Lobo men's hockey welcomes first offseason commit, preps for second season at MAC

RIO RANCHO — It wasn’t the ideal ending to the hockey season for the University of New Mexico men’s club hockey team.

But instead of crying over spilled Gatorade, the Lobos are already getting to work for next season.

Lobo hockey announced its first commitment of the offseason, welcoming forward Donovan Powell to the Land of Enchantment.

“I can’t wait to get to Albuquerque,” Powell said in an online post. “Get to work, and do everything I can to help this program.”

The Denver, Colorado, native is coming off two seasons with Buffalo State University, a Division III program. 

In 29 games for the Bengals, Powell tallied 21 points with 11 goals and 10 assists.

He will join the Ice Lobos in the City of Vision next season, with all indicators pointing to the program returning to McDermott Athletic Center for a second straight year.

“Our first commitment of the year,” Lobos hockey wrote online. “Donovan brings a veteran presence and elite scoring to the Lobos for the 2026-2027 season.”

UNM is coming off one of its most successful seasons in program history, taking home a West Coast Hockey Conference regular-season and postseason title.

A big helping hand in making program history was offseason recruitment, bringing in players in the 2025 offseason  Tomas Palandra, Issa Murakami and Joseph Gutierrez, just to name a few.

While strengthening their on-ice presence, the Lobos' presence in Rio Rancho grew week-over-week over the course of the season, turning the MAC into a true home-ice advantage.

The program hosted youth hockey nights, rally towel giveaways and sponsored booths inside the building for the fan experience. Brew Lab 101 was even on hand as a beer vendor, with big plans to come in a partnership with the MAC.

No one wants to end their playoff run on a league ruling, but the good news for the Lobos is that their 2025-26 season doesn’t seem like a flash in the pan, but rather the start of an important chapter of a blossoming program.

Lobo hockey will continue to post its 2026 offseason commitments on its social media accounts before hitting the ice this fall.