Junior defenseman Laz Kaebel celebrates a goal against Ohio last Saturday night at the LaHaye Ice Center. (Photos by Brooke McDuffee)
Five DI Flames to compete in 2025 Winter World University Games in Italy
11/15/2024 1:12:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey
Share:
Junior defenseman Laz Kaebel and senior forward Jacob Kalandyk will represent Team USA again as they did in the 2023 World Cup, joined by sophomore goalie Konrad Kausch and forward Ryan Finch as well as freshman forward Michael DeBrito.
Liberty University's ACHA Division I men's hockey team will again be well represented on the United States Men's National University Team at the FISU Winter World University Games, Jan. 13-23 in Torino, Italy.
"We're super excited for our players to have the opportunity to go over there and for God to use them as ambassadors for Him on the U.S. Team," Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "I'm happy for those guys. It is quite an honor to represent your country. They all will also represent our team, the university, and the Lord well in everything they do, and we are excited to see how they will do."
With five players, Liberty has more than any other university on the team, followed by Adrian (three), Purdue University Northwest (three), Arizona (two), Grand Canyon (two), Minot State (two), Ohio (two), UNLV (two), Maryville (one), and Missouri State (one). Eleven different home states are represented on the roster, led by Michigan (six) and Minnesota (five). Jacob Kalandyk will represent the U.S. Team from Jan. 13-23 in Italy.
Flames junior defenseman Laz Kaebel and senior forward and alternate captain Jacob Kalandyk are two of the six players returning from the gold medal-winning team from the 2023 World Cup of Hockey in Romania, where the United States defeated Canada, 4-0, in the final.
This will be the 15th time that a United States hockey team participates in the World University Games. Other Liberty players on the 23-man all-ACHA Division I roster include sophomore goalie Konrad Kausch, sophomore forward Ryan Finch, and freshman forward Michael DeBrito. Flames equipment manager John Cimba will serve in the same role for the U.S. Team in Italy.
"We are really happy with how the final roster came together," said Adrian College Head Coach Gary Astalos, who will serve in the same role for the U.S. Men's National University Team. "We have a very diverse group of players who we feel can be very successful on the international stage."
Four of the U.S. Team's games are set in pool play, against Poland on Jan. 12, Japan on Jan. 14, Slovakia on Jan. 15, and Ukraine on Jan. 17 in Torre Pellice, Italy. Teams from Canada, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Korea, and Sweden are in Group B. The playoffs will begin with quarterfinals on Jan. 19 before the semifinals, championship, and consolation games are set for Jan. 21-22 in Torino.
The 11-day trip at the start of the spring semester does conflict with the No. 10 Flames' 2025 opening series against No. 6 Calvin (Mich.) University on Jan. 17-18 at the LaHaye Ice Center.
"That's the way it works out," Handy said, noting players should return to Lynchburg, Va., in time for the Jan. 24-25 series against Niagara University.
However, the first game of that series is the third and final Midnight Mayhem matchup of the season for the Flames and those returning from Italy will already be adjusting to a six-hour time change.
Liberty, which is off this weekend, will travel to the St. Louis area for three games next Friday against host Maryville (Mo.) University, Saturday against Minot State (N.D.), and Sunday against Arizona.
