Forget calling them the Skatin’ Rebels. The UNLV hockey team should be called the Cardiac Rebels.
Whatever you call them, they’re one win from being called national champions.
UNLV scored five unanswered goals in the third period to defeat Liberty 5-2 in the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division I semifinals Monday at Centene Community Ice Center in St. Louis.
“We never get too high or too low,” UNLV coach Anthony Vignieri-Greener said.
The comeback cemented the No. 2-seeded Rebels’ second straight appearance in the national championship game. They will face Adrian College in a rematch of last season’s title game at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
UNLV lost to Adrian 3-0 last year, as goaltender Noah Decottignies stopped all 41 shots.
Decottignies, a senior, had a 43-save effort in Adrian’s 4-0 win over Minot State in Monday’s other semifinal.
“We all wanted to play Adrian. We wanted that kind of grudge match,” Vignieri-Greener said. “There was times I thought we outplayed them a lot of the game. We just ran into a hell of a goalie over there. Minot just ran into the same thing.”
It has been a tournament of comebacks for UNLV.
The Rebels broke a 2-2 tie with 2:34 remaining when forward Heath Mensch forced a turnover at the blue line, cut to the left and fired a wrist shot while falling down.
Six seconds later, forward Dylan Jensen, who had the game-winning overtime goal in Sunday’s quarterfinal match against Maryville, scored off the ensuing faceoff to make it 4-2.
TWO GOALS IN SIX SECONDS, ARE YOU KIDDING ME⁉️@UNLVRebelHockey is heading back to the @ACHAMensD1 National Championship. pic.twitter.com/ZfFPpMRRMO
— Hockey House (@hockeyhousepod) March 18, 2025
It’s the second straight day the Rebels needed a two-goal comeback in the third. They trailed Maryville 2-0 on Sunday before Preston Brodziak scored three minutes into the third, and Justin Stathopoulos tied it with 1:39 remaining.
Jensen scored at 15:25 of overtime.
“It was a model of bend but don’t break,” Vignieri-Greener said. “We told them before going into this that we’re going to face adversity, and we just got to take it head on. You don’t want to be in those spots, but you got to find a way.”
Vignieri-Greener said his message will be simple Tuesday: He wants his team to get off to a quick start and ride the momentum.
“We’re excited to have this challenge and get ready to work,” he said.
The game can be streamed on FloHockey. An annual subscription ($150) or a monthly subscription ($29.99) is required.
City National Arena will host a watch party at MacKenzie River Pizza.
Contact Danny Webster at [email protected]. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
