Liberty University Club Sports Athletics
DI Flames look to pounce on Bobcats early rather than stage another late rally
11/10/2021 6:38:00 AM | Men's D1 Hockey
As Liberty University’s No. 3-ranked ACHA Division I men’s hockey team prepares to welcome Ohio University to the LaHaye Ice Center (LIC) this weekend, it is still buzzing from last weekend’s sweep of No. 4-ranked former ESCHL rival Stony Brook.
For the third time in their past four games, the Flames overcame a third-period deficit to win Saturday night’s second game against the Seawolves at the LIC, after accomplishing that feat in both games of an Oct. 18-19 sweep at Jamestown (N.D.)
“(Head) Coach (Kirk Handy) had no doubt in his mind, he knew we weren’t out of that game,” said Flames sophomore forward Jason Foltz, who scored the first and last goal in the 4-3 shootout triumph, Liberty’s fourth win in a row. “Every time we are down, he’s always picking us back up and letting us know we’re still in this game. We went out there and stuck with the plan and … just beared down and did our jobs and we got the ‘W.’”
Freshman forward Jackson Vercellono, who tallied the game-winning goal in the final minute of the second game at Jamestown, slammed home the equalizer on a putback with 39 seconds remaining in regulation Saturday against Stony Brook.
“Our guys just stick with it and to their credit, we faced a lot of adversity … (and) battled a lot emotionally,” Handy said, noting Liberty’s penalty kill unit gave up its first goal at home this year early in the first period before having an apparent score waved off by officials and allowing a shorthanded goal at the end of the second period, putting the Flames in a 3-1 hole. “We’re down and guys are restless, really just trying to find a way. It was awesome, the sense of urgency at the end of the game was unbelievable. We are just thankful for the opportunity to take it to overtime and then a shootout and then win it.”
Handy said the experience of staging dramatic comebacks will benefit the Flames when they get into the home stretch of the regular season and in the national championships.
“For us, it’s about continuing to progress the team, continuing to find out what we need to do to get better every night,” he said. “Sometimes, the mental toughness and the mental fortitude we have to have at the end of the year, you want to develop those muscles early on in the year and continue to build them. It was very, very good to see us battle through that against a good opponent in Stony Brook.”
Handy is looking forward to continuing the rivalry with the Seawolves, even after Liberty left the ESCHL this season to go independent, with the Flames scheduled to play at Stony Brook on Jan. 22-23 and four times next season as well. He is thankful Liberty won’t be playing Ohio as many times as last season, when the Flames and Bobcats faced off four times at home, four times away, and once at a neutral site.
“All I know is we’re ready to go against them,” Vercellono said. “We’re preparing mentally. We’re in part two of our four-part season right now, so it’s all about now until Winter Break, so we’re just focused on these next seven (games).”
Scouting Preview for Games 13-14: No. 14 Ohio (10-6) at No. 3 Liberty (10-2) Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. in the LaHaye Ice Center. Both Friday’s and Saturday’s games will be webcast live by LFSN on ESPN+.
All-Time Series: Ohio leads 15-14, but Liberty has won 11 of the last 12 games against the Bobcats, including eight of nine meetings last season, capped by a 10-2 triumph in the ACHA DI national championships.
Liberty Scouting Report: The Flames’ attack is led by senior defenseman and head captain Colin Baird (4 goals, 12 assists, 16 points) and a trio of forwards — Vercellono (8G, 7A), junior Matt Bartel (6G, 9A), and Foltz (7G, 7A). Three other forwards, junior Brett Gammer (6G, 4A) and sophomores Jacob Kalandyk (4G, 6A) and Kam Ottenbreit (4G, 5A), have provided secondary scoring while helping Baird, Bartel, and graduate defenseman Chaydan Lauber on the Flames’ PK, which has held foes to four goals in 61 power-play chances (93.4 percent, including 1 in 41 (97.6 percent) at the LIC).
Lauber (3G, 4A) and senior forward Josh Fricks (4G, 4A) have both recorded two game-winning goals.
Between the pipes, the Flames have leaned on Hunter Virostek (8-1), who made two sliding kick saves that secured the Flames’ shootout win over the Seawolves. He ranks third among goalies with more than three starts in both goals-against average (1.68) and save percentage (94.1) and both he and fellow junior Cédric Le Sieur (2-1, 2.89 GAA, 92.4 SP) have posted one shutout.
Ohio Scouting Report: The Bobcats have played 15 of their first 16 games in the friendly confines of Bird Arena, with their only road contest at reigning ACHA DI national champion Adrian College, which swept a home-and-away series.
Ohio has nine players that have scored 10 points or more, led by defenseman Sam Turner, who has netted 10 goals (including three game-winners and three on the power play) and 14 assists. Forwards Ryan Higgins (7G, 15A), JT Schimizzi (10G, 9A), Drew Magyar (11G, including two game winners, 7A), and Nick Caretta (9G, including three power play, 8A) round out the top five.
In goal, the Bobcats have primarily platooned Max Karlenzig (5-4, 2.97 GAA, 88.4 SP) and Matthew Server (4-1, 3.01 GAA, 87.5 SP).
Coaches: Handy is in his 22nd season at the helm of the Flames with a career record of 487-192-29. Lionel Mauron, a former ECHL player originally from Switzerland, is in his first season as the Bobcats’ head coach and is off to a 10-6 start.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
