UNLV hockey chases a championship after coming so close last year
The pain of coming as close as ever but not winning a national championship has stuck with the UNLV ice hockey team for nearly a year.
The Rebels brought back nearly everyone from last season’s squad, which reached the final four of the American Collegiate Hockey Association national tournament. This year brought about a combination of redemption and the desire to finish the job.
In the minds of the No. 4 Rebels, there’s no better opportunity to complete the story than this year, with the ACHA Division I tournament beginning Thursday at the New England Sports Center in Boston.
“The biggest things for us is we had high expectations going into this year, and we’ve managed to hit those expectations,” assistant coach Nick Robone said. “I would say even exceed them.”
The Rebels came within two wins last season of a national title but lost in the semifinals 4-2 to Central Oklahoma — which would lose to Lindenwood in the national championship.
Falling short was fuel enough for UNLV to enter this season with the willingness to be the last team standing and take on all opponents in the process.
UNLV scheduled three games against Alaska-anchorage, an NCAA team, and lost all of them. Although the Seawolves finished just 8-19-1 this season, the competition gap between the NCA A and ACHA is a wide margin.
Those games didn’t count against the Rebels’ record — much like losing 10-0 to NCAA powerhouse Denver on Oct. 1 didn’t — but it was a learning experience for UNLV. The Rebels finished 24-3-1 this season, including a 17-1-1 stretch in their final 19 games.
“We know what we have inside of our room, and what we have inside of our room is a team capable of winning the title, and intends to do so,” UNLV captain Hunter Muzzillo said. “There’s a little bit of an edge for us to go complete the job. I know that’s something ever since I’ve gotten here has been our goal, is to bring a championship to the city of Las Vegas.”
The Rebels begin tournament play Friday and will play the winner of Buffalo and Grand Valley State.
UNLV hockey is not an Ncaa-sanctioned program. It’s a club team that relies on fundraising efforts to further grow the program. It’s been that way since its inception in 2005.
That’s why UNLV is a competing member of the ACHA, joining other schools across the country that fit that same bill. UNLV hockey doesn’t have scholarships available to recruit. Most of the efforts to build the roster and make it a competitive program are homegrown.
To help fund its trip to Boston, the program started a Gofundme campaign — bit.ly/3jde5qq — with hopes of reaching $10,000 to cover meals, travel costs and more for all players.
As of Monday, $3,445 has been raised with 30 donors chipping in.
“We’re fortunate to be able to have the funding that we do have from the community,” Robone said. “The school has helped us a little bit. I’m not going to say they haven’t.”
Robone added that the Vegas Golden Knights have also helped.
UNLV hoped to raise $50,000 during its Rebels with a Cause Gala on March 2 but fell short, hence the Gofundme.
“I think people should just understand that when you run a program of this caliber, you don’t win and have those expectations if you’re not running it to a championship-caliber level,” Robone said. “Being able to go in a couple days early, get acclimated, get ice time, make sure these guys have three meals on the road, all those things cost a lot of money, but they’re essential to have that winning culture.
“You can’t just show up, play on the same day, fly in and travel across the country and just be ready to go by eating Mcdonald’s. That’s not how it works.”
The national success, coupled with the work off the ice, results in an enormous sense of pride among the program. Muzzillo said UNLV wouldn’t be able to do what it’s accomplished without the support of Las Vegas.
The best way to repay them, in the captain’s mind, is to bring a championship home.
“We have so much pride in that crest on our chest because we know it represents so much more than just on the ice,” Muzzillo said. “It’s almost homegrown, everything that we’ve done. It’s always in the back of our minds that without the people of this city, the door is shut.
“Every day is a day where we think about that and take it into mind. We know that logo represents an entire city. We feel like we try to embody the city and what it is, because we feel like this city has a championship mentality, and if we can embody all the characteristics that make up a championship city, then we’re going to bring a championship back to this city in the sport of hockey.”