Flames freshmen score all four goals in 4-0 Country Night smackdown of Saints

Friday, October 18

Lynchburg, VA

7:00 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Maryville University

Sophomore goalie Konrad Kausch focuses on an incoming shot by Maryville's leading scorer Maxwell Wagener. (Photos by Simon Barbre)

Flames freshmen score all four goals in 4-0 Country Night smackdown of Saints

10/18/2024 11:23:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey

Sophomore goalie Konrad Kausch made 39 saves to post his second shutout as Liberty's penalty kill unit was stellar as usual.

Gallery: (10-18-2024) DI men's hockey vs. Maryville

Freshmen netted all four goals and sophomore goalie Konrad Kausch posted his second shutout of the season as Liberty University's ACHA Division I men's hockey team left the Maryville (Mo.) University Saints singing the blues following Friday's 4-0 Country Night beatdown at the LaHaye Ice Center.

"I love our freshman class," said Flames freshman forward Brad Barker, one of two to net their first goals in a Liberty uniform on the night. "The guys are great. They work hard and push our older guys. It's been an awesome experience so far so it's nice for all of us to succeed like that."

The Flames (7-2) were outshot 39-33 for the game by the Saints (5-3-1), but Kausch made 39 saves to secure the win.

"Konrad played solid for us tonight," Liberty Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "He played really, really well."

After killing back-to-back penalties midway through the first period, Kausch made a critical glove save of a shorthanded, backhand breakaway chance by Maryville as the Flames could not capitalize on a 5-on-3 advantage over the next minute-plus.

"Konrad played amazing today," Barker said. "In that first period, we kind of left him out to dry a little bit, and he kept us in it and gave us some energy with some big saves and then the boys got rolling."

Liberty freshman forward Mac Ratzlaff ended the shutout just 1:09 before the first intermission by controlling a loose puck rebound of a perimeter shot by junior defenseman Nick Pomerleau.Ratzlaff dragged it through the right crease before threading an uncontested shot between the right pad of Saints goalie Parker Sawka and the left post.

Maryville outshot Liberty 18-9 in the first period, but Kausch kept the Saints scoreless with several clutch saves. He made a few more to help the Flames kill off a third 5-on-4 opportunity midway through the second period, including a kick save of a shot through traffic as the penalty expired.

Kausch made two more spectacular stops on another Maryville power play minutes later before freshman forward Tucker Shields tpounced on a puck sprung loose on the left blue line by junior defenseman Grant Morton. Shields skated in on Sawka before tucking his backhanded shot through the five-hole for a 2-0 advantage at the 8:12 mark.

Liberty's power play unit was unable to convert on another 5-on-3 advantage late in the second stanza. However, moments later, freshman defenseman Michael Adamek received feeds from Shields and sophomore forward Mason Smith at the top of the right circle. He rung up his first goal for the Flames on a shot through traffic from the high slot with 59 seconds left in the period.

Kausch continued to stand on his head at the start of the third period before Barker took a short pass out of the right circle from junior defenseman Laz Kaebel and secondary assist from senior forward Aleksandr Charin and fired a turnaround shot in the slot. The puck squeezed through the legs of Sawka and barely slid across the goal line to give the Flames a commanding 4-0 lead with 12:26 remaining in regulation.

Moments later, the Flames were granted their third 5-on-3 chance of the night, but again they came up empty and returned the favor to the Saints, who were unable to end Kausch's shutout bid after coming up dry on their own two-man advantage.

Barker said discipline will be key for the Flames to complete their first sweep of the Saints in three series.

"We just have to stay out of the box, to be honest," said Barker, who played on the same line as Charin and fellow freshman Kal Essenmacher. "We're a bigger line, but we have speed, so we just keep our game simple and outwork others. That was our key to success today, and it worked out for us. We stayed out of the box, our line. We handled some adversity. They were physical, they were competing hard and … so were we, but we kept our cool for the most part, and we came out with a win."

Maryville was assessed 14 penalties on the night to 13 for Liberty. Handy said increasing production on the power play will be a point of emphasis in Saturday's rematch.

"That's an area of our game we're going to have to improve on, for sure," he said. "We'll have to be ready to go tomorrow."

Ratzlaff will miss Saturday night's game due to injury, and freshman forward Hayden DeMars and freshman defenseman Joe Feamster must serve one-game suspensions for fighting.

"We'll have a couple guys out, and we'll have to battle through it," Handy said. "It's a battle out there and our guys stood up and protected themselves. I thought our guys were pretty controlled, to be honest. It's a new day tomorrow and we've got to get back at it. I'm proud of our guys today with the effort they had, and we've got to play another one tomorrow."

Saturday's rematch, sponsored by Impact First Responders, will honor Hometown Heroes. Fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances will be parked outside the LIC for a pre-game tailgate meet-and-greet for fans and first responders, who can buy discounted tickets for $7 to the 7 p.m. contest.

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