Liberty graduate forward Jackson Vercellono scored the game-winning goal with 2:44 remaining in overtime. (Photos by Brooke McDuffee)
Flames salute Military Appreciation crowd with Vercellono’s game-winning goal in OT
11/10/2023 11:29:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey
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Liberty got a golden-glove performance from Hunter Virostek, who returned from injury and made 37 saves in the 2-1 triumph.
Liberty University's ACHA Division I men's hockey team evened its all-time series with Ohio University at 19-19 and improved to 3-1 in games this season that have gone past regulation with a 2-1 overtime triumph in front of a sold-out College For A Weekend (CFAW) crowd on Friday night at the LaHaye Ice Center.
"Our PK was excellent tonight, we killed off a 5-on-3, and overall, it was a good game," Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said, noting that Liberty (9-6-1) outshot the Bobcats (8-6-1) by a 42-38 margin. "We're very evenly balanced, two good teams that are going at it. These are two top teams in the country. Both of us are banged up a little bit, so we're trying to get everyone back." Flames graduate goalie Hunter Virostek and graduate forward Jackson Vercellono
Decked out in red, white, and blue jerseys that resembled the U.S. flag in honor of Military Appreciation Night, the Flames (9-6-1) got a clutch performance from graduate goalie Hunter Virostek, playing for the first time in nearly a month, and a game-winning goal in overtime by graduate forward Jackson Vercellono, who saluted the crowd in celebrating the score.
"It was great to celebrate all of those (veterans)," Handy said. "Military is a big part of who we are at Liberty."
"We are blessed to get the chance to play hockey because people are fighting for our freedom, so it was fun to be able to salute (the military veterans in the crowd)," Vercellono added.
Virostek, who was injured in the second game of a series split at Adrian College, earned first-star honors in the post-game festivities after recording 37 saves to help secure the victory.
"It was a really tight game and we were fortunate to come out on top," Vercellono said. "We said in the locker room that (Virostek) is our rock, so having him was amazing. He's just so reliable, such the heart of our team, so we were really happy to have a guy that we can count on."
Virostek made a few clutch glove saves in the first period, when Flames senior forward Nate Albers had three shots rejected by Ohio goalie Justin Damon (40 saves), including two in the last minute of action.
"(Albers) played well," Handy said. "His line had lots of energy again tonight." Senior forward and head captain Matt Bartel is taken down from behind on a break.
Ohio played the last two periods without Luc Reeve, the ACHA DI Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year last season after leading the league in scoring as a freshman. He took a hard hit against the backboards from Flames senior forward and head captain Matt Bartel in the first period and did not return.
"That was a tough hit," Vercellono said. "It's a physical game, but it is what it is. We call those action penalties. (Bartel was) just playing hard. No negative intent whatsoever. He's a hard player to play against and sometimes you're going to go down if you battle him."
After a steal by Vercellono early in the second period, freshman forward Ryan Finch had his point-blank shot in the left crease stuffed by Damon.
Seconds after the Bobcats killed back-to-back Flames power plays, senior forward Jason Foltz pounced on a loose puck sprung by freshman forward Marty (Marnauzs) Mocs in the neutral zone and skated in for a one-on-one breakaway finish inside the lower left post for a 1-0 Liberty lead at the 9:30 mark.
Virostek made a lunging head-first save in the slot before standing on his head during a 5-on-3 Ohio power play late in the second period. However, the Bobcats tied it up with 14:27 remaining in regulation when Collin Felton skated the puck around the back of the cage and dished it to Aiden Grieco, who beat Virostek with a one-timed shot inside the right post from the inside edge of the right circle.
Late in the third period, the Flames narrowly missed game-winning scoring chances when sophomore defenseman Nick Pomerleau's shot from the top of the left circle was deflected and took a tricky bounce that Damon got a glove on before senior forward DJ Schwenke fired just wide on a low shot through the slot. Fans in the LaHaye Ice Center celebrate Jason Foltz's first-period breakaway score.
In the 5:00 overtime, Vercellono had a quick turnaround shot from deep in the left circle blocked by Damon before the Bobcats nearly pounced when Zack Glen skated up the left wing and struck the top-right corner of the cage with his shot from deep in the circle.
Given the reprieve, Vercellono finished feeds from junior forward Jacob Kalandyk and defenseman Kevin Bite from near the left post.
"Kevin Bite broke it out to (Kalandyk) and Kaly crossed the (blue line) and entered (the zone) and I drove the net and he shot it and it was a greasy rebound," Vercellono said. "I just went hard to the net, beared down with my stick, and just jammed it in there. When Kaly gets the puck, I just go to the net and good things will happen. We've got really good chemistry."
He said the two national Final Four teams from last season played with playoff-level intensity throughout the contest.
"When we are engaged physically, we are engaged everywhere else, too, so it was good that we had all lines rolling with the body," Vercellono said. "Thankfully, we kept true to our game and got blessed with a good bounce."
The Flames will need to ramp it up even more for Saturday's rematch, when the puck again drops at 7 p.m. in the LIC.
"We need better net-front presence," Vercellono said. "We were shooting, but we weren't in the slot for those rebounds. It's going to take a consistent forecheck, quick start, and more offensive production out of us. We've got to get more pucks on net. When we get pucks to the net, good things happen."
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media
