Flames sophomore forward Luke Tucker controls the puck in front of an Icepack player on Friday night. (Photos by Jacob Summersgill)
DII Flames battle back to salvage home-and-home series split with NC State; host showcase this weekend
10/9/2023 4:55:00 PM | Men's D2 Hockey
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Liberty outshot the Icepack by more than a two-to-one margin, but those numbers weren't reflected in the final scores.
Liberty University's ACHA Division II men's hockey team came away with its second straight series split against a Southeast Region opponent in home-and-home series with North Carolina State — bouncing back from Thursday's 5-3 setback in Raleigh, N.C., to emerge with a 2-1 triumph late Friday night at the LaHaye Ice Center.
In the rematch, Liberty outshot the Icepack by a 52-19 count and junior goalie Lane Skon made 18 saves to earn the victory.
The Flames (4-1-1) scored first on a power play with 6:13 left in the first period when sophomore forward Thomas Kayner collected a loose puck in the left circle after Luke Tucker sneaked it through from behind the right post and fired a shot past North Carolina State goalie Addison Lawrence (50 saves).
NC State (3-4) struck back to tie the contest by capitalizing on a power play when leading scorer Zachary Herman finished a fast-break counterattack by putting away passes from Philip Bailey and Nick Shook near the left post with 10:12 to play in the second period.
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Liberty graduate defenseman Dylan Kent (4) looks on from the bench on Friday night.Â
Liberty couldn't convert on three power-play opportunities in the last half of the period, including a five-minute major at the end of it, and the score remained tied for nearly 30 minutes before Flames graduate defenseman Dylan Kent connected with junior forward Jared Matley on a long stretch pass down the center of the ice. Matley faked to his left and cut right as he skated down the slot before tucking a backhander past Lawrence for the game winner with 50 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Icepack used its home-ice advantage to win Thursday night's opener at the Wake Competition Center, 5-3, despite being doubled in the shot totals, 29-14.
NC State's second-leading scorer Garrett Auriene started the scoring just 59 seconds after the opening faceoff, converting off of an assist from Herman. Just 56 seconds later, Liberty tied the contest when junior forward Roman Lamoureux finished a feed from Kayner.
The Flames seized a 2-1 lead after senior defenseman Rece Poulin put away passes from freshman defenseman Cade Pawluk and sophomore forward Antonio Vidal with 7:56 left in the second period. But the Icepack evened the score with 3:10 left in the period on a goal by defenseman Ricky Frosch assisted by Herman.
Matley scored unassisted to lift Liberty to a 3-2 lead 5:08 into the second period before NC State netted the game's final three goals, the first shorthanded by forward Aiden Brenner at the 6:59 mark. Defenseman Jackson Cowen tallied the game winner off assists from Herman and Shook with 5:10 to go in the second period before Herman added an insurance score with 5:10 remaining in regulation.
Isaac Tawyer made 26 saves to preserve the win for the Icepack. Sophomore Nick Bernstein took the loss in net for the Flames in his first start for the DII squad after beginning the year with the DI men's team.
Liberty returns to action over Fall Break this weekend when it hosts a showcase with games against Lindenwood (Ill.), the top-ranked team in the Central Region last season, on Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Florida Gulf Coast University, which finished ranked second to the Flames in the Southeast Region, on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; and Davenport (Mich.) on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in the LIC.
  By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & MediaSophomore forward Josh Martin skates the puck past a North Carolina State defenseman on Friday night at the LaHaye Ice Center.
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