Flames overcome 2-0 deficit to split series with Delaware in a shootout

Saturday, October 28

Newark, DE

5:30 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

University of Delaware

Freshman defenseman Marty (Marnauzs) Mocs controls the puck beside a Delaware player in the teams' Oct. 6 showdown at the LaHaye Ice Center. (Photo by Jacob Summersgill)

Flames overcome 2-0 deficit to split series with Delaware in a shootout

10/28/2023 10:49:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey

Liberty got two goals and an assist from freshman forward Ryan Finch, including the only goal in the shootout, when Nicholas Bernstein shut down the Blue Hens.

Liberty University's ACHA Division I men's hockey team rode another solid performance in goal by sophomore Nicholas Bernstein and a three-point night from freshman forward Ryan Finch to salvage a series split against former ESCHL rival Delaware with a 3-2 shootout win, Saturday night at Fred Rust Arena in Newark, Del.

"There was a lot of adversity that we faced this weekend," Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "We're really shorthanded and it was gut-check time. I'm proud of our guys. I feel like they battled hard and for our guys, it was a victory that we needed to have."

Despite outshooting Delaware (3-5) by more than a 2-to-1 margin, Liberty (6-6-1) trailed 2-0 after allowing back-to-back goals by forwards Luke Dosen and Justin Guelph in the first 42 seconds of the second period.

Delaware killed off a penalty early in the third period before Flames junior forward Jacob Kalandyk ended the scoring draught by capitalizing on another man advantage at the 13:03 mark. He received assists from junior defenseman Kevin Bite and Finch and fired a shot down the slot that sneaked past Blue Hens goalie Jacob Snellenburg.

Just 11 seconds later, after the ensuing facoff, Finch netted the equalizer unassisted by skating down the right wing and lifting a wrist shot from a sharp angle in the circle into the top-left corner of the cage, tying the contest at 2.

"There was a lot against us when we were down 2-0 in the third period and I liked how our guys responded," Handy said. "We let those two goals in quick. Confidence is a big thing and we wanted to make sure we had the confidence to get those back."

With just under 7:00 remaining in regulation, Liberty graduate forward Jackson Vercellono missed a golden opportunity on a Flames power play after receiving a feed from graduate forward Matt Bartel in the left crease. Flames sophomore defenseman Nicholas Pomerleau and senior forward Brett Gammer launched shots on goal from the right point and high slot, respectively, before senior forward Jason Foltz and Kalandyk narrowly missed go-ahead goals on shots in rapid succession from deep in the slot.

The Blue Hens ended regulation on a 5-on-4 advantage and started the 5:00 sudden-death overtime on a 4-on-3 power play that Liberty killed off with Bernstein making a couple clutch saves to force his second shootout in his three starts between the pipes in place of injured graduate goalie Hunter Virostek.

Bernstein stopped Guelph on Delaware's first attempt before Finch buried his first shot, rattling the puck inside the top-right corner of the cage for what held up as the game-winner. Blue Hens forward Tommy Tracy had his backhanded attempt from near the left post swatted away by Bernstein's blocker. Kalandyk lost control of the puck and didn't get a shot off on his turn, but it didn't matter as Delaware's Ryan Rodrigues was denied by Bernstein on the Blue Hens' third and final attempt, which sailed wide left.

"Nick Bernstein played well in net for us and Finch had a nice shot to win it," Handy said. "It was a gutsy performance by our guys. I was proud of the guys and the way they battled. That was huge, and a step in the right direction. We had a better performance than last night. We're grinding it out right now and hopefully we'll get one or two of our injured guys back next week."

Liberty will welcome another former ESCHL foe, Stony Brook, to the LaHaye Ice Center over Homecoming Weekend next Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer