JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Lunas are expanding the sport of hockey, especially for girls on our First Coast.
In fact, Head Coach, Amanda Michaud said the Lunas are the first all-girls hockey team in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida.
The team was founded just two years ago and has already added more age groups due to rising demand. I spoke with the Lunas about what's generating the buzz and how the team is giving young players the chance to dream big.
Peyton Loyd started playing hockey almost three years ago, after her father took her to a Jacksonville Icemen game.
"When I was 10, my dad took me to an Icemen game, and I kind of fell in love with the sport," she said.
Her father, Tim Loyd, was surprised by her interest.
"She reached over and said, 'Dad, can I do this?' And I said, 'I don't know,' because I didn't know we had rec hockey and the Igloo program," he said.
Girls hockey wasn't a sport Tim Loyd grew up watching, he admits.
"I'm from the mountains of East Tennessee. We had baseball, basketball and football. That was about it," he said.
Once Peyton got the hang of hockey, she fell in love with it.
"This skating, it's really fun, meeting new people, new friends, new teams—it's really amazing," she said.
Peyton became so good at hockey that her family decided to move from Georgia to Jacksonville.
"She's grown her hockey family here. We actually moved down here to be closer to the rink," her father said.
The Loyds aren't the only family drawn to the Lunas. Amanda Michaud, head coach of the Jacksonville Lunas, said the program has grown significantly.
"We went from having two teams with maybe not-so-full benches to three teams with full rosters now," Michaud said.
The Jacksonville Lunas are an all-girls hockey program. Despite being around for just two years, the program is thriving.
"You see more opportunities for female players at the pro level. We have the PWHL (Professional Women's Hockey League) now," Michaud said.
With more female role models on the ice, players like Emma Cozzi and Peyton Loyd are setting their sights on the pros.
"I would like to be in the PWHL," Cozzi said.
"I want to go pro. PWHL," Peyton added.
After last season, the Lunas' 12U team placed second in the SGHL playoffs in its inaugural year. The Lunas' spring training program will return in spring 2025. In addition to the Lunas, there are other programs for both boys and girls available through the Community First Igloo.