Flames hit urgency button in second period, rally past Seawolves, 3-2

Friday, October 25

Lynchburg, VA

7:00 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Stony Brook University

Freshman forward Liam Cox-Smith skates the puck out of the defensive zone in front of sophomore goalie Konrad Kausch. (Photos by Emily Cuthrell)

Flames hit urgency button in second period, rally past Seawolves, 3-2

10/25/2024 11:13:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey

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Liberty overcame another slow start by shuffling its lines to start the second stanza, when it outscored Stony Brook 2-0 to erase a 1-0 deficit.

Gallery: (10-25-2024) DI mens hockey vs. Stony Brook Game 1

Seeking to light a fire under Liberty University's ACHA Division I men's hockey team, Head Coach Kirk Handy mixed up his forward lines to start the second period of Friday night's series opener against former ESCHL rival Stony Brook.

The strategy paid immediate dividends as the Flames (8-3) rallied from a 1-0 deficit to seize a 2-1 lead before netting the game-winning goal with 7:07 to play in the third period of a 3-2 triumph over the Seawolves (3-3-1).

"We scrambled lines and we tried to hit a bit more of the urgency button," Handy said. "The urgency switch has to be flipped earlier on. Not panic, urgency. We need urgency in our shifts, urgency in our back checks, urgency in the way that we compete out there."

Stony Brook struck first with a one-on-one maneuver through the slot by defenseman Kyle Nestepny, who received a backhanded pass from James Kozick as he skated across the red line and deked around a defenseman before diving and depositing the puck past Liberty sophomore goalie Konrad Kausch for a 1-0 lead with 11:24 left in the first period.

"The first period was again not very good," Handy said. "That's a couple games in a row now that the other team has scored the first goal. We need to score the first goal, that's big, and we have to win the first period. We've got to keep tweaking things in our preparation to make sure that we're ready go. It just needs to be better. We want to win periods. The second period we played a lot better."

After being held scoreless in the first 20 minutes, the Flames netted the equalizer with 15:37 to play in the second period. Sophomore forward Mason Smith tucked in a rebound in the left crease of junior forward and head captain Sam Feamster's shot through the slot off an entry pass from senior forward and alternate captain Jacob Kalandyk.

Less than a minute later, freshman forward Liam Cox-Smith gave Liberty its first lead by swooping into the right crease and lifting the putback of a shot by senior forward Truett Olson into the upper netting past Stony Brook goalie Scott Barnikow at the 14:41 mark.

Kausch made a spectacular kick save of a breakaway by Seawolves forward Alex Scimeca with 7:01 to play in the second, blocking his backhanded shot by extending his pad to the lower left post. Liberty outshot Stony Brook by a 44-37 margin on the night and Kausch made 35 saves.

"Kausch has played well," Handy said. "He's been solid for us all year and he had a real solid performance for us again tonight."

The Flames ended the second period on a 5-on-3 power play that carried over into the third, but as was often the case in last weekend's series against Maryville, they came away empty-handed, leaving the door open for Stony Brook to tie the contest.

"We did have some chances, but we need to find a way to put one in," Handy said.

Given the reprieve, Nestepny made the Flames pay with 12:53 to play, capitalizing on an assist from Joseph Lomtevas to knot the game at 2.

Liberty graduate forward Jackson Vercellono narrowly missed on a one-timed shot from deep in the left circle and again from the high slot moments later after skating the puck out from behind the cage. Then, with 7:07 remaining in regulation, Flames freshman forward Kal Essenmacher received a pass in the left circle from junior defenseman Laz Kaebel and launched a shot on net that Olson deftly deflected past Barnikow as he sliced through the left crease for the game winner.

The Seawolves pulled Barnikow for the final minute-plus, but the Flames had more empty-net shots than Stony Brook managed to generate on Kausch with the man advantage.

The two teams will face off again Saturday at 7 p.m., with fans encouraged to dress up for a special Halloweekend Night and a Trunk or Treat to precede the contest from 5:30-6:45 p.m. in the LaHaye Parking Lot, sponsored by Liberty's Student Government Association.

Junior goalie Nicholas Bernstein will start between the pipes for the Flames in the rematch, when Handy hopes the offense will provide their own spark.

"We want to address the first period," Handy said. "We have to be able to win three periods tomorrow and we really have to win that first period."

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