Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024 | 2 a.m.
Utica University never felt like the right fit for Mattias Dal Monte.
The NCAA Division III program went 25-3-1 in Dal Monte’s freshman year and even won the United Collegiate Hockey Conference Championship, but he saw little opportunity at Utica.
Instead of transferring to another Division III program, going to play juniors, or looking to make the jump to Division I, Dal Monte decided to play club hockey at UNLV.
“I just got that feeling on the academic and athletic side of things that this was exactly where I wanted to be,” he said.
Playing in Division I of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), UNLV is still classified as a club program but operates under an “umbrella of its own.” The program has aspirations of becoming the second college hockey program in the Southwest to achieve Division I status.
“My staff and I know we’ve assembled a team that could make that jump,” UNLV coach Anthony Vignieri-Greener said.“It’s just about when. Obviously, we have to bring in some more transfers and get some kids on the portal, but we’re closer than most people think.”
• Dec. 6 — vs. Grand Canyon
• Dec. 7 — vs. Grand Canyon
• Dec. 13 — vs. Arizona State
• Dec. 14 — vs. Arizona State
• Jan. 10 — vs. University of Jamestown
• Jan. 11 — vs. University of Jamestown
• All games scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at City National Arena.
• Tickets: $15 for adults, $10 for children at rebelhockey.com.
• Seating on a first-come, first-serve basis.
UNLV is looking to become the fourth ACHA program to transcend divisions, joining Penn State (2012), Arizona State (2014) and Lindenwood (2022).
On the ice, the Rebels already look capable. They’ve gone 80-20 collectively over the last four seasons following a COVID-canceled 2020-2021 campaign. They’re coming off their best season in program history, finishing as national runner-up to Adrian College (Michigan) last year.
This year’s team is 5-3 through its first eight games. The group is rebuilding after losing eight seniors, but gained 12 new players including three transfers from NCAA programs—Long Island (D-I), New Hampshire (D-I) and Concordia (D-III).
While it may seem like a step down from playing in the NCAA’s upper divisions, Vignieri-Greener said good college hockey players fall through the cracks and UNLV offers a place where they can flourish.
“I pitch to them, if you want to come here, it’ll be really competitive hockey and we have aspirations to make that jump (to Division I) one day,” Vignieri-Greener said. “But right now, we want to win.”
The club operates fiscally off the ice like any other official college athletic team. UNLV hockey’s annual budget is $700,000, which is higher than some of the university’s official sports like golf and tennis.
But the hockey team receives only $20,000 from UNLV’s Registered Student Organizations. The rest comes from sponsors, benefits, fundraisers and ticket sales.
The Vegas Golden Knights have been one major supporter as they’ve provided a home venue at City National Arena in Summerlin, where the NHL team is also headquartered.
While UNLV hockey has figured out how to make it work monetarily, one of the most significant benefits of becoming an NCAA Division I program would be scholarships. Vignieri-Greener said he lost three to four players to other ACHA programs this summer because UNLV does not offer financial assistance to club sports athletes. UNLV hockey players’ dues are $3,000 each.
“I don’t fault them for that,” Vignieri-Greener said of prospects leaving for other programs due to finances. “I have two daughters. If they go to a compatible school, where they’re going to go for free, and the education is good, obviously, you’re going to take the free one.”
But the product on the ice and the shared vision of the future have UNLV hockey in an excellent place to make history. The next step to its Division I journey will be UNLV athletic director Erick Harper approving a feasibility study and securing $30 million in investments.
“A lot is moving forward with these NIL deals and major junior hockey players being allowed to play college hockey where you have so much talent and not enough teams (on the West Coast),” UNLV assistant coach Nick Robone said. “It’s about which team on the West Coast will take another stab at it after Arizona State.”
It’s not only the coaches and donors who understand what it will take for the program to achieve Division I status, but also the players. Most of them will likely not be playing for UNLV if it makes the Division I jump, but they are just as invested in making it happen.
“If we have a historic year and win a national championship, it’s going to set in motion the steps to get this program to Division I,” Dal Monte said. “For me, and I know the other guys feel the same way, that’s such a cool part of this.
“I know 10 years from now, I’m going to look back, this program is going to be Division I, and I’m going to be one of the guys that got to play on one of those founding teams.”
On the ice, winning consistently is critical to ensuring that UNLV has a chance to make the jump. All three previous programs that moved from the ACHA to Division I had won a national championship. Penn State won five titles from 1997 to 2003, Lindenwood won the ACHA national championship three times and Arizona State won it once in 2014.
Vignieri-Greener is in his 10th season as coach and working tirelessly to ensure the program’s support of the blue and white NCAA crest. Even if that means he may eventually have to watch games from the stands, he wants the best for the Skatin’ Rebels.
“I’d love to stick around and coach this team when we make that jump, but if it’s not me and they went with the bigger name, I would be proud either way,” Vignieri-Greener said. “I know how much we’ve put into this program and the sacrifices we made for them to be able to do that.”
This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.