AMHERST — Five-year-old Harper couldn’t help but smile as she zoomed around in her sled — with the help from her dad — faster than any other skater on the ice.

Harper was one of the many participants in The Center for Human Development’s (CHD) All In Sled Hockey Open Skate Monday night at the Mullins Center Practice Rink on the campus of UMass. The Springfield Thunderbirds Sled Hockey squad teamed up with the UMass hockey team to host the second-ever edition of the event – and the first since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whether it was freshman Dans Locmelis edging out other Minutemen teammates in a sled race, senior Aaron Bohlinger pushing around young participants in their sleds, or freshman Cam O’Neil managing to be the lone UMass player to score on Thunderbirds goalie Ben Eastman during a penalty shootout competition, plenty of priceless memories were made on the ice.

“It’s really awesome just to see the smiles on everyone’s faces,” Bohlinger said. “You’ve got six-year olds to grown adults, some people skating around with their kids and what not. It’s really cool to see. We just try to do what we can, and make [giving back to the community] a big priority of ours. It gives us a lot of joy, too, it’s not just one-sided.”

Whatever expectations the UMass players had heading into the day were thrown out the window as soon as they sat in the sleds. While some may have thought skating in a sled would be easy, the Minutemen were quickly proven wrong.

“It’s really humbling getting in the sled,” Thunderbirds Sled Hockey coach Aaron Morrison said. “I’m sure these guys have been good at every sport they’ve tried, but this was a different beast. It’s always fun watching stand-up hockey players try [sled hockey]. Getting up after you fall over is probably the hardest part.”

The CHD’s goal is to allow individuals of all age groups with disabilities the opportunity to participate in sports. All In Program Manager Jessica Levine kept busy on the outskirts of the Mullins Center Practice Rink as she helped skaters in and out of their sleds and provided equipment for everyone as needed. She stood tall with a grin throughout the entirety of the two-hour session — appreciative of the terrific turnout at her second Thunderbirds open skate.

“It was amazing,” Thunderbirds captain Ryan Kincade said. “There were so many smiles, everyone had great attitudes, and there were a lot of fun people to skate with.”

There’s no doubt that having fun was the first goal of the event, but having the platform to spread awareness of the sport of sled hockey as a whole was another key intention for Kincade.

“Just UMass having us is amazing,” Kincade said. “Being able to show this sport to other players, players that not only play stand-up hockey, who were interested in the sport overall and can join us and visit us on our level, it’s just a great experience.”

Bohlinger and the Minutemen left the practice rink on Monday both refreshed from trying a different way to play the sport they love and exhausted from the underrated strength it takes to maneuver around in a sled. At the end of the day, the takeaway was deeper than just spending time with people in the community.

“There are a lot more important things in life,” Bohlinger said. “Just watching them, I know a lot of people look up to us, but watching these people... they’re the true inspirations. They’re so happy, and it’s really cool to see. It shows you there are bigger things in life than hockey or other sports.”

Kincade, who’s played sled hockey since the ’90s and was a member of Team USA’s sled squad, has been a part of several events just like the one Monday, and hopes to continue doing them for the remainder of his career.

“Definitely not my last time doing this,” Kincade said. “I’ve done it before, and I’ll keep on doing it as long as I can.”