Spokane Braves alum Marcello De Antunano (2019-20) helped Mexico win gold at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Division 3 Group B World Hockey Championship on home soil in Queretaro City. The Irving, Tex., native plays for the University of Utah in the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Division 2, where he earned the Western Region 2nd Team Award for the 2024-25 season. He played 15 regular season games, with a record of 11-3-1. His goals against average was an excellent 2.06, and had a .941 SP with two shutouts.
De Antunano spoke with KIJHL communications director Emanuel Sequeira about his debut in the World Hockey Championship. He began playing for the Mexican program in 2017-18.
KIJHL: What was it like to help Mexico win gold in the Division 3 Group B championships?
MD: That was a really good experience playing in front of a home crowd for the first time. It was a completely different atmosphere than anywhere I’ve ever played – the Mexican spirit really comes out – they’re loud, passionate. Winning gold after such a long drought at the men’s level was a really cool feeling. It was really special to do it.
KIJHL: You earned a 9-1 win against the Philippines, what was that game like for you as you stopped 14 of 15 shots? (He had a .933 save percentage and a 1.00 goals against average.)
MD: I wasn’t super busy, but it’s pretty easy to stay engaged when you’ve got a big crowd. Plus, when your team is scoring like we did (Mexico outscored opponents 48-12 in five games), it’s pretty fun to watch. The Philippines had some good players—guys who played pro at one point—so they had a few solid chances. It was a fun game to be in.
KIJHL: What is the experience like to play for Mexico as you have played for them before?
MD: I’ve loved it. I think the most memorable times were as a U18 player – the glory days and we won a silver medal in my first tournament in Turkey, which was really cool. There’s that core group who all played in Canada or the U.S. at the Prep, AAA level. It was really exciting because it was that new generation. Honestly, I think the biggest thing was getting to travel the world. I wouldn’t have been able to do that without the Mexican national team.
KIJHL: What is the talent like in the tournament?
MD: I would say it varied a lot. The top two teams being Mongolia and North Korea were pretty good, but definitely not at the level we were three years ago, which was Division 2B. With a new generation of players after the legacy players left there was some adjusting to do. I think this was a good spot to start back up and build our way back to that 2B level. We just got promoted to the A division and it will have more speed.
KIJHL: What did you learn playing behind veteran Alfonso de Alba?
MD: He offered a lot of experience that I don’t have at the world level. I’ve played a lot of games within the ACHA, juniors, but I think the World Championships is a different beast. Every game counts and decides whether you get a medal or not. He was able to instill a calmness. He had some really good tips going into it, how to control things – just focus on what you can control. That was the biggest thing he offered. He’s done this before – won medals before. It’s easy for him to pass the torch.
KIJHL: How did your lone season in the KIJHL and with the Braves help you in your hockey journey?
MD: It was a huge springboard for me. I played in Calgary and coach Drake Brown, now an assistant coach for Mount Royal University, was really involved in the KIJHL as a scout. Playing juniors at a young age really helped me develop and set my goals. I would have stayed in the KIJHL if it wasn’t for COVID and went to Princeton from the dispersal draft. I really enjoyed my time and matured as a person. I love British Columbia too, seeing the different communities as we would get on the bus every weekend.
