PLYMOUTH, Minn. — On Wednesday, Desert Christian (CA) opened its run in the 3A division of the 2026 Chipotle-USA Hockey High School National Championships with a tight 5-4 win against Nest Hockey (FL).

The two teams met again on Sunday, this time facing off for a national title.

Once again, they battled in a close game where neither team made many mistakes. In the end, Desert Christian eked out a 3-1 win to secure its first national championship.

“[Nest is] very good, very quick. They play hard, and when you get into a games like that, it’s just a bounce either way,” Desert Christian coach Steven March said. “There’s a ton of character in the room. And when you get into big moments and big games like that, when everybody’s pulling in the same direction and everybody’s fighting for one another, sometimes that’s the difference.”

The two teams played an incredibly even game in the first 17 minutes. After the first period, Nest held a narrow 10-9 lead in shots on goal.

The second was much of the same until Jake Barckholtz pounced on a loose puck in Nest’s defensive zone and rifled a wrist shot top shelf to put Desert Christian up 1-0 8:03 into the period.

“It felt good, just open up the flood gates a little bit,” Barckholtz said of his goal. “Got the boys on the right side of the puck and we just kept pushing from there.”

The next goal didn’t come for another 16-plus minutes of game time, as Gavin Gillis scored on the power play 8:17 into the third to double his team’s lead.

Cameron Leger gave Nest life with an impressive solo effort where he skated past multiple Desert Christian defenders before lasering a wrist shot home with 6:08 left in regulation.

Nest created a few dangerous chances with its goalie pulled, but Carsen Somers ended any hope of a rally for the Florida team when he scored on an empty net with 37 seconds to go.

Somers finished the tournament with five goals and six assists, both team highs for Desert Christian.

Many of the teams in the 3A field come from programs with decades of history and multiple national championship banners hanging in their home rinks.

Desert Christian — which is based in Bermuda Dunes, a town nestled in between Palm Springs and Coachella — just finished its first year as a hockey program with the biggest accomplishment possible.

“The support from the community’s been unbelievable,” March said. “We’ve got billet families here that made the trip to be with the guys and support them. We just couldn’t say enough good things about the community there — they’ve been fantastic and above and beyond any expectations.”

Photo/USA Hockey

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc/Luke Hanlon

(March 22, 2026)