DII Flames can’t tame Lions in third and deciding pool play clash of titans, ousted in OT

Wednesday, March 13

St. Louis, MO

6:45 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Lindenwood

Graduate defenseman Dylan Kent skates the puck up ice alongside the Flames' bench. (Photos by Ted Allen)

DII Flames can’t tame Lions in third and deciding pool play clash of titans, ousted in OT

3/13/2024 11:43:00 PM | Men's D2 Hockey

For the first time in three games of pool play, Liberty led after the first period in its battle with Lindenwood, but allowed two unanswered goals in the second before tying it back up in the third.

Gallery: (3-13-2024) DII men's hockey vs. Lindenwood

With a semifinal bid in the National Championships on the line, Liberty University's ACHA Division II men's hockey team battled Lindenwood (Mo.) University in Wednesday's final round of pool play with a gladiator mentality as the Flames entered the NHL Arena, the Lions' home rink at the Centene Community Ice Center.

After Lindenwood overcame a 2-1 first-period deficit and emerged with a 4-3 victory in overtime, Liberty Head Coach Ben Hughes consoled his valiant players in the locker room for nearly 30 minutes.

"We felt like that was a championship-quality game, so we wanted to make sure that our guys are leaving the locker room with their heads held high," Hughes said after the Flames, ranked No. 3 in the nation, ended their season at 21-10-1 and the No. 2 Lions (31-7-2) advanced to fight another day against Indiana in Thursday's semifinals. "We're proud of what they've done this year."

"Guys are going to be leaving everything out on the ice at a national tournament, especially those guys playing in their last game," he added. "They're going to have to do that in the first game of pool play and they're going to have to do that in the national championship game."

No. 1-ranked Florida Gulf Coast University edged St. Thomas and will face Miami (Ohio) University in Thursday's other semifinal.

In a penalty-free first period, Liberty scored early and late in the first period to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission, with junior forward and leading scorer Roman Lamoureux finishing a feed from senior defenseman Daniel Hauke for a 1-0 lead at the 15:11 mark.

Lindenwood tied it with 3:29 to play in the period before freshman forward Aaron Higgins netted the go-ahead goal with five seconds remaining off an assist from sophomore forward Mark Padgett.

"That was a huge momentum boost," Hughes said. "Any time you can get a goal with under a minute left in any period, you gain a lot of momentum going into that next period."

Both teams killed off penalties in the second period before the Lions converted the tying goal on a fast break a split second after a penalty assessed to the Flames sent Lindenwood's lead forward crashing into the boards. Stanley Lucas, trailing on the play, cleaned up and sent his second goal of the game into an open cage.

The Flames threatened to score on a wraparound after a scrum in front of the cage before the Lions seized their first lead on Jacob Behnen's seeing-eye shot from the top of the right circle through traffic in front that blocked the view of Liberty junior goalie Lane Skon for a 3-2 lead just 1:15 before the second intermission.

In the third period, as they had twice already in the tournament, the Flames rallied from behind and netted the equalizer when Higgins sliced between a defender and Lions goalie Ethan Paulin-Hatch with the puck and junior forward Jared Matley slammed home the loose puck as he skated through the left circle, tying it at 3 with 16:02 remaining in regulation.

"We've been facing adversity all year," Hughes said. "When we did fall behind, down one going into the third, I think because this year — more than any team I have coached before — we have come from behind to win games ... we really felt like that was going to be a little bit of destiny for us."

Liberty appeared to capitalize on what would have been a go-ahead wraparound attempt, but the goal was disallowed as the cage was knocked off its moorings by a Lindenwood player a split second before the puck crossed the plane.

The teams battled back and forth for much of the rest of the period with no change in score, sending the contest to determine the winner of the pool into a 10-minute, sudden-death overtime.

Due to the tie-breaking procedures, though both teams were 2-0 in their pool going into it, Liberty needed to win to advance and a tie would have sent the Lions to the semifinals. However, Lindenwood didn't give the Flames a chance as Brett Robinson capitalized on the game winner just 27 seconds into the extra period, finishing a feed from Lucas.

"We played to win the game," Hughes said. "The game went back and forth, that's what we expected. They had us on our heels at times; we had them on their heels at times. It was a battle of giants. I still think it was a game that probably deserved to be beyond a pool play game, but at the end of the day, you play with how the cards fall and you're going to have to go through a team like that at some point."

"Whether we're here or we're at Liberty, it's going to be close to the same game no matter what because of just who they are and who we are," he added. "It was a battle of giants, and I think either team probably deserved to move on tonight."

The game marked the end of the careers of as many as seven seniors, including the majority of the Flames' defensemen, though a couple are considering graduate school and extra season of eligibility.

"What the seniors have done from them coming in four years ago to where the program is now, it's in a better spot because of them," Hughes said.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer