Liberty University Club Sports
Keene State College
Back-to-back hat tricks by Lamoureux spark DII Flames to sweep of Keene State
1/31/2023 5:26:04 PM | Men's D2 Hockey
Liberty University’s ACHA Division II men’s hockey team stretched its winning streak to seven games by sweeping Keene State (N.H.) College over the weekend at the LaHaye Ice Center.
The Flames (22-4-1, ranked No. 2 in the Southeast Region) overcame 1-0 and 2-1 first-period deficits, eventually outscoring the Owls, 4-3 after the first period, en route to winning Friday’s first game, 7-3, with sophomore center Roman Lamoureux converting hat tricks in that game as well as Saturday’s 6-2 triumph.
Graduate defenseman Alex Norwinski scored the only goal of the second period in the opener and the first of three goals in the third period, after the Flames netted one goal in the first period and two in the second.
Liberty outshot Keene State (14-5, ranked No. 3 in the Northeast) by a 35-28 margin, and senior goalie Stephen Sanders made 25 saves to record the first-game victory, with junior wing Trevor Granzow and freshman defenseman Nathan Mulder also scoring first-period goals, Mulder’s on a power play, and freshman defenseman Logan Starkey tallying the only second-period score.
Mulder started the scoring in the second game before Norwinski got the game-winner on a second-period power play, finishing feeds from freshman forward Thomas Kayner and sophomore forward and head captain Josh Harrell. Lamoureux stretched the lead to 3-1 with an unassisted, shorthanded goal before completing his second hat trick of the series by adding two of the Flames’ three goals in the third — the first on a power play assisted by Granzow and freshman forward Padgett and second shorthanded off a feed from sophomore goalie Lane Skon.
Skon earned the win in net, making 26 saves as the Flames outshot the Owls, 44-28.
With the back-to-back hat tricks, Lamoureux overtook the Flames’ season scoring lead with 15 goals and 6 assists, three more points than Harrell (13G, 10A). He is also tied with freshman center Josh Martin with three game-winning goals, one less than sophomore forward Jared Matley’s four.
This weekend, Liberty returns to the LIC for a series against Bentley (Mass.) University (12-1-2, ranked No. 5 in the Northeast), with games set for Friday at 10:15 p.m. and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Videos by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media
