DII Flames edged by Wildcats in back-to-back games ending after midnight

Friday, October 18

Lynchburg, VA

10:15 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

University of Kentucky

Liberty DII hockey Thomas Kayner Mark Padgett

Flames junior forwards Thomas Kayner (18) and Mark Padgett (29) skate through the neutral zone at the LaHaye Ice Center. (Photo by Ryan Anderson)

DII Flames edged by Wildcats in back-to-back games ending after midnight

10/21/2024 5:13:00 PM | Men's D2 Hockey

Kentucky visited Liberty for the first time and came away with a series sweep, winning 4-3 and 3-2 in overtime.

The first-ever series between Liberty University's ACHA Division II men's hockey team and Kentucky did not end well for the host Flames, late Friday and Saturday nights at the LaHaye Ice Center.

The Flames (6-2-1) outshot the Wildcats (6-2-2) by a 33-26 margin in the first game but trailed from the opening five minutes after Kentucky's Nicholas Delaney capitalized on a power play for the only goal of the first period.

Liberty freshman forward Anthony Emme answered with a power-play score early in the second period off assists from senior forward Roman Lamoureux and sophomore forward Jacob Padgett. Following goals by Kentucky's Jack Noel late in the first and Marc L'Heureux early in the third, Padgett trimmed the deficit to 3-2 on a penalty shot with 4:18 remaining in regulation. The Wildcats responded with an empty-net goal by Alexander Clingerman with 1:41 to play before senior forward Jared Matley netted the final goal off assists from graduate defenseman Dylan Kent and junior defenseman Connor Diem with one second left in the contest.

In Saturday night's rematch, Liberty was outshot by the Wildcats 37-28 and it yielded 1-0 and 2-1 leads in the first and second periods in a 3-2 overtime defeat.

Lamoureux got the Flames on the scoreboard first by finishing feeds from fellow senior forward Josh Harrell and senior defenseman Logan Johnson with 15:51 remaining in the first period.

After Nicklaus Obourn netted the first of two equalizers for Kentucky, the Flames reclaimed the lead on graduate forward Cooper Neal's shot set up by junior forward Thomas Kayner with 1:50 left in the second period. Gabriel Rodriguez tied it up for the Wildcats late in regulation before Nate James netted the game winner with 3:41 left in the five-minute overtime, beating Liberty senior goalie Lane Skon (34 saves).

The Wildcats moved into a three-way tie for second place (behind the University of Louisville) in the Tri-State Collegiate Hockey League with Ohio University, which Liberty will host Dec. 6-7, and reigning national runner-up Miami (Ohio) University, which the Flames will host this Friday at 10:15 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the LIC.

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