Goalkeeper Matt Truninger thinks no one at the Naval Academy views men's ice hockey as a club sport.
Weekend home games at McMullen Ice Arena routinely draw large crowds while the athletic department provides the program with tremendous support.
Team members certainly don't have a club mentality, training and otherwise preparing themselves just like other varsity athletes on the yard.
"As far as I'm concerned, we're an NCAA team under club status," said Truninger, a senior captain from Clinton, Iowa.
Navy ice hockey will certainly receive varsity sport treatment on Saturday night when it plays archrival Army at Madison Square Garden in New York City.