The Montana State University club men’s hockey team is competing this week in St. Louis at the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Division 2 national tournament, marking its fifth straight appearance, according to a March 13 announcement.
This continued presence at the national level highlights the growth and consistency of the Bobcat men’s hockey program. The team is aiming to advance beyond pool play and reach the semifinals scheduled for Monday, March 16. Last year, Montana State reached the national title game for the first time in its history but lost to Lindenwood University.
Montana State enters this year’s tournament as the No. 3 seed from the ACHA west region. The format requires each of the 16 teams to play three pool games, with only top performers advancing to the Final Four. The Bobcats began their campaign with a loss against Schoolcraft College and are set to face Niagara University and Pennsylvania State University in upcoming matches. All games are streamed live on FloHockey, which requires a subscription, and live scores are available on the ACHA website.
Hockey at Montana State is organized as a club sport rather than an NCAA program. To support travel and lodging expenses for their weeklong trip to Missouri, players have organized fundraisers throughout the year and launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking approximately $58,000.
Montana State University leads research funding in Montana with annual expenditures exceeding $288 million according to its official website. The university also contributes through volunteer efforts, outreach programs, and research aimed at improving lives and environmental conditions according to its official website. It ranks among the top five percent of global universities per rankings by the Center for World University Rankings according to its official website.
With an enrollment of about 17,165 students split evenly between residents and nonresidents according to its official website, Montana State operates as Montana’s land-grant university focused on research, education, and community outreach according to its official website. The university extends its influence across Montana and beyond while providing access to outdoor recreation amid vast wilderness areas according to its official website.