The UNLV Skatin’ Rebels etched their name in college hockey history by winning their first ACHA Division I National Championship in St. Louis. This victory marks a significant milestone for a program with aspirations of transitioning to NCAA Division I status. Let's delve into the journey of the UNLV Skatin' Rebels, highlighting the key moments and figures that shaped their triumphant season.
*The Vegas Golden Knights have played a pivotal role in the championship mindset that has been ingrained into the minds of UNLV’s players.*
A Season of Firsts and Historic Upsets
The 2024-2025 season will be remembered as one of the best for the Skatin’ Rebels. Winning championships for the first time in program history and achieving one of the biggest upsets in college hockey history. Achieving one of the biggest upsets in college hockey history and winning championships for the first time in program history, all in dominating fashion, the 2024-2025 Skatin’ Rebels will be remembered as one of the best non-NCAA Division I college hockey teams.
Triumph Over Denver University
On December 28th, the Rebels faced the 2024 NCAA hockey champions, Denver University, in an exhibition game at Magness Arena. As a club hockey team without Division I status, the Rebels were clearly the underdogs going into the match taking on the defending champs and at the time ranked No. 5 nationally. Despite this, the Rebels jumped out to an impressive 5-1 lead by the end of the second period, shocking the Denver Pioneers. However, in the third period, Denver mounted a significant comeback, scoring five unanswered goals to take a 6-5 lead. With neither team scoring in overtime, the game proceeded to a shootout. Rebels’ captain Mattias Dal Monte scored the winning goal in the shootout, securing one of the biggest upsets in college hockey history. On top of that, goalie for the Rebels Jeremey Foreman had a stellar performance stopping 58 out of the 64 Denver shots.
WCHL Championship Victory
The Western Conference Hockey League (WCHL) is the highest level of competition for non-varsity teams in the western ACHA Division. The league consists of eleven teams from the West Coast that compete for a chance to participate in the ACHA national tournament. The Rebels dominated the game, winning 9-1 at City National Arena. This victory marked their first WCHL championship win in program history, earning them an automatic bid to the national tournament in St. Louis.
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*UNLV Skatin' Rebels celebrate their WCHL Championship victory.*
The ACHA National Tournament Run
The Rebels entered the ACHA national tournament with a record of 27-5-3, earning them the No. 2 overall seed. After coasting to a 6-2 victory over Arizona in their first game of the ACHA Division I tournament, the Skatin’ Rebels faced Maryville University in the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, the Rebels faced Maryville and encountered some adversity. In the semifinals, the Rebels faced Liberty and again were down 2-0 heading into the third period. The Rebels continued to apply pressure, extending their lead to 4-0.
In a rematch of last year’s ACHA championship, the Rebels faced Adrian College, which had shut out the Rebels 3-0 in the previous finals. However, the Rebels remained composed. Tristan Rand sealed the victory by scoring on a penalty shot, bringing the score to 6-2, and Preston Brodziak added an empty-net goal, making the final score 7-3 in St. Louis. The tournament MVP was handed to goaltender Jeremy Foreman, as he had stopped 36 out of the 39 shots from Adrian College.
Key Players and Coaching Staff
Key to the Rebels' success was their team unity and leadership. "I truly believe the tightest and closest teams will go the furthest, and that’s what I relayed to the guys,” says head coach Anthony Vignieri-Greener. “I told them, ‘Listen, I’ve been doing this a long time, and the closer a group is, the farther it will go. And without a doubt, this is the closest group we’ve ever had."
Senior defenseman and team captain Mattias Dal Monte, reflecting on past setbacks, stated, “For us returners, it was like, ‘This can’t happen two years in a row. They can’t go back-to-back on us. That can’t be our legacy - the team that could get close but couldn’t get over the line."
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Sophomore forward Heath Mensch added, “After that game, we could’ve fallen into the mindset of, ‘Oh, we just beat the defending NCAA Division I national champions; the rest of our games and winning our national championship wouldn’t matter as much,’” says sophomore forward Heath Mensch, who grew up in Las Vegas. “But we stuck to our plan and had the mentality of, ‘Well, we beat them."
Support from the Vegas Golden Knights
The Rebels are grateful for the mentorship and support from the Vegas Golden Knights, as well as the opportunity to call City National Arena their home. "Anytime you're getting put into a conversation with an NHL organization, especially the Golden Knights-one of the top organizations in the league-it’s surreal," Vignieri-Greener said. "We want to continue to get bigger and better every year, just like the Golden Knights have done.
“We are so grateful to be able to have access to top-notch facilities,” captain and senior Mattias Dal Monte said. "The culture of excellence that the Golden Knights have established in town rubs off on us. You see those guys around the rink, and it’s inspiring."
A visit from Bruce Cassidy before the team left for the tournament was a source of motivation for the second seed Rebels as they defeated No. 15 Arizona, No. 10 Maryville and No. “We asked Dave [Rogowski], who has helped us so much throughout the years, if Cassidy could talk to the guys,” Vignieri-Greener said. “Cassidy took time out of his day to come to our locker room and speak to the boys. Cassidy and the Vegas Golden Knights have played a pivotal role in the championship mindset that has been ingrained into the minds of UNLV’s players.
“I’m happy for the group,” Cassidy said. “They were close a couple of times, especially last year. It's nice to see them get over the hump. I know how that feels, so good for them.
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A Hero's Welcome
Following their title-clinching victory over Adrian College on March 18, UNLV’s latest national champions returned home to a hero’s welcome. The Silver Knights and Golden Knights each held a brief in-game ceremony recognizing UNLV’s accomplishment. “That was amazing,” Dal Monte says. “It was endless high-fives and congratulations from fans. It was really cool to see the broader hockey community in the desert showing love to us like that.
In a phone interview with the Las Vegas Sun, UNLV hockey head coach Anthony Vignieri-Greener said ” I’m just really for this group, what they’ve been through and what they’ve worked through. With this historical run of a season for the Rebels, it may set them on a path toward NCAA Division 1 status.