UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA-LAS VEGAS, DEFENDING AMERICAN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION MEN’S DIVISION I NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, REMAINS NO. 1 TEAM IN RANKING #3
Rebels Only Score Three Goals Yet Still Sweep Grand Canyon University
UNION LAKE, Mich. – (October 22, 2025) – University of Nevada-Las Vegas (4-0-0), the defending Men’s Division I National Champions of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, received 32 of 35 first-place votes to remain atop the 2025-2026 ACHA Men’s Division I Ranking #3. The Rebels swept conference rival No. 10 Grand Canyon University (1-0, 2-1) at City National Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Friday night, Jaxsen Wyatt scored the lone goal of the game on the power play with only 0:01 remaining in the second period. Doug Wakelyn stopped all 26 Lopes shots for the shutout, while counterpart Dmytro Kubrytskyi made 24 saves in defeat. Saturday night, the game saw more stellar goaltending from both Wakelyn (26 saves) and Kubrytskyi (28 saves). The Rebels’ Bryce Johnson struck first just 1:17 into the game while Luke Baker pushed the lead to 2-0 with only 0:58 remaining in the first period. Lopes forward Benjamin Oakland finally solved Wakelyn in the second period on the power play but that was it as Wakelyn shut the door for the final 32:29 of regulation and the Rebels secured a 2-1 victory. The Rebels travel to face Arizona State University at Mountain America Community Iceplex in Tempe, Ariz. for a pair of midweek games.
No. 2 Minot State University (3-0-1), which received a first-place vote, swept Maryville University in the welcoming confines of Maysa Arena. Friday night, Jaxon Grosdidier and Reece Henry staked the Beavers to a 2-0 lead before Sidney McNeill got the Saints on the board with a power play goal to make it 2-1 after two periods. However, the equalizer never came, as Joey Moffatt slammed the door with an empty net goal late in the third period for the 3-1 triumph. Saturday, three goals by Sheldin Howard, Henry, and Jeremy Dewar in a span of 4:42 late in the second period propelled the Beavers to a 5-2 victory. Goaltender Will Dyke got both wins and stopped 57 of 60 shots in the two games. The Beavers will hit the road to face No. 25 Midland University this weekend.
No. 3 Ohio University (8-0-0), which received a first-place vote, swept Grand Valley State University (7-2, 8-1) at Bird Arena in Athens, Ohio, as the Bobcats pumped 107 shots on goal and scored 15 times. Jack Glen (goal, five assists), Drake Nabozy (goal, four assists), Mathieu Ovaert (three goals, assist), and Barron Stibbe (two goals, two assists), and paced the Bobcats attack. The Bobcats will take on No. 4 Adrian College in a home-and-home series this weekend.
No. 4 Adrian College (6-1-1), which received the other first-place vote, split a pair of games against Syracuse University at Arrington Ice Arena in Adrian, Mich. Friday night, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 7-1 lead en route to a 10-4 victory as Sebastian Smith and Eli Reimer each had a pair of goals. Saturday afternoon, Ben Brant notched his second goal of the game and fourth goal on the weekend to tie the game at 2-2 in the middle of the second period for the Orange. Neither team scored in the third period nor the five-minute overtime period, sending the game into a shootout. Each team scored in the third round and fifth round before defenseman Connor Chesner beat Dylan Eliason while AJ Finta stopped Alex Schaumburger for an upset victory for the Orange. Finta ended up with 38 saves through overtime plus another four in the shootout. The Bulldogs will take on No. 3 Ohio University in a home-and-home series this weekend.
Rounding out the Top 5 is No. 5 Liberty University (8-1-0), which was idle. The Flames will host Stony Brook University at the LaHaye Ice Center this weekend.
Moving into the polls this week is No. 24 University of Rhode Island while Arizona State University drops out.
The Great Lakes 6 Hockey Conference leads the way with five (of 7) of its member teams ranked, while Midwest College Hockey has four (of 7) of its member teams ranked, Western Collegiate Hockey League has five (of 11) of its member teams ranked, Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League has three (of 10) of its member teams ranked, and Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association has two (of 11) of its member teams ranked.
Over the past 22 seasons, 13 different schools have won the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championship: Lindenwood (4), Minot State (3), Adrian (3), Central Oklahoma (2), Illinois (2), Arizona State, Davenport, Delaware, Nevada-Las Vegas, Oakland, Ohio, Penn State, and Rhode Island.
Now in its 35th season of action, there have been a total of 15 schools that have won the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championship:
- Penn State University (5 times)
- Lindenwood University (4)
- Ohio University (4)
- Adrian College (3)
- Minot State University (3)
- North Dakota State University (2)
- University Central Oklahoma (2)
- University of Illinois (2)
- Arizona State University
- Davenport University
- Iowa State University
- Oakland University
- University of Delaware
- University of Nevada-Las Vegas
- University of Rhode Island
A total of 81 teams will compete in Men’s Division I this season, including former Men’s Division II members Central Michigan University, North Carolina State University, University of Cincinnati, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and University of North Carolina, along with former Men’s Division III members Hope College, the reigning ACHA Men’s Division III National Champions, and University of Michigan-Flint. The Concordia University Ann Arbor program, which made the announcement to relocate to Siena Heights University back in April, folded in July before getting to play a game as the Saints.
The computer ranking, which will not commence until November 5, will for the twelfth time determine the 24 teams that qualify for the 2026 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships, which will include the following six auto bids:
- (CHMA) College Hockey Mid-America
- (ECHA) Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association
- (GLCHL) Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League
- (MCH) Midwest College Hockey
- (WCHL) Western Collegiate Hockey League
- (WHAC) Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference
The fourth ranking of the regular season will be released on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.
The 2026 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships presented by FloHockey will be hosted March 12-17 for the fourth time at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Mo. This will be the third year of the 24-team format.
| 2025-2026 ACHA Men’s Division I Ranking #3 | ||||||
| Rank | School Name | 1st Votes | M1 Record | Pts | Previous | Conference |
| 1 | Nevada-Las Vegas | 32 | 4-0-0 | 774 | 1 | WCHL |
| 2 | Minot State | 1 | 3-0-1 | 718 | 3 | MCH |
| 3 | Ohio | 1 | 8-0-0 | 694 | 5 | INDEP |
| 4 | Adrian | 1 | 6-1-1 | 682 | 2 | GL6 |
| 5 | Liberty | 8-1-0 | 675 | 4 | INDEP | |
| 6 | Jamestown | 7-1-0 | 623 | 6 | MCH | |
| 7 | Drury | 10-0-0 | 595 | 7 | INDEP | |
| 8 | Niagara | 6-0-0 | 548 | 9 | INDEP | |
| 9 | Maryville | 5-4-0 | 504 | 8 | INDEP | |
| 10 | Grand Canyon | 5-2-0 | 497 | 10 | WCHL | |
| 11 | Calvin | 4-0-1 | 449 | 12 | GL6 | |
| 12 | Mary | 8-3-0 | 407 | 14 | MCH | |
| 13 | Utah | 3-4-1 | 396 | 11 | WCHL | |
| 14 | Arizona | 3-2-0 | 361 | 13 | WCHL | |
| 15 | Pittsburgh | 4-1-1 | 353 | 15 | ACCHL | |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 7-1-0 | 295 | 17 | WCHL | |
| 17 | Purdue Northwest | 4-4-0 | 268 | 16 | GL6 | |
| 18 | West Chester | 5-1-0 | 197 | 20 | ECHA | |
| 19 | Indiana Tech | 3-2-1 | 192 | 19 | WHAC | |
| 20 | Grand Valley State | 4-4-1 | 154 | 18 | GL6 | |
| 21 | Hope | 7-1-0 | 146 | 23 | GL6 | |
| 22 | Delaware | 5-4-1 | 109 | 22 | ACCHL | |
| 23 | Oswego State | 2-4-2 | 96 | 21 | ACCHL | |
| 24 | Rhode Island | 7-1-0 | 29 | NR | ECHA | |
| 25 | Midland | 2-5-1 | 25 | 24 | MCH | |
Others receiving votes: Arizona State, Kentucky, Davenport, Indiana Pennsylvania, Stony Brook, North Carolina State, Cincinnati, Drexel, Cleary, and George Mason.
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About American Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) was founded in 1991 and is the national association for Non-NCAA Collegiate Hockey throughout the United States. Our organization of more than 560 colleges and university-affiliated teams representing 48 states provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes the sport of Hockey nationwide. With approximately 16,000 players and coaches as well as countless volunteers and game officials, the ACHA has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade and continues to be a viable option for college-bound student-athletes to continue playing competitive hockey nationwide. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, the ACHA’s primary mission is to support the growth of Collegiate Hockey while emphasizing academic performance, personal development, and opportunities for regional, national, and international competition. The ACHA identifies standards which serve to unite and regulate teams at the collegiate level and enters its 35th season in September 2025. For more information, visit achahockey.org.
