Liberty University Club Sports Athletics
DII Flames cap fall semester action by splitting home series with Huskies
12/8/2022 6:18:08 PM | Men's D2 Hockey
Liberty University’s ACHA Division II men’s hockey team had a six-game winning streak snapped for the second time this season when Northeastern University edged the Flames in Saturday night’s series finale against Northeastern, a 3-1 setback after Friday night’s 4-3 shootout victory at the LaHaye Ice Center. Previously, Liberty started the season with six wins in a row before falling to reigning ACHA DII national champion University of Mary pn Oct. 2 in the final game of Minnesota's Golden Gophers Showcase.
The Flames finish fall semester play at 15-4, ranked No. 2 in the Southeast Region behind Florida Gulf Coast University and barely ahead of Miami (Ohio) University after splitting with the Boston-based Huskies (8-3-1), who are ranked fifth in the Northeast Region.
Liberty started the scoring in Friday’s opener with back-to-back power-play goals by graduate forward Josh Malin and freshman forward Thomas Kayner to seize a 2-0 lead going into the first intermission. They stretched that edge to 3-0 on an even-strength goal by sophomore defenseman Rece Poulin off assists from graduate defenseman Alex Norwinski and Malin just 47 seconds into the second period before allowing the Huskies to net three unanswered goals in the final 10 minutes of the stanza.
Both teams were held scoreless in the third period and five-minute overtime before the Flames secured the win on sophomore forward and head captain Josh Harrell’s goal before sophomore goalie Lane Skon recorded his third save in the shootout and 22nd for the contest as Liberty outshot the Huskies, 27-22.
In Saturday afternoon’s rematch, the Flames held a 44-21 shot advantage but only netted one goal, by sophomore forward Jared Matley unassisted at the 5:01 mark of the second period, which trimmed the deficit to 2-1. Northeastern leading scorer Samuel Yarrow netted a hat trick, scoring one goal in each period. That included his third game-winner of the season in the first period and an empty-netter with 27 seconds remaining in the third after Liberty Head Coach Ben Hughes pulled senior goalie Stephen Saunders to give the Flames a man advantage.
Liberty, now an independent program, will open spring semester play by hosting former Mid-Atlantic College Hockey (MACH) rival Rowan University on Jan. 13-14 at 7:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively, at the LIC in back-to-back doubleheaders with the Lady Flames’ DII team, also playing the Profs earlier those afternoons.
Videos by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media
