Senior forward Jason Foltz knocks down a Minot State player in pursuit of the puck.
Flames welcome defending ACHA DI national champion Beavers to LIC for some ‘Midnight Mayhem’
9/21/2023 12:24:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey
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Liberty will seek to end the Minot State mystique as the Beavers have won 16 of 19 meetings, including 13 of the past 14.
It will be the perfect storm when Liberty University's ACHA Division I men's hockey team hosts top-ranked, defending national champion Minot State in the fourth-ranked Flames' ACHA DI debut and the first of this season's three "Midnight Mayhem" matchups late Friday night at the LaHaye Ice Center (LIC).
"Everyone's excited and I think it's already sold out," said senior forward Jason Foltz, Liberty's second-leading scorer last season with 17 goals and 13 assists. "It will be crazy. I'm excited for our (five) freshmen to be able to experience that really early and kind of get used to those crowds. Not many of them have played in front of a really big crowd like that."
The Beavers came from behind to eliminate the Flames in the Final Four last March near Boston after doing the same thing in St. Louis in 2021. This weekend's series, and a rematch next Friday and Saturday at Maysa Arena in Minot, N.D., could be a preview of a Final Four 2024 showdown back in St. Louis.
"We're excited that we're (hosting Minot) early rather than later on in the year," Foltz said. "I feel like it will set the pace for the rest of the season. Usually we start out with some lower-seeded teams for the first couple weekends, so I think it's going to be really good for us to open up against them two weekends in a row – home first and then on the road. It will be a quick turnaround."
Both teams graduated a handful of senior leaders from last season's squad but have reloaded with strong recruiting classes.
"They lost a lot of guys, but I think they also brought in some good guys and have their remaining core players, so they should still be at the same level that they were last year," Foltz said. "We lost some really important guys this past year, but we also brought in some really good guys this year to kind of match what they did in the offseason. It will be good to see what they've got and if there's anything we see or do wrong in the first game, we can make adjustments in the second game and then of course when we play them again on the road."
He said the next two weekends, while the first two series of the year, will have postseason implications.
"It will be a good test to see where we stand and what our competition is going to be like," Foltz said. "Everyone's got their eyes on that prize at the end of the season. It's my last year, probably, of competitive hockey and I'm going to make sure that I'm going to be able to bring my everything and leave it all out on the ice every single game, and just play every game like it's my last."
The Flames' front lines are firing on all cylinders to start the season, as evidenced in their 7-2 exhibition opener against ACHA DII North Carolina State last Friday night in front of a sellout crowd at the LIC.
"Offense is dialed in, especially (in Wednesday's practice)," Foltz said. "Everyone was buzzing, building that chemistry. Some of the lines are the same as last year, but some of the lines are a little bit newer. Everyone is seeing the ice very well with each other and making a lot of smart plays."
Scouting Preview for Games 2-3: No. 1 Minot State (2-0) at No. 4 Liberty (1-0), Friday at 11:59 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m. at the LaHaye Ice Center. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
All-Time Series: The Beavers hold a commanding 16-3 advantage, winning 13 of the past 14 meetings. The Flames ended Minot's 11-game streak against them in their regular-season-ending home series last season. Previous to that, Liberty hadn't beaten the Beavers since a 2014-15 regular-season-ending sweep of its then-No. 3-ranked rivals at the LIC.
Hunter Virostek made 61 saves in a 3-2 loss to Minot State in the national semifinals.Liberty Scouting Report: The Flames had four players record two points each in last week's opener against NC State — senior forward and top returning scorer Jacob Kalandyk (17G, 15A in 2022-23), who netted back-to-back scores during a three-goal flurry over a span of 44 seconds early in the second period; graduate forward Jackson Vercellono, who assisted both of Kalandyk's goals; and graduate forward and head captain Matt Bartel and freshman defenseman Marty Marnauzs (Mocs), who both netted one goal and distributed one assist. Junior defenseman Kevin Bite also showed his offensive capability by starting the scoring with 11.9 seconds left in the period, giving the Flames' attack a much-needed momentum boost going into the first intermission.
Liberty's defense stood tall against the Icepack, with its penalty kill unit killing off all four NC State power play opportunities. In goal, graduate Hunter Virostek, who made 61 saves in the 3-2 overtime loss in the national semifinal showdown with Minot in March, played all 60 minutes against the Icepack, making 25 saves for a 92.6 save percentage.
Minot State Scouting Report: The Beavers, who are coming off of an exhibition sweep in Saskatchewan last weekend, edging Regina 5-4 and Briercrest, 5-3, have been one of the premiere programs in ACHA DI over the past decade, making 11consecutive national quarterfinal appearances, six semifinals, and raising three Murdoch Cup trophies. They return nine forwards, five defensemen, and all three goalies from last season's national championship team.
Minot got two goals from Troy Hamilton and game-winners from returning leading scorer Carter Barley (18 goals, including 4 GWG, 38 assists in 2022-23) and freshman forward Colby Joseph against Briercrest and Regina, respectively.
Between the pipes, the Beavers rely on Jake Anthony (21-3, 1.84 goals-against average, 93.3 SP, 4 shutouts in 2022-23; 4-0, 1.12 GAA, 94.3 SP, 2 SO at nationals) to dam up their net.
Coaches:Kirk Handy is in his 24th season at the helm of the Flames, having guided them to seven consecutive ACHA DI National Championships appearances and posted a career record of 517-211-32. Wyatt Waselenchuk, Minot State's first ACHA Division I Player of the Year in 2013 after leading the Beavers to their first national championship, is 66-6 in his third season at the helm. He served as assistant coach over the previous five seasons, including 2018-19, when Minot claimed its second national title.
