LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The Skatin’ Rebels capped an already historic season with their first national championship in program history, beating the Adrian College Bulldogs in the finale at the ACHA National Championships.
It was a year in the making. After coming up short in the 2024 National Championship game to the same Adrian College, the Skatin’ Rebels earned their redemption in St. Louis with a dominant, 7-3 victory.
The scarlet and gray made headlines earlier this season when they pulled off one of the biggest upsets in college hockey history, knocking off the reigning, defending NCAA Division I champion, Denver University on the road in shootouts.
UNLV followed that up with their first piece of hardware in program history, winning the WCHL conference trophy and finishing the season as the No. 2 ranked team in the nation.
Among the many accolades earned by the team, senior captain, Mattias Dal Monte was named Conference MVP, while head coach Anthony Vignieri Greener was named Coach of the Year.
The Skatin’ Rebels opened their tournament with a 6-2 victory over conference rival Arizona and then followed it up with back-to-back comeback thrillers against Maryville University and Liberty University, both of which they found themselves down 2-0 in the third period, only to rally back with a 3-2 overtime win and 5-2 win, respectively.
UNLV goaltender, Jeremy Foreman made 36 saves in the championship game and was named MVP.
“Right now, it really hasn’t sunk in yet,” said head coach, Anthony Vignieri Greener. “I can’t really put into words what it means to the program and sending the seniors off right way, what they put into the program. It’s an unbelievable experience. First national championship for us and hopefully many more to come. I can’t wait to celebrate with our fans when we get back.”
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