Liberty University Club Sports Athletics
DI men’s hockey’s 2023-24 schedule will have Flames battle-tested for nationals in St. Louis
5/30/2023 12:47:55 PM | Men's D1 Hockey
After testing itself against the most challenging schedule in program history and one of the toughest in the nation last season, Liberty University’s ACHA Division I men’s hockey team will again go through a gauntlet of grueling games in 2023-24.
Head Coach Kirk Handy is confident that the strength of schedule will again prepare the Flames, who compete as an independent program, to contend for their first national championship March 7-12 in St. Louis.
“On our end, it made us battle-ready and made us primed to be able to play at our best (in the postseason),” he said. “We want to have the top schedule in the country. That’s our goal every year, to be one of the top teams in the country. This year, with the opportunities God has given us, we as a coaching staff are super happy with the schedule we have. It is fantastic.”
Following a season-opening exhibition against ACHA Division II North Carolina State on Sept. 15, Liberty’s first two series against Division I opponents will be home and away rematches with reigning national champion Minot State, on Sept. 22-23 at the LaHaye Ice Center and Sept. 29-30 in Minot, N.D. The Flames were eliminated by the Beavers in the Final Four for the second time in three seasons, 3-2 in overtime on March 21 in Marlborough, Mass., near Boston.
“That’s exactly the way we wanted it, to come out and have high expectations for our program, give them the opportunity to play in those top games right away,” Handy said, noting that Liberty will play 20 of its 34 games at home with three Midnight Mayhem matchups, the first in the opener against Minot. “We’re going to have to be at our best, and absolutely, that is exactly the way we wanted it. We want that same feel, that same opportunity for our guys to play in a nationals-like environment throughout the season to give us a good gauge to see where we are at as a program.”
The schedule also features six games against Ohio, which was eliminated by Adrian College in the other Final Four matchup, and home and away series against the national runner-up Bulldogs. The Flames will also play single series against former ESCHL foes Delaware, Stony Brook, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Niagara, with the openers of the fall-semester-ending series against the Panthers and spring-semester-opening series against the Orange also Midnight Mayhem contests.
Liberty will face Minot State for a fifth time and fellow ACHA Top-10 teams Central Oklahoma and UNLV, which it played five times last season, in the Nov. 17-19 Chicago Showcase.
Liberty ACHA Division I Men’s Hockey 2023-24 Schedule
Sept. 15 - NC State
Sept. 22 – Minot State (Midnight Mayhem)
Sept. 23 - Minot State
Sept. 29 - at Minot State
Sept. 30 - at Minot State
Oct. 6 - Delaware
Oct. 7 - Delaware
Oct. 13 - at Adrian
Oct. 14 - at Adrian
Oct. 20 - Maryville
Oct. 21 - Maryville
Oct. 27 - at Delaware
Oct. 28 - at Delaware
Nov. 3 - Stony Brook
Nov. 4 - Stony Brook
Nov. 10 - Ohio
Nov. 11 - Ohio
Nov. 17-19 - Chicago Showcase vs. UNLV, Minot State, Central Oklahoma
Dec. 1 – Pittsburgh (Midnight Mayhem)
Dec. 2 - Pittsburgh
Jan. 19 – Syracuse (Midnight Mayhem)
Jan. 20 - Syracuse
Jan. 27 - at Stony Brook
Jan. 28 - at Stony Brook
Feb. 2 - Adrian
Feb. 3 - Adrian
Feb. 9 - at Ohio
Feb. 10 - at Ohio
Feb. 16 - Niagara
Feb. 17 - Niagara
Feb. 22 - at Ohio
Feb. 24 - Ohio
March 7-12 – ACHA National Championships in St Louis
Bold indicates home game at LaHaye Ice Center
