UNLV Rebels

UNLV Skatin' Rebels Capture First ACHA National Championship in Historic Victory

The UNLV Skatin' Rebels men's hockey team has won their first American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championship after knocking off Adrian College Bulldogs 7 - 3 in St. Louis.

Mark Morales-Smith

UNLV Hockey celebrates after a goal
UNLV Hockey celebrates after a goal / UNLV Hockey

The UNLV Skatin' Rebels men's hockey team has won their first American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championship after knocking off Adrian College Bulldogs 7 - 3 in St. Louis. They avenged their shutout loss to the Bulldogs in last year's championship game.

This program has scratched and clawed for legitimacy and this levity of this accomplishment is not lost on their head coach Anthony Vignieri-Greener. "It really hasn't sunk in yet," Vignieri-Greener told the Las Vegas Sun. " I'm just really happy this, for this group, what they've been through and what they've worked through. Last year was tough for us, but it just speaks volumes to these kids, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for this group."

Their head coach was thrilled with the way his team performed and knew things were going their way after finishing up the first period with a 2 - 0 lead despite getting thoroughly outplayed. "Our first period tonight was our worst period in the tournament, but we were able to sneak two by," Vignieri-Greener said. "In our scouting report we knew we needed to get pucks on net in traffic and get inside the (faceoff) dots. Two of the goals came just like we talked about."

He talked about how much this meant to the coaching staff that has been there for a decade and built this program from the ground up. "It's cliche to say it, but there's been so much blood, sweat, and tears poured into this group," Vignieri-Greener said. "Nick's (Robone) worked so hard, Colin (Robin) has worked so hard. There have been so many people behind the scenes who have put in the effort. It's just hard to thank everyone right now, just off the top of my head, but for myself, Nick (Robone), and CR (Robin), it has been a long time coming."

Recommended Articles

UNLV Basketball Faces Mass Exodus as Players Flock to Transfer Portal Following Kruger's Firing

UNLV Hockey Pushing For D1 Status

UNLV Rebels 2025 Football Schedule

Published
Mark Morales-Smith
MARK MORALES-SMITH

Mark Morales-Smith is a father of five, a former college football scout and semi-pro football player. Morales-Smith is a long-time competitive fantasy football player with well over a decade of professional writing experience at multiple high-level sites.

Home/Hockey