When the Montana State University hockey team qualified for its first-ever regional tournament in Arizona, coaches, players and staff worried about how they were going to get there.
As abcfoxmontana.comreports, “Hockey is a club sport at MSU, and the team does not receive funding from the university’s athletic department. With their original plan to drive out of the question due to weather, Allegiant Airlines flew in to make [the team’s] first playoff appearance a reality. The airline donated 28 seats to help the team get to the tournament.”
The 15-12 Bobcats — seeded No. 11 in the 12-team field of the American College Hockey Association Division 2 West Region Tournament in Tempe, Ariz. — skated to three victories and qualified for the Division 2 ACHA National Championships in Frisco, Texas. They play top-seeded Aquinas College on March 22.
“[Allegiant’s offer of free travel] really saved our season,” MSU head coach Dave Weaver told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. “I couldn’t thank them enough for their generosity.”
No word yet on whether Allegiant will be flying the Bobcats to Texas later this month.
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