UNLV hockey team ready to make history at D2 national championship

Not so the UNLV’s men’s ice hockey club, which is not only competing for its first American Collegiate Hockey Association national championship but the program’s only one.

At least at the Division 2 level. The Rebels, who have been a D2 program since their inception in 2005, are moving up to club Division 1 next season.

“It’s been our goal all along, to win nationals,” said team general manager Zee Khan, whose team is 30-7 and have won five straight. “But you have to get their first and now that we’ve made it, we really believe we can win.”

Sixteen teams are in the field with pool play beginning Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio. UNLV is in Pool A with Grand Valley State, William Patterson and Ohio University. The winner of each of the four pools advances to the semifinals Saturday with the championship game set for Sunday.

“It takes five wins in five days to win it,” Khan said. “We’re a little banged up. But I think we have the depth and another level to get through it.”

The players say they’re ready.

“We showed a lot of determination at regionals and I think it will carry over to nationals,” forward Dion Antisin said. “Everybody is working hard and the team has jelled the last few weeks.”

Goaltender Alex Feese said: “It’s exciting to see what we’ve accomplished this year and we think we have as good a chance as anyone. The guys are playing great in front of me and I got my swagger back where I’m seeing the puck with no problem.”

The UNLV student government donated $7,000 to help with expenses and other donors stepped up to cover the cost of the $35,000 trip to Ohio.

“It’s been an amazing year so far,” Khan said. “We’ve got 30 wins. We won regionals. We made it to nationals. We’re moving to D1. We played at T-Mobile (Arena). We’ve been checking off boxes the last two years and this is the next big thing for the program.”

Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow @stevecarprj on Twitter.