Liberty University Club Sports Athletics
Challenging slate of action on tap for DI Flames in 2021-22
6/10/2021 12:00:00 AM | Men's D1 Hockey
The LaHaye Ice Center will be rocking again for Liberty University's ACHA Division I men's hockey team's 2021-22 season with 100-percent spectator capacity allowed for the Flames' 20 home games — including a record three Midnight Mayhem matchups — as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
In all, Liberty will play a 34-game regular-season schedule leading up to the March 10-15 ACHA DI National Championships in St. Louis. The Flames, who are coming off their first ACHA DI "Frozen Four" appearance since 2008 from April 15-19 in nearby Chesterfield, Mo., will also make road trips to North Dakota, Philadelphia, Chicago, Ohio, and Long Island, N.Y.
"It is an excellent schedule and we are really excited," Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "We've got some familiar opponents and a lot of quality opponents. We're doing some unique things this year, including going to North Dakota for a week to play four games against two quality opponents — Minot State (which knocked Liberty out of this year's national semifinals), and Jamestown, who we have never played before. As an independent, we wanted to make sure had four games scheduled with Minot and Jamestown, two perennial independent powers."
The Flames will play their first six games of the regular season at home — starting with the Sept. 17 season opener against Indiana University of Pennsylvania and including the first midnight match on Oct. 2 against Michigan-Dearborn — before playing their next six on the road.
They will complete their six-game road stretch Oct. 29-30 at Drexel (Pa.) The Dragons joined the ESCHL last season, Liberty's last in the league before again becoming an independent this year.
Liberty will host North Carolina State in its second game of the season on Sept. 18 at 10 p.m., so as not to conflict with the Flames Football team's 6 p.m. home game against ODU across the street at Williams Stadium. The puck will drop at 9:30 p.m. for its last home game of the season on Feb. 19 against Jamestown to avoid overlapping a men's basketball home game at the Liberty Arena.
In conjunction with the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks, the University of Illinois will host a three-day tournament in Chicago from Nov. 19-21, the weekend before Thanksgiving. That will feature eight highly ranked teams in a championship format.
"That will be a really good tournament," Handy said. "What we really like about it is that it will simulate what it's like to be at nationals, playing three games in three days against quality opponents who are all nationally ranked teams."
Liberty will renew its rivalry again Davenport in the first round before facing the winner or loser between Illinois and Rhode Island on its half of the bracket. The other side will pit Arizona State against reigning ACHA DI national champion Adrian and Minot State against UNLV, with championship and consolation semifinals and finals to follow.
Liberty will open 2022 with a home series against Drexel on Jan. 14-15 before traveling to longtime ESCHL rival Stony Brook Jan. 22-23. The Flames will host UNLV from Jan. 28-29, with the series finale against the Running' Rebels their third midnight matchup.
The final stretch of the regular season should prepare Liberty well for the national championships as it will host Minot State on Feb. 4-5 before traveling to Ohio, a team it met nine times this past season, on Feb. 11-12. After hosting Jamestown on Feb. 18-19, the Flames will travel back to Chesterfield, Mo., on March 8 for a regular-season-ending rematch with Marysville, the 2021 national tournament host which Liberty ousted in the opener.
Liberty ACHA Division I Men's Hockey 2021-22 season schedule
Sept. 17 — IUP, 7 p.m.
Sept. 18 — NC State, 10 p.m.
Oct. 1 — Michigan-Dearborn, 7 p.m.
Oct. 2 — Michigan-Dearborn, 11:59 p.m.
Oct. 8 — Delaware, 7 p.m.
Oct. 9 — Delaware, 7 p.m.
Oct. 15 — at Minot State, 7 p.m.
Oct. 16 — at Minot State, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 18 — at Jamestown, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 — at Jamestown, 7 p.m.
Oct. 29 — at Drexel, 8:30 p.m.
Oct. 30 — at Drexel, 3:30 p.m.
Nov. 5 — Stony Brook, 7 p.m.
Nov. 6 — Stony Brook - 7:00pm
Nov. 12 — Ohio, 7 p.m.
Nov. 13 — Ohio, 7 p.m.
Nov. 19-21 — Showcase in Chicago
Dec. 3 — West Virginia, 11:59 p.m.
Dec. 4 — West Virginia, 7 p.m.
Jan. 14 — Drexel, 7 p.m.
Jan. 15 — Drexel, 7 p.m.
Jan. 22 — at Stony Brook, 8:30 p.m.
Jan. 23 — at Stony Brook, 3:30 p.m.
Jan. 28 — UNLV, 7 p.m.
Jan. 29 — UNLV, 11:59 p.m.
Feb. 4 — Minot State, 7 p.m.
Feb. 5 — Minot State, 7 p.m.
Feb. 11 — at Ohio, 7 p.m.
Feb. 12 — at Ohio, 3 p.m.
Feb. 18 — Jamestown, 7 p.m.
Feb. 19 — Jamestown, 9:30 p.m.
March 8 — at Maryville, 2 p.m.
March 10-15 — ACHA National Championships in St. Louis
(Home games in bold)
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media
