Liberty University Club Sports
Ohio University
Flames erase Bobcats’ 1-0 lead late in second period, add three unanswered in third
11/12/2021 11:35:09 PM | Men's D1 Hockey
Liberty University’s No. 3-ranked ACHA Division I men’s hockey team has proven to be a third-period team this season and Friday night’s series-opening showdown with No. 14 Ohio University was no exception.
The Flames (11-2) overcame a 1-0 deficit and extended their winning streak to five games by scoring the final four goals in a 4-1 triumph at the LaHaye Ice Center (LIC).
After winning eight of nine meetings with the Bobcats (10-7) last season, Liberty drew even in their all-time series with Ohio at 15-15, winning for the 12th time in the last 13 meetings.
“It definitely wasn’t the start that we wanted, but we got going and we’re happy to come back,” Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said.
Liberty’s penalty kill, which had only been scored on once in 41 previous power-play opportunities at the LIC, gave up a goal on the first PK attempt for the second game on a row. Ohio capitalized quickly with 3:55 left in the first period when Drew Magyar finished a feed from Sam Turner past Flames junior goalie Hunter Virostek for a 1-0 lead.
The Flames netted the equalizer with 3:28 to go in the second when freshman forward Jackson Vercellono received an outlet from graduate defenseman Chaydan Lauber and skated past a Bobcats defenseman up the right boards before sending a perfectly placed crossing pass to sophomore forward Kris Bladen as he slid through the slot and slipped a one-timed shot past Ohio goalie Max Karlenzig.
“Chaydan moves the puck up quick and Vercellono makes a great play over and Bladen buries it,” Handy said. “Bladen is a guy who has worked hard for us all year and it is nice to see him get rewarded with a goal.”
“We just had to break the ice against that goalie,” Bladen added. “He was pretty big and down low, but once we started to solve him, we had a lot of opportunities and the hard work paid off tonight.”
“I saw the lane to the net and I thought I could beat him and Jackson made a really nice pass across and I just put it in,” Bladen added. “I just put it above his pad on the far side, inside the post and it went in for me and I was thankful for that.”
Then, just 28 seconds into the third period, with the Flames still on a power play that started late in the second, they seized a 2-1 lead on tic-tac-toe passing from senior forward Josh Fricks to sophomore forward Jason Foltz in the left corner to junior forward Matt Bartel cutting into the right crease for a point-blank five-hole finish.
“It was really nice to see the power play click there,” Bladen said. “They drew up that play in the intermission and then they went out and executed it, so I was really happy for them and it was really good to see Barty put that one in. That was a really big jump. We needed that one quick.”
Bladen took the Flames’ only penalty in the game whereas the Bobcats had three players sent to the box.
“Our discipline was excellent tonight,” Handy said. “We only took one minor penalty all game and Fricks draws a penalty and we go and score on the power play to start the third period and just get the ball rolling from there.”
Liberty went back on the power play with 14:30 remaining in regulation and scored 50 seconds later when Lauber sent a pass across the high slot to freshman forward Jacob Kalandyk who fired a shot down the slot through traffic that beat Karlenzig to the top-left corner.
“We had some good net-front presence from Nate Albers screening the goalie,” Handy said. “Our power play had been struggling, so it was good to see them get going. We made some changes on it, so I was happy for Bert (Assistant Coach Daniel Berthiaume). He works hard on the power play, so it was nice to see them get a couple goals.”
The Flames added their third goal of the period at the 9:08 mark when senior defenseman and head captain Colin Baird received a pass from sophomore DJ Schwenke and skated toward the right corner before threading a backhanded feed through to junior forward Brett Gammer in the slot where he slammed a shot into the upper netting.
“What a play by Colin Baird over to (Gammer),” Handy said. “Brett’s been playing great hockey for us. He’s provided veteran leadership for us and he works hard every night he comes to play.”
Liberty, which outshot Ohio, 47-22, for the game, will look to get out to a faster start and take the lead in the all-time series with the Bobcats in Saturday’s rematch, with the puck again dropping at 7 p.m. in the LIC.
“Ohio’s a way better team this year and we’re going to have to have a better effort tomorrow night,” Handy said.
“We’ve got to keep rolling, keep grinding away and keep at it,” Bladen added. “We just got to stay really hard on the forecheck, keep cycling it, wearing them down low, and then getting it to the net.”
He said being fanned on by the Flames’ faithful at the LIC definitely helps.
“Playing at home is a blast for all of us (and) we’ve got to keep on feeding off the fans,” Bladen said.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media
