Editorial: Rebels with a cause

Saturday, Oct. 7, 2006 | 7:56 a.m.

For the members of UNLV's hottest team, big-time college athletics couldn't be further from their minds.

The story of UNLV's men's hockey team, which formed last year as a club team, is inspirational.

Players told Sun reporter Rob Miech this past week about their love of the game, and they demonstrate it, paying $1,200 a year to participate and raising money to cover the rest of their expenses. The team's goalie enrolled in graduate school just to keep playing.

Formed last year, the team is what amateur athletics is all about - a love of the game.

And they win.

The team went 28-3-1 last year and only missed the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 2 playoffs because they didn't qualify as a first-year participant.

The success they've shown is impressive, and now they're hoping someone will notice and help.

"I hope that some of the people in the athletic department come to our games this season and take a look," coach Eddie Kawa told Miech. "The basketball team, the last couple of years, has been mediocre. The football team, they've stalled. All we do is win."

Who couldn't support a team like that?

Game on.