Flames doubled up by defending national champion Beavers in ACHA DI-opening setback

Friday, September 22

Lynchburg, Va.

11:59 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Minot State University

Senior forward Jason Foltz skates for the Flames, trailed by freshman forward Nicholas Pomerleau. (Photos by Chase Gyles)

Flames doubled up by defending national champion Beavers in ACHA DI-opening setback

9/23/2023 9:40:00 AM | Men's D1 Hockey

As it did in national semifinal battles with the Flames in 2021 and again this past March, Minot State overcame a first-period deficit to defeat Liberty.

In an early-season showdown featuring playoff-level intensity, phenomenal speed, plenty of physicality, and some early heated exchanges on the ice, it was ultimately the momentum changes that derailed Liberty University's ACHA Division I men's hockey team in its bid to upset top-ranked Minot State early Saturday morning at the LaHaye Ice Center (LIC).

Liberty-Jacob-Kalandyk — Jacob Kalandyk, Liberty's leading scorer, gave the Flames a 1-0 lead against Minot.

Just as they did in national semifinal battles with the Flames in 2021 in St. Louis and this past March near Boston, the defending national champion Beavers (3-0) overcame a first-period deficit — scoring three unanswered goals in an 11-minute span — to quiet a sell-out crowd at the LIC with a 4-2 setback in the ACHA DI opener for both teams, the season's first of three Midnight Mayhem games.

The win continued Minot State's mastery of the Flames, as the Beavers have won 17 of 20 clashes in the series, including 14 of the past 15.

DJ-Schwenke-Jonathan-Chung — DJ Schwenke listens to Assistant Coach Jonathan Chung.

Liberty (1-1, ranked fourth in ACHA DI) netted the game's first goal on a power play, with senior forward Jacob Kalandyk launching a rocket of a wrist shot from the top of the right circle off a cross-ice feed from freshman forward Ryan Finch.

Kalandyk, the Flames' leading scorer last season who tallied back-to-back goals in last Friday's 7-2 win over North Carolina State, fired through traffic and beat Minot goalie Jake Anthony over his stick-side glove into the top-left corner of the cage for a 1-0 advantage with 15:06 left in the first period.

Kirk-Handy-Liberty-bench — Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy peers from behind the bench early Saturday.

But just over five minutes later, the Beavers evened the score on an easy putback in the right crease by Joey Moffatt after a fantastic first save by Flames senior goalie Hunter Virostek. Moffatt had helped set up the score by threading a backhanded cross-crease pass from along the right boards between two defensemen to Jay Buchholz, who found Reece Henry trailing as he sliced through the left circle for the initial shot.

Two turnovers and defensive breakdowns by the Flames allowed the Beavers to open the floodgates late in the first period and early in the second.

With four of Liberty's five skaters stranded in the offensive end, Minot State scored the game-winning goal on a quick steal and counterattack finish by forward Reid Arnold. After intercepting a pass from Flames senior forward Jason Foltz intended for junior defenseman Kevin Bite, Arnold skated down the right wing and cut across the slot on a three-on-one break before ripping a wrist shot past freshman defenseman Marty (Marnauzs) Mocs and Virostek into the top-right corner of the net at the 3:16 mark.

Truett-Olson-Liberty-forward — Senior Truett Olson assisted the second goal by Kevin Bite.

Just over a minute into the second period, Minot capitalized on another even-strength score when Beavers forward Troy Hamilton stole the puck back from Finch deep in the Flames' slot and tapped a pass to Colby Joseph, who slipped his shot from the left circle past Virostek inside the left post for a 3-1 advantage.

Liberty struck back just over four minutes later to trim the deficit to 3-2 when Bite finished a spectacular driving assist from senior forward Truett Olson with a shot as he skated through the slot. Olson, who scored both of the Flames' goals on first-period putbacks in March's national semifinal matchup, sprinted down the right wing and cut back through traffic in the right circle. A Minot player tried to clear the puck out of the zone only to feed it right to Bite, who buried his forehand wrister inside the right post with 14:35 left in the second period as Anthony's view was obstructed by a Beavers defenseman.

That sent the Flames fans on hand for the late-night festivities into delirium and restored hope of a come-from-behind upset. But after more than 28 minutes of scoreless hockey spanning the second and third periods, those dreams were dashed when the Beavers added an insurance goal with 5:59 remaining in regulation.

Liberty-Minot-State-clash — There was plenty of chippiness around the cage before cooler heads prevailed.

Buchholz capitalized on a delayed penalty assessed to the Flames (their ninth of the night) in the Minot end by chasing down defenseman Brayden Pawluk's outlet pass flipped along the right boards and beating Liberty's defense down-ice before skating across the crease and tucking his shot under the pads of Virostek to all but ice the win.
The Beavers outshot the Flames, 53-24, on the night and Virostek made 49 saves in defeat.

Minot and Liberty will duel again in Saturday night's rematch at the LIC, set for 7 p.m., when the Flames will look to salvage a series split before heading to Minot, N.D., next weekend for two more matches between the independent rivals.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media