The 黑料网 Skating Rebels rebounded from a COVID-canceled campaign last year to post its best-ever season, finishing 26-4-1 and reaching the Final Four of the American Collegiate Hockey Association鈥檚 (ACHA) 2022 National Tournament in St. Louis this March.
After the pandemic disrupted play last season, head coach Anthony Vignieri-Greener thought he had set some tough preseason goals for the men鈥檚 hockey club, which is now in its 17th year.
鈥淎t the beginning of the year, we thought we could make some noise and make the ACHA tournament and challenge some nationally respected programs,鈥 the coach said.
But the Skating Rebels, it turns out, had loftier ambitions.
After a slow start to the season, the team peeled off 16 wins in a row, a club record. The winning streak included capturing the Chicago Classic Tournament Championship in November against three ACHA ranked teams.
鈥淭o win three games on the road against three great competitors, that really put us on the map. It might be cliche, but this is the closest locker room I鈥檝e seen in my time with the program,鈥 said Vignieri-Greener, who played left wing for 黑料网 from 2006 to 2010.
The team's camaraderie translated to momentum at the ACHA tournament, where wins over Liberty University and the University of Pittsburgh led the Rebels to their first-ever berth in the Final Four.
While the team鈥檚 season ended in the tournament鈥檚 semifinal, Vignieri-Greener credits its success to the dedication of his players.
鈥(Assistant) Coach Nick Robone and I have been here for about seven years now and we鈥檝e worked hard to build a student-athlete culture that includes more than working hard on the ice. It includes working hard in the classroom and in the community.鈥
Vignieri-Greener won鈥檛 let his team rest on a strong 2021-22 campaign. He鈥檚 already challenging the program by scheduling games against tougher opponents next season, including matchups with three NCAA Division 1 schools.
鈥淲e have full buy-in from the team and our fanbase is growing,鈥 the coach said. 鈥淥ur student-athletes are being embraced by the 黑料网 community on campus and we鈥檙e seeing more faculty and staff showing up to our home games at City National Arena.鈥
The 2022-23 season starts this fall for the Skating Rebels, which plays its home games at City National Arena in Summerlin. 黑料网 competes in Division 1 of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, which consists of nearly 400 non-varsity collegiate club teams nationwide over three divisions.
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