Men’s DII hockey sweeps former MACH foe Delaware to start season; hosts another, Rowan, this weekend

Sophomore defenseman Logan Johnson skates the puck along the boards against the Blue Hens. (Photos by Chase Gyles)

Men’s DII hockey sweeps former MACH foe Delaware to start season; hosts another, Rowan, this weekend

9/26/2023 11:15:00 AM | Men's D2 Hockey

Liberty defeated the Blue Hens by 5-1 and 3-1 scores on Friday night and Saturday afternoon at the LaHaye Ice Center.

Liberty University's ACHA Division II men's hockey team opened its season with a sweep of former Mid-Atlantic College Hockey (MACH) rival Delaware, winning 5-1 on Friday night and 3-1 on Saturday afternoon at the LaHaye Ice Center.

Logan-Starkey-Liberty-defenseman — Sophomore defenseman Logan Starkey looks up ice after clearing the puck.

Junior wing Luke Tucker started the scoring for the Flames in Friday night's opener by taking a long stretch pass down the center of the ice and finishing a one-on-one breakaway with a shot that trickled through the legs of Blue Hens goalie Joseph Hooper and across the goal line for a 1-0 lead with 5:36 left in the first period.

Nine seconds later, after the ensuing faceoff, senior forward Cooper Neal doubled Liberty's lead with a second-effort putback in the right crease of sophomore center Josh Martin's shot from along the right boards.

Midway through the second period, freshman defenseman Cade Pawluk recorded the first goal of his Flames career with a shot from the high slot into the top-right corner of the cage off an assist from graduate defenseman Dylan Kent.

At the 13:29 mark of the third period, Delaware trimmed the deficit to 3-1, beating junior goalie Lane Skon with a shot from deep in the left crease, before the Flames added an empty-net goal by junior center Roman Lamoureux off an assist from sophomore forward Antonio Vidal to make it 4-1.

Jared Matley capped the scoring 15 seconds later by slamming home a putback of freshman forward Aaron Higgins' shot from the right wing.

In Saturday's rematch, Martin started the scoring with 3:34 left in the first period by taking sophomore forward Thomas Kayner's pass out of the right corner in the high slot and maneuvering around a Blue Hens defenseman before firing a shot past goalie Keith MacGregor as he skated into the left crease for a 1-0 lead.

Just over two minutes later, Kayner ripped a wrist shot into the top right corner as he sliced into the left circle, lifting Liberty to a 2-0 advantage with 2:13 to go in the first.

Ben-Hughes-bench — Flames Head Coach Ben Hughes offers instruction from behind the bench.

Delaware got a fluke goal in the second period after stealing the puck from Lamoureux on a breakout along the left boards, with Graham Kline's shot from the same spot glancing off the fist of fellow Blue Hens forward Brendan Stamm, who was stationed in the slot, over the glove of Skon, making it a 2-1 contest with 8:08 remaining.

Higgins received an outlet pass along the left boards from senior defenseman Nathan Mulder and shed a defender before adding an insurance score on another empty-netter with 15 seconds left in regulation for the final score.

The Flames (2-0) will host another former MACH foe, Rowan University, on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m. back in the LIC.

Videos by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media