Flames send Dragons to dungeons in demoralizing ‘Midnight’ maelstrom

Friday, December 6

Lynchburg, VA

11:59 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Drexel University

Flames freshmen forwards Liam Cox-Smith (front) and Hayden DeMars (24) formed a dynamic offensive threat against Drexel in the Midnight Mayhem series opener at the LaHaye Ice Center. (Photos by Ryan Anderson)

Flames send Dragons to dungeons in demoralizing ‘Midnight’ maelstrom

12/7/2024 12:43:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey

Liberty netted three goals in the first period, four in the second, and nine more in the third to slay Drexel early Saturday morning before a capacity crowd in the LaHaye Ice Center.

Gallery: (12-7-2024) DI men's hockey vs. Drexel

Donning bright red Christmas sweaters and showcasing plenty of esprit de corps, if not holiday cheer, Liberty University's No. 3-ranked ACHA Division I men's hockey team contributed to the festive atmosphere inside the LaHaye Ice Center early Saturday morning.

In the Flames' first-ever showdown with Drexel University, they seized control with three goals in the first period and added four in the second and nine in the third for a 16-0 slaying of the No. 25 Dragons in the second of the season's three Midnight Mayhem contests.

"All the lines were scoring," Liberty Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "There wasn't a line that didn't play well tonight. You really started to see that at the showcase out at Maryville (Mo., before Thanksgiving). Our guys were finding the back of the net there and finding the back of the net tonight."

"It was pretty fun," Flames freshman forward Brad Barker said after scoring his first hat trick to quadruple his season goal total. "St. Louis was a huge momentum boost for us. We were down for a bit, on like a four-game losing streak, and we were just like, 'We're way better than that.' So we were just pedal to the medal and got a 3-0 sweep and gained a lot of momentum from that."

Fellow freshman forward Hayden DeMars netted three goals and two assists while senior forward and alternate captain Jacob Kalandyk and junior forward and head captain Sam Feamster (three assists) both scored twice.

The Flames totaled 67 shots for the contest and junior goalie Nicholas Bernstein hung the Dragons out to dry by snuffing all 22 of their attempts — including breakaway opportunities late in the first period and early in the second — to post his second shutout of the season.
"Bernstein made some big saves for us and I thought our guys executed very well tonight," Handy said. "The key is to do the same thing (Saturday night). We need to rest up, come back tomorrow, and finish the semester strong. That's the key for us."

Kalandyk sent the faithful Flames fans on hand into a joyful celebration pocketing what held up as the game-winning goal at the 17:45 mark of the first period. He received feeds from behind the net from graduate forward Jackson Vercellono and senior forward and alternate captain Truett Olson and ripped a fadeaway wrist shot into the top-left corner of the net past Drexel goalie Ryan Nocerino for a 1-0 lead.

Though it couldn't capitalize on two power-play opportunities moments later and midway through the period, Liberty continued to pressure Drexel's defense, with sophomore forward Ryan Finch — who was dangerously checked back-first into the corner boards moments earlier — clanging a shot from the right circle off the crossbar.

DeMars narrowly missed on four quality scoring chances in the first period alone, striking the crossbar with a shot from the left circle and firing just wide of an open net on a shorthanded try in the closing seconds after taking fellow freshman forward Mac Ratzlaff's pass from behind the cage.

But his teammates more than made up for those close calls by capitalizing on their chances, with junior defenseman Laz Kaebel rocketing a one-timed slap shot from the top of the left circle past Nocerino with 5:56 to play in the period off assists from junior defenseman Nick Pomerleau and Feamster for a 2-0 Liberty lead.

Just over a minute later, Barker added fuel to the fire with a wraparound finish off assists from behind the net from junior defenseman Reid Bogenholm and freshman forward Kal Essenmacher for a 3-0 advantage 4:32 before the first intermission.

Finch started the second-period scoring on the power play at the 13:11 mark by putting away assists from Ratzlaff and Feamster, threading his shot past Nocerino from deep in the left circle. Less than five minutes later, with the Flames back on the man advantage, Kalandyk received Olson's low-to-high feed from out of the left corner off a secondary assist from Bogenholm and unleashed a snapshot from around the same spot as Finch's shot inside the right post, padding the lead to 5-0.

DeMars finally got on the scoreboard in spectacular fashion at the 2:55 mark, receiving a long outlet pass from Bernstein up the left wing, maneuvering through the left crease and slipping the puck through the five hole as he slid head-first across the slot to extend Liberty's lead to 6-0. Barker then netted his second goal of the game exactly a minute later, taking fast-break feeds from senior defenseman Nathan Cox and sophomore forward Mason Smith across the slot and slamming the puck past Nocerino to stretch the Flames' advantage to 7-0.

"Give it to my linemates," DeMars said. "They worked their butts off. Everyone was rolling. Brad (Barker's) line, the past couple of games, Brad's really got his confidence and he's just lighting it up. All lines are rolling, and that's what we need going into a break, ending (the semester) on a good note."

The Flames continued to train the Dragons by putting on an offensive clinic in the third period, burying their guests under a blizzard of goals as they enjoyed a high-speed sleigh ride to victory. The flurry of goals started with a fantastic finish by Feamster trailing down the slot to open a gaping 8-0 lead just 28 seconds after the opening faceoff. He followed a spectacular drive by DeMars, who skated around defensemen in the left circle and cut back into the crease for an initial shot blocked by Nocerino.

That opened the floodgates for four more goals over the next 10 minutes and four more in the final 10. Cox extended Liberty's edge to 9-0 at the18:26 mark with a slap shot from the right point before freshman forward Liam Cox-Smith recovered the rebound of his short-ranged shot in the left crease and made a diving pass behind the cage to DeMars, who ended Nocerino's night by roofing a backhander from near the right post to push the lead to 10-0 with 16:32 remaining in regulation.

Just 34 seconds later, Feamster converted his second goal — and first of six off replacement goalie Jared Treat — after skating between defensemen down the slot assisted by Finch and Kaebel.

Cox-Smith assisted the Flames' 12th goal after making a phenomenal move around a Dragons defenseman through the left circle and setting up DeMars to polish off his hat trick from near the right post with 9:58 remaining in regulation.

DeMars then delivered a fantastic feed as he skated behind the net to freshman forward Tucker Shields in front for a top-shelf backhand finish and 13-0 advantage with 6:12 still to go. A minute and four seconds later, Bogenholm skated down the slot and onto a well-timed assist from Essenmacher and he cashed it in off the glove of Treat before sliding on his back into the left corner boards.

Seconds after DeMars was checked like a rag doll along the back boards, graduate forward Jackson Vercellono skated onto assists from Cox and junior defenseman Kevin Bite and netted a sharp-angled shot from the right crease on a delayed penalty with 2:44 to play.

Finally, with 25 seconds left, Barker completed his hat trick and capped the scoring with a point-blank finish of another perfectly placed cross-crease feed from Essenmacher.

Barker said the Flames must stay focused to avoid a letdown in Saturday's rematch, especially coming off the hype and late-night adrenaline rush of Midnight Mayhem. They will be without the services of Ratzlaff, who was ejected along with Drexel's Michael Urbani for fighting late in the second period.

"Just play our game, keep it simple, and don't fall into (the Dragons') trap," he said. "They're going to want us to take penalties and they're going to start playing a chippy game because nobody likes to lose by that much, which we understand. So we just have to stay out of the box and just play our game. Our game is simple, fast, and effective. All of us can put the puck in the back of the net, we just have to make plays at a high pace and that will help us succeed."

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