DII Flames sweep Keene State to improve to 13-3 at the LIC; set to host Miami (Ohio)

Friday, January 26

Lynchburg, VA

7:30 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Keene State College

Senior defenseman Rece Poulin controls the puck in front of sophomore defenseman Logan Starkey and junior goalie Lane Skon. (Photo by Aziz Ibrahim)

DII Flames sweep Keene State to improve to 13-3 at the LIC; set to host Miami (Ohio)

1/30/2024 4:21:00 PM | Men's D2 Hockey

Liberty, ranked No. 3 in the Southeast Region, will host the No. 5 Redhawks this Friday at 10:15 p.m. and Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

Liberty University's ACHA Division II men's hockey team, ranked No. 3 in the Southeast Region, swept Keene State (N.H.) University, the No. 4-ranked team in the Northeast Region, 4-2 on Friday night and 9-2 on Saturday afternoon at the LaHaye Ice Center (LIC).

The Flames (15-9) improved to 13-3 playing on their home ice while they are just 2-6 away from the LIC.

In Saturday's opener, Liberty opened a 3-0 lead after the first period on goals by sophomore forward Thomas Kayner just 58 seconds after the opening faceoff; freshman forward Jacob Padgett, a spring semester addition; and his older brother, sophomore forward Mark Padgett, at the 3:15 mark.

After Keene State trimmed the deficit to 3-1 with the only goal of the second period, the Flames extended it to 4-1 on the team-high 15th goal of the season by junior forward Roman Lamoureux. It was the first of Lamoureux's three goals for the weekend, eclipsing the 100-point mark for his career with his second score in Saturday's rematch.

Liberty was outshot by Keene State, 43-42, in the first game before turning up the heat and outshooting the Owls, 45-18, in the second, when the Flames scored two goals in the first and second periods to seize a 4-1 lead before adding five more in the third.

In contrast to Friday's game, when only four penalties were called, Saturday's rematch was more physical with a total of 13 infractions enforced, including eight against Liberty.

Sophomore forward Richard Indermill started the scoring with a power-play goal at the 15:10 mark of the first stanza before Keene State answered on a goal by Jayde Justus with 3:30 to play. Graduate defenseman Dylan Kent responded by scoring with 52 seconds left on another power play for a 2-1 Flames advantage.

Senior defenseman Daniel Hauke and Lamoureux extended Liberty's lead to 4-1 on even-strength goals midway through the second period and in the final minute, respectively. Finally, in the third, Kayner made it 5-1 before junior forward Eric Abbate scored shorthanded for a 6-1 advantage.

Keene State responded on the power play before the Flames tacked on the final three goals unanswered, two by Cooper Neal and the last shorthanded by Lamoureux with 42 seconds remaining in regulation.

Junior goalie Lane Skon earned both wins in goal, making a total of 57 saves.

The Flames return to the LIC this weekend for a series against Miami (Ohio) University, ranked fifth in the Southeast Region, on Friday at 10:15 p.m. and Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

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