Reigning national champion Bulldogs snuff Flames, who are shut out for first time since January 2023

Thursday, October 10

Adrian, MI

7:30 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Adrian College

Flames graduate center Jackson Vercellono poke checks Adrian defenseman Ethan McLaughlin in a 'Star Wars Night' meeting last February at the LaHaye Ice Center. (Photo by Jacob Summersgill)

Reigning national champion Bulldogs snuff Flames, who are shut out for first time since January 2023

10/10/2024 11:16:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey

Liberty gave up the game's lone goal on one of Adrian's six power plays midway through the second period of Thursday night's opener.

In a defensive dual, Liberty University's ACHA Division I men's hockey team was shut out for the first time in 50 games dating back to Jan. 13, 2023, dropping a 1-0 decision to defending national champion Adrian College, Thursday night at the Arrington Ice Arena.

"It was a great game," Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said, noting that the Bulldogs only outshot Liberty by a 34-29 margin. "It was a back-and-forth battle between two top teams going at it, a physical game between two teams giving it everything they had. We've got to find a way to create a little more offense tomorrow."

No. 2-ranked Adrian (5-0-1) won the special teams battle by capitalizing on one of its six power plays with its penalty kill snuffing out all four of the chances for the fifth-ranked Flames (5-2).

"We took too many penalties," Handy said. "At one point in the game, we were called for six in a row, so it's tough when you're killing penalties back-to-back like that. We killed one in the first period, one that went into the second period, and three more in the second period."

The Flames outshot the Bulldogs by a 9-4 margin in the third period.

"When we were 5-on-5, we were playing really well," Handy said. "We hit a couple crossbars and a post and had some quality chances. We had all kinds of scoring opportunities at the end, after we pulled our goalie. But we have to figure out ways to be more dangerous offensively, both on the power play and 5-on-5."

Adrian scored the golden goal on a man advantage with 9:44 remaining in the second period. Justin Jamer sent an assist out of the left corner to Cash Regan for a one-timed shot from the inside edge of the left circle, barely beating sophomore goalie Konrad Kausch high blocker side.

"Konrad played fantastic in net," Handy said after Kausch made 33 saves. "He made some unbelievable saves and played a very, very good game tonight. It was a great hockey game between two teams who will be there at the end of the year going toe-to-toe. We'll go right back at it tomorrow and it will be another great game."

Bulldogs goalie Peyton Trzaska posted his second shutout of the season by making 29 saves against the Flames.

The two teams will conclude the two-game series over Liberty's Fall Break on Friday at 7 p.m. back at the Arrington Ice Arena, with the action streamed live on Adrian's YouTube channel.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer