that made it to the NBA Finals — coach Rick Carlisle, who was an assistant for the team in 2000. "He was just a good guy that everybody respected at the time. Everybody valued his opinion," Smits said. "And yeah, I'm assuming he's still that same way. The guys seem to like him and I know we did back then, too." Carlisle is a man of few words, getting right to the point, said Walsh. "The thing he does is he tells the players exactly what to do and continues that communication in every area in their game the whole time he's with them," he said. "So they understand everything he's saying. And he doesn't give long speeches and all that, he just gets out there and tells you." If there is anyone who can lead the Pacers to their first NBA title in history, its Carlisle, Walsh said, along with his players who seem to have that same chemistry the 2000 Pacers had. "These guys, you can tell they don't care who scores how many points," Smits said. "It's all about the win." Peterson said it feels like "a throwback," to 25 years ago, in many aspects. "Today, it's Tyrese Halliburton playing the part of Reggie Miller. If Halliburton played a game where he gave out 22 assists and scored no points, he might come away saying that was the greatest game of his life," Peterson said. "The team being unified and a bunch of good guys and likable, it's almost a replay of the way it felt in 2000." Except one thing. There is no wrecking ball in the paint or artist in high tops the Pacers have to overcome. The mountain to climb this time around isn't insurmountable, and this Pacers team of so-called underdogs aren't really underdogs at all, Walsh said. "I think they've got all the qualities of a champion," he said. "So, no matter what happens, they have that." Get IndyStar's Pacers coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Pacers Update newsletter
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Edmonton Oilers defeat Florida Panthers in overtime to take Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final
A Canadian team hasn't lifted the Stanley Cup in almost 32 years and now the Edmonton Oilers are one step closer to breaking that drought after defeating the Florida Panthers 4-3 in overtime to take Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday. Leon Draisaitl secured a feed from Connor McDavid and found the back of the net with just over 30 seconds left in the first extra period to send Oilers fans at Rogers Place and the Moss Pit outside the arena into an excited frenzy. Edmonton got off to a fast start with Draisaitl scoring 66 seconds into the game but the defending Cup champ Panthers did not let that keep them down. Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand each scored in a span of two minutes to give Florida the lead. The 28-year-old Bennett added his second goal of the game early in the second period as the Edmonton crowd, once bursting with excitement, was stunned into silence. Despite an Oilers goal just over a minute later, the Panthers found themselves in a familiar spot – holding a lead through the first two periods. Florida, appearing in its third consecutive Cup Final, was 31-0 when holding a lead at the end of the first or second period in the playoffs under head coach Paul Maurice. Edmonton had other plans of handing the 58-year-old Maurice something he hasn't experienced since trading the cold of Winnipeg for the sunny beaches of south Florida three years ago. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm, playing in only his second game back due to injury, tied it with 13:27 remaining in regulation off a perfect pass from McDavid which would eventually force overtime. Both teams traded scoring chances for most of the extra period, but Panthers winger Tomáš Nosek was called for delay of game after putting the puck over the glass with time winding down. With their two best players on the ice for the ensuing power play, McDavid and Draisaitl did what they do best to secure victory for the Oilers. After the game, Draisaitl – despite having a hard time describing the feeling of scoring the game-winner in a Stanley Cup final series – credited his teammates for setting up the scoring chance. 'You are obviously locked in. Especially on the power play, you're looking to finish it,' Draisaitl told reporters. 'Again, some incredible plays that made it pretty easy for me to put that home. It's a special feeling. It's great for right now but we got to look ahead and get read for Game 2.' McDavid, the three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner, called his teammate Draisaitl 'invaluable' to the team. 'Does so many good things,' McDavid said. 'Clutch, face-offs, you name it, he does it. Doesn't get enough respect or credit for his defensive abilities. When he's dug in, theres not many better – maybe nobody better.' Edmonton's Game 1 victory marks a stark contrast from last year's final. The Oilers fell into a dreaded 3-0 series deficit before clawing back to force a Game 7 where they suffered heartbreak. The Oilers are looking to become the first Canadian team to win the Cup since the Montreal Canadians in 1993 while the Panthers can be become the first team to win back-to-back Cups since their in-state rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning, did so in 2020 and 2021. Game 2 is on Friday before the series shifts to Sunrise, Florida for Games 3 and 4 starting on Sunday.
