Flames freshman Mason Smith, sporting a special Rock & Glow Neon jersey, has successful shifted from forward to defenseman in his rookie season. (Photos by Brooke McDuffee)
Rock & Glow Neon Night to light up LaHaye Ice Center for DI Flames’ regular-season-ending series vs. No. 9 Niagara
2/15/2024 9:56:00 AM | Men's D1 Hockey
Share:
Liberty will honor its nine graduating players, goalie Hunter Virostek and forwards Nate Albers, Matt Bartel, Kris Bladen, Joe Clark, Jason Foltz, Brett Gammer, Kam Ottenbreit, and DJ Schwenke, before Saturday's Senior Night rematch.
Following what promises to be an electric Friday night opener with a Rock & Roll Neon theme, Saturday's Senior Night will be an emotional one for eight members of Liberty University's ACHA Division I men's hockey team playing the second-to-last games of their careers at the LaHaye Ice Center.
Arguably the deepest graduating class in recent history, led by graduate goalie Hunter Virostek and seven Flames forwards — head captain Matt Bartel, Joe Clark, Jason Foltz, Kam Ottenbreit (sidelined by concussion), and alternate captains Nate Albers, Brett Gammer, and DJ Schwenke — will look to leave it all on the ice as they prepare to peak at the March 7-12 National Championships near St. Louis.
"It's our last weekend at LaHaye, so we just want to make it memorable for them," said graduate forward Jackson Vercellono, who will return for a fourth and final season next fall as he completes his master's degree. "It's going to be something we all have to experience down the road. It's coming to the end of an era. We've got one more chance with this group of guys."
He said this year's squad is the strongest the Flames have featured in his career, with the best potential to challenge for the program's first Murdoch Cup when it travels to St. Charles, Mo., to compete in the Centene Community Ice Center, site of the St. Louis Blues practice facility.
Jackson Vercellono controls the puck beside freshman forward Ryan Finch (left).
"This is the best-looking group we've had," Vercellono said. "This is a very comparable season to that COVID year (2019-20) when they swept (top-ranked) Adrian (College to end the regular season). It's a special group we've got, so we've got to make the most of it and capitalize. We've got to get it done."
Adrian went on to win the 2021 national title near St. Louis after Liberty was eliminated by Minot State in the semifinals, as it was again in overtime last March near Boston.
For this coming weekend's series, Vercellono believes the Flames have the capacity to sweep, which would stretch their winning streak against the Purple Eagles to seven games.
"All it's going to take is a solid 60-minute effort out of all four of our lines and all of our D pairings, high intensity, high effort, and we just need to be focused and intentional," he said. "If we can get two more wins, that would hopefully bump up at least one more seed (to No. 5). That's our goal. We've been No. 5 both of our past years, so I'd like to keep it going, if not better."
Liberty has canceled its trip to Ohio on Feb. 22 and will officially conclude regular-season play with a single game on Feb. 24 against the Bobcats at the LIC, but this weekend's series is the last to count toward seeding for nationals.
"Rankings are going to be set after this weekend and we just want to keep our guys rested and save us another trip (to Ohio, where the Flames swept the Bobcats last weekend)," Vercellono said. "We're going to be taking a little break until nationals."
The Flames will look to Rock the Rink and ilLUminate the night on Friday for the new theme featuring special jerseys that will reflect the projected strobe lights.
"They're black with colorful lines, and they glow in the dark," Bartel said.
"I got to see the lights (and) it does look really cool," Vercellono added.
Fans are encouraged to wear neon-colored clothing that will reflect the light especially well. Those with sensory issues or who may be prone to epileptic seizures might opt to go to Saturday's Senior Night instead.
Scouting Preview for Games 28-29: No. 9 Niagara (18-7-1) at No. 6 Liberty (19-7-1), Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m. in the LaHaye Ice Center. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
All-time series: The Flames have won the last five meetings with the Purple Eagles, beating them once on the road in 2015 and twice at home in 2016 and again in 2022, capped by a Hawaiian-themed Midnight Mayhem matchup.
Liberty Scouting Report: The Flames, who moved up one spot to No. 6 in this week's ACHA DI rankings with the sweep of the No. 5 Bobcats, have found the right chemistry to generate sparks, if not neon lights, on their four lines. The top trio of junior leading scorer Jacob Kalandyk (18G, including 4 game-winning goals, 21 assists), Vercellono (7G, 16A), and senior Truett Olson (7G, 9A), have combined for 9 power-play goals and 9 game winners.
Since Ottenbreit's injury, Bartel (13G, 9A) and Foltz (10G, 10A) have been complemented by freshman Ryan Finch (8G, 11A) on the second line, followed by the "plumbers" line of Albers, Gammer, and Schwenke, who serves on both the power play and the penalty kill.
In goal, the Flames are anchored by Virostek (15-5-1, 2.72 goals-against average, 92.1 save percentage, 1 shutout).
Niagara Scouting Report: Before joining the ESCHL the season after Liberty left the conference, the Purple Eagles finished 28-5-1 and won their fifth Northeast Collegiate Hockey League tournament in 2021-22, when they were upset by Ohio in the first round of the ACHA DI National Championships. They clinched the ESCHL title this season and moved up one spot in the national rankings to No. 9 despite splitting with Stony Brook, the last-placed team in the conference, last weekend on their home ice.
Offensively, Niagara is sparked by forwards Devin Sanders (16G, 20A), who leads ACHA Division I with seven shorthanded scores, Charlie Belanger (20G, 7 power-play goals, 15A), and Jacob Kalin (19G, 5 PPG, 4 GWG, 14A) while defenseman Quinn Schneidmiller (5G, 22A) leads the team in assists.
In net, the Purple Eagles rely on Grant Zell (13-3-1, 2.38 GAA, 92.1 SP, 3 SO).
Coaches: Kirk Handy, who has guided the Flames to seven consecutive ACHA DI National Championship showings, sports a career record of 538-218-33 in his 24th season as head coach. Tom Mooradian is in his fourth season at the Purple Eagles' helm after succeeding longtime head coach Larry Brzeczkowski and boasts a 59-23-3 mark.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media
