NWF Lady Raiders still have something to prove
YUMA, Az. (WMBB) – The Northwest Florida State Lady Raiders have arrived at the NJCAA National Tournament in Arizona after receiving the No.3 at-large bid.
However, this year they are not here to just there to make an appearance, they are there to make a statement.
Sophomore first baseman Sister Arnold reflected on the journey, and discussed the team's at-large bid to the tournament after falling to Santa Fe College in the state playoffs.
'We went toe to toe in conference, but we went in thinking we were kind of untouchable,' Arnold said. 'And then we got there, and we were touchable. I think (that game) helped us in a way, for sure.'
That loss served as a wake-up call for the Raiders, a reminder of the high bar they set at the start of the season: National title or nothing.
Receiving the at-large bid gave them a second chance and it was definitely one they don not intend to waste.
'We got in with that at-large bid, so I feel like people are thinking, 'Oh, they kind of got a handout. They're not really that great,'' Arnold said. 'But I'm hoping we see that and use it as fuel, and that we go out, win ballgames, and play Raider softball the way we know how to.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
23 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
The Panthers are as healthy as can be. That's key as the Cup Final continues
When the Florida Panthers made their first of what has now become three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final two years ago, they hobbled into the final series. So many key players had major injuries. Their depth wasn't where it needed to be to compensate for the losses. Naturally, they lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games. Fast forward, and see how things have changed. Florida stayed relatively healthy through its Cup Final run last year, which ended with its championship after knocking off the Edmonton Oilers in seven games. And this year? Florida seems to only be getting stronger as the playoffs reach the end. After getting banged up a bit during the Eastern Conference final, with three key players in forwards Sam Reinhart and A.J. Greer plus defenseman Niko Mikkola missing time in that series, the Panthers got back to full strength in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, a 6-1 win against the Oilers to go up 2-1 in the best-of-7 series. 'It's very hard to win a Cup with unhealthy bodies,' Greer said entering Game 4 on Thursday. Now, the Panthers certainly aren't at 100%. No team is at this time of year. 'Everybody manages small things,' as coach Paul Maurice put it. But the fact that Florida is able to roll out its top lineup without any hiccups is only a boost to its chances to repeat. And the Panthers are showing that form throughout the Cup Final. Reinhart, who missed Games 3 and 4 in the Eastern Conference Final after taking a low hit from Carolina's Sebastian Aho, scored a goal and added an assist on Aaron Ekblad's power play goal Monday for his first points of the series. 'His game is getting stronger, quite a bit stronger,' Maurice said. 'He's back to full health now.' Greer, a staple on Florida's fourth line, battled through a lower-body injury throughout the final three games of the conference final. He left Game 3 late after tightening up, didn't play in Game 4 and missed basically all of the third period of the series-clinching Game 5. He then sat out the first two games of the Cup Final before making his series debut in Game 3 on Monday. 'Our medical guys and our training guys did an unbelievable job for me, personally, getting back to where I needed to be 100 percent,' Greer said. 'It's a 24-hour job. When you get hurt, you want to get back as quickly as you can. There were definitely doubts, where I didn't know if I was gonna be playing in the series, and certainly got me emotional when we did win that Eastern Conference game, knowing that I might not be able to play the series. I only missed two games, I'm back at it, and we're in a good position right now.' And then there's star winger Matthew Tkachuk, who missed the final 25 games of the regular season with an apparent groin injury sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off in mid-February. Maurice eased him back into action at the start of the playoffs, particularly in the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but said that Tkachuk is 'back to form now.' Tkachuk has 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 20 games. 'I thought his last game was his best game of the playoffs,' Maurice said. 'He moved right. ... He was out for such a very long time.' But even when Florida wasn't at full strength throughout this postseason run, it had depth it could rely on that it didn't have two years ago. The Panthers have 15 forwards and seven defensemen who are all capable of playing in the lineup on any given night. 'With our depth this year, even when guys are injured or guys are out of the lineup, there's just so much depth on our team that guys can fill in seamlessly and it doesn't change our lineup that much,' center Sam Bennett said. 'That's definitely a huge factor for us.'
New York Post
33 minutes ago
- New York Post
Oilers vs. Panthers prediction: Stanley Cup Game 4 odds, picks
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final went according to plan for the Florida Panthers. The Cats were physical and boisterous, prompting the Edmonton Oilers to engage in the after-the-whistle chicanery that is a huge part of their identity. Nobody was on their best behavior on Monday night, which is always good news for the Panthers, who are the masters of blurring the line between shenanigans and penalties. In the end, there were 17 power plays – including 11 for Florida – and 140 penalty minutes in Game 3. It was terrific theater, but the Oilers will regret taking the bait. The truth is that what happened in Game 3 was inevitable. The Panthers laid the foundation for the circus-like atmosphere of Monday night by getting under Edmonton's skin at every opportunity in the first two contests. The Oilers could only take so much before things spiraled, which they did in an emphatic 6-1 victory for Florida. Now, it's up to Edmonton to avoid a repeat performance in Game 4. Oilers vs. Panthers prediction for Game 4 Stylistically, you'd think that the Oilers would benefit from an open, back-and-forth contest. Edmonton has speed to burn and skill to envy, so the more space out there, the better for the Oilers, right? Against most opponents, you'd say absolutely. But the problem is that the Panthers are the most adaptable team of this era. Florida doesn't have the speed that Edmonton does, but the Cats are comfortable in frenetic games with a lot of pace, because they are ruthless on the counter-attack. Florida's aggression forces you into mistakes, and playing with speed always makes you more susceptible to errors, so the Oilers may want to slow things down a bit and sacrifice some speed for control. Edmonton's Jake Walman and Florida's Brad Marchand after the whistle during Game 3. NHLI via Getty Images That won't throw the Panthers for a loop; they can play any style they need, but it should keep the temperature down, which is paramount when you're playing the Cats, especially in their barn. The temptation with Thursday night's contest is to assume that it will look a lot like the first three games of this series, with early goals and a lot of chaos. There will be plenty of bettors lined up to bet the over 6.5, plus the first-period over, given how this matchup has looked through what has essentially been 11.5 periods of play. It may be wise to bet against that happening, not just because you'll get good numbers to swim against the current, but also because the Oilers may try to throw a changeup in Game 4 in order to take the sting out of what is pretty close to a must-win contest for them. Oilers vs. Panthers Game 4 pick You can build a juicy same-game parlay by leaning into this hypothesis that Thursday night's battle will be closer to a snoozer than the electric spectacle we've grown accustomed to seeing when these two teams hit the ice. The first leg will be the first period to end scoreless at +450. It's a dangerous bet, given how each of the first three games played out, but given how desperate the Oilers will be, it wouldn't be a shock to see a nervy start to this tilt. The next two legs will hone in on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who should play monster minutes because of the way this schedule has shaped up. This is just the second game in the last six days. McDavid is +250 to record at least five shots on goal in regulation, and Draisaitl is +154 to get to four. To finish it off, we'll toss in the Oilers +126 on the moneyline, which gets us to 86/1 at FanDuel. PICK: SGP – First quarter under .5 goals + Connor McDavid 5+ shots + Leon Draisaitl 4+ shots + Oilers moneyline (+8600, FanDuel) Why Trust New York Post Betting Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
Miami Herald
36 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
‘That man is an enigma:' How Verhaeghe's game elevates in playoffs for Panthers
Paul Maurice was never really worried about Carter Verhaeghe. In fact, Verhaeghe wasn't even worried about Verhaeghe. The high-flying Florida Panthers winger had a rough go during the regular season, at least when it came to his goal scoring totals. Neither coach nor player denies that. But the looks were there. The attempts were there. The effort was there. Eventually, when the playoffs rolled around, when the production matters the most, things would start going Verhaeghe's way. He has earned a reputation for coming up in clutch moments over the past few seasons. And, lo and behold, he has risen to the occasion once again as the Panthers inch closer to repeating as Stanley Cup champions. Verhaeghe's power-play goal in the first period Monday, a wicked wrist shot from the left circle, held up as the eventual game-winning goal in Florida's 6-1 rout of the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, a victory that gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series entering Game 4 on Thursday. The cross-ice pass from Evan Rodrigues had barely gotten onto his stick before he whizzed the shot past Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner with 2:15 left in the opening frame. 'That man is an enigma,'' Maurice said postgame with a grin. 'He scores goals exactly like that. It gets off his stick before it gets set. Coaching has nothing to do with that. He's gifted.' And ready for the moment. The goal was Verhaeghe's seventh of the postseason. Of those seven, three have been game-winners. In 89 career playoff games entering Thursday, Verhaeghe has 33 goals. Of those 33, 13 — nearly 40% — are game-winners. It's the second most of any active player behind only teammate Brad Marchand, who has 15 albeit in almost twice as many postseason games played (177). 'We knew as soon as the playoffs came, he was going to be able to elevate his game,' Panthers forward Sam Reinhart said. It's where Verhaeghe thrives. He scores in nearly any situation, from nearly any spot on the ice, but somehow has a knack for finding an extra gear in the bigger moments. 'That's the type of player he is,' Reinhart said. 'He has so much speed and he has one of the best releases in the game. And it seems the tighter everyone gets on the ice, there are times some guys get nervous. His heart rate might be 60 out there; he just skates around, going about his business and doing his thing. He is ready for playoff hockey and that's what brings out the best in him.' Even after a regular season that could be labeled as lackluster for the 29-year-old forward. Verhaeghe had just 20 goals in 81 games, his lowest total since only having 18 through 43 games in the shortened 2021 season. He went multiple extended stretches without finding the back of the net despite putting up his fair share of shot attempts each time. The worst drought of them all came from Feb. 4 to April 6, a 23-game run in which Verhaeghe scored just two goals and ended with a season-high 13-game stretch despite putting 68 shots on goal. That run eventually ended when he scored on an empty net on April 8. When asked at that time if Verhaeghe felt things would eventually turn for him, he answered rhetorically, 'It can't be worse, right?' 'It's hard,' Verhaeghe said, 'but I think it's honestly good because out of adversity, you always end up building something stronger than you had before. That's kind of how I've been looking at it a little bit. ... That's kind of how you find yourself and come out stronger.' Verhaeghe knows a thing or two about adversity when it comes to his hockey career. He toiled in the minor leagues for four seasons before eventually getting a shot in the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2019-20 season. He played on the fourth line for that Lightning team that wound up winning its first of two consecutive Stanley Cups. But after the season, the Lightning let him go, choosing not to offer him a deal as a restricted free agent. Enter the Panthers, who swooped in and signed Verhaeghe to a two-year deal with an average annual value of just $1 million. What a bargain that turned out to be. Verhaeghe scored 18 goals and tacked on another 18 assists through 43 games in the 2021 season. Florida promptly signed him to a three-year contract extension that would begin in the 2022-23 season. Verhaeghe only got better over each of the next three years. He combined to score 100 goals and log 200 total points during that span and transformed into one of the most clutch players in the playoffs that the NHL has seen. He scored 10 game-winning goals in 55 playoff games over that stretch, including five overtime goals — a feat that, at that time, was only accomplished by five other players in Joe Sakic, Maurice Richard, Glenn Anderson, Patrick Kane and Corey Perry in a fraction of the amount of games the others have played. During Florida's run to its first Stanley Cup last season, Verhaeghe led the Panthers with 11 goals, including scoring the opening goal in their Game 7 winner against the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers rewarded Verhaeghe with an eight-year, $56 million contract extension that begins next season. But things didn't gone as smoothly for Verhaeghe this season. He didn't score in the Panthers' first eight games — the longest run of his NHL career to begin a season without scoring a goal — despite putting up 28 shots on goal in that span. The long spurts without goals or with minimal kept coming after that, too. He had six separate stretches of at least five games without scoring a goal, including that 13-game stretch toward the end of the season. All while leading Florida in shots on goal (243) and scoring chances (277). 'The regular season, we have played a lot of games over the years,' Verhaeghe said. 'Some games are tough to get your mind right, get into the fight and the battle. I think it was good for our group to really push and challenge ourselves.' Maurice is cognizant of that. He's also aware of the way Verhaeghe operates. He needs chaos. 'He operates incredibly well on a certain frequency,' Maurice said. 'If the game was played 10 on 10, he'd score 65 goals a year. ... He needs the intensity of the traffic and energy around him to get him to a certain speed level, and then everything falls in line.' Enter the playoffs, where every game his high-energy, every shift a critical moment. Verhaeghe has points in 12 of 20 games this postseason. He hasn't gone longer than a three-game stretch without a goal. He's scoring on 14.9% of his shots on goal — above his career average and much more in line with what to expect from him than the 8.3% shooting clip he posted in the regular season. He had the game-winner in Game 4 of the second round against the Toronto Maple Leafs and the series clincher against the Carolina Hurricanes. He's riding the high again in the postseason — just like he almost always does — and has the Panthers two wins away from hoisting another Stanley Cup. 'It feels good; I think our whole group was kind of waiting for the postseason,' Verhaeghe said. 'It adds some juice and excitement. It feels good to get the win, but the job is not done yet.'
