Off eight straight wins, Lobos Men's Hockey looks to roll into 2026

RIO RANCHO — If you haven’t checked in on the University of New Mexico men’s club ice hockey team in a bit, don’t worry, you didn’t miss anything.

Miss any losses, that is, because there are none to speak of.

A modest start to the season has now exploded into an eight-game win streak for the Ice Lobos, heading into their final series of 2025.

This win streak has included sweeps over Eastern Texas Baptist, Colorado State, Grand Canyon and Cal State Northridge.

In standard Lobo hockey practice, each series had its own big and dramatic moments, but maybe none more important than UNM’s sweep over GCU. New Mexico clinched the two-win weekend with an overtime win in the finale, two victories that go a long way against a divisional opponent in the Antelopes.

Tomas Palandra was the overtime hero, capping off what was a three-goal series for the forward. Defenseman Andrew Jeffery put together a four-point weekend as a part of UNM’s backline, and Santiago Del Olmo, the Lobos’ youngest player, recorded his first collegiate goal.

Just when you thought the Lobos couldn’t get any hotter, one of UNM’s most thrilling games of the season took place on a trip to the Golden State.

In their second straight overtime matchup, New Mexico came away with a 6-5 win over CSUN. The Matadors’ five-goal third-period comeback was all for not with Zach Ganshaw’s winning goal coming just seconds into extra time.

Friday’s thriller was enough to give the Lobos momentum on Saturday, coasting to a 4-1 win. Joshua Huard and Palandra posted multi-goal series in the trip to Simi Valley, with a one-goal solid outing from goalie Kameron Remde.

Remde and Max McKiernan have been reliable in net for New Mexico, combining for an 11-4 record. The two Albuquerque natives found their groove in the last month, putting together five games of allowing just two goals or fewer.

Thanks to their immaculate stretch of wins, the Lobos now sit comfortably in first place in the WCHC standings. At 12-4, UNM is four points ahead of the 9-6 Arizona State Sun Devils.

It has been a rollercoaster of a season, but the best may be yet to come for the Ice Lobos. After wrapping up 2025 against Metro State at the MAC, UNM will gear up for the Los Alamos Nuclear Shootout, a collegiate tournament hosted on an outside rink in the winter elements.

The tournament consists of two WCHC teams, CSUN and the UCLA Bruins, as well as welcoming a new opponent, the SMU Mustangs.

An outside rink? Fitting, as the sky is the limit for this 2025-26 Lobo squad.