The Dark Knights will take the ice for Fall 2026 with a slightly different look, as the team navigates some departures, welcomes a new addition, and gets two familiar faces back in the fold.
Moving Up
The biggest change to the lineup is a good problem to have: Devan Baldwin is moving up to Silver C. Baldwin was one of the Dark Knights’ most productive players this past season, finishing among the team’s scoring leaders with 6 goals and 6 assists in 13 games. Beyond the numbers, Baldwin brought an energy to the locker room that won’t be easy to replace. The team will be looking to fill that void on the ice, but everyone in the room is happy to see him take the step up.
Taking a Break
Kyle Brattleaf will sit out the Fall 2026 season. Brattleaf laced up for his first season of hockey with the Dark Knights this past summer, and the team expects to welcome him back once he’s ready to return.
Welcome Back
The good news for Fall 2026: the Dark Knights will have some familiar reinforcements. Tabitha Knight returns to the lineup after a strong Spring 2026 campaign, where she posted 8 goals and 2 assists in 10 games — continuing a run of consistent offensive production that’s been a staple of her time with the team.
Brian Ireland is also back in the fold. Ireland brings a rare kind of versatility to the roster, having spent time both up front and between the pipes over the years — though it’s fair to say the crease has seen him more often than the wing. His familiarity in net gives the Dark Knights some added flexibility heading into the fall.
Free Agent Addition
The Dark Knights add one free agent for the fall: Reem Al Jaradi, who goes by AJ. This will be AJ’s first season in Sherwood’s Bronze division, after previously playing Division 4 and the PUHL across town in Beaverton. She and Rachel Mathison shared the ice on the Pigeons team that took the PUHL Spring 2026 championship.
Around the League
The Wild will be down two of their top scorers this fall, as Brandon Barajas and Michael Oleary — who combined for 22 points and led the team’s offense last season — have moved up a level. That’s a significant chunk of production to replace, and it should open things up in the scoring race across Bronze this season, with the Dark Knights among the teams that stand to benefit from a thinner field up front.
Red Squadron will have Vonnie Duffy Sanders back after a knee injury, and while her return brings stability, the numbers suggest last season’s Bronze goaltending leader, Janet Clarke, set a high bar — Jan posted a .907 save percentage to Vonnie’s .851. If that gap holds, Red’s crease may be a bit more beatable than it’s been in this last season.
Offseason Work
A couple of bronze players spent part of the offseason sharpening their games. Dark Knights forward Rachel Mathison and Crows goaltender Michael Contour both attended the Weekend Warriors adult hockey academy in Seattle. Mathison put up only 3 points last season, and the extra reps could be the difference between a bottom-of-the-lineup role and a legitimate scoring threat this fall.
On the other side of the ice, Contour’s time at camp gives a Crows team that won just one game last season a reason for optimism between the pipes.
The Wild will also get a boost from camp attendee Kevin Lalowski, stepping into his first Bronze season this fall.
