Flames showcase speed, keep UNC on its heels in impressive season-opening win

Friday, September 13

Lynchburg, VA

7:00 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

University of North Carolina

Junior forward and head captain Sam Feamster scores the last of the Flames' two shorthanded goals against North Carolina, Friday night at the LaHaye Ice Center. (Photos by Simon Barbre)

Flames showcase speed, keep UNC on its heels in impressive season-opening win

9/13/2024 11:04:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey

Liberty set the tone for its 2024-25 season with a 7-1 victory over the Tar Heels, getting quick goals by senior forward Jacob Kalandyk 19 seconds into the first period and 18 seconds into the third.

Gallery: (9-13-2024) DI men's hockey UNC

A sellout Homecoming crowd packed the LaHaye Ice Center on Friday night as Liberty University Hockey celebrated the start of its 40th season with its ACHA Division I men's team dominating the University of North Carolina's ACHA Division II team.

Showing no signs of rust, with balanced lines infused with plenty of freshman energy, the Flames skated all over the Tar Heels, getting two goals from senior forward and alternate captain Jacob Kalandyk and two more from freshman forward Macquire "Mac" Ratzlaff — one of seven freshmen forwards making their Flames' debuts — in a 7-1 triumph.

"All of our freshmen look amazing and we just have a great team, great chemistry, great locker room environment," Liberty graduate forward Jackson Vercellono said. "It's an exciting group that we've got going."

Liberty didn't waste any time in breaking the ice on the 2024-25 season scoring sheet. Just 19 seconds after the opening faceoff — moments after Club Sports Hall of Fame founding Head Coach Gary Habermas provided the ceremonial puck drop — Kalandyk, stationed in the left crease, deflected Nick Pomerleau's shot from the outside edge of the left circle past UNC goalie Lucas Brown for the game's first goal.

"Kalandyk scoring a goal first shift, that's huge. That kind of gets the crowd in it, kind of backs (the Tar Heels) off a bit," Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "The new guys played well. It's a tough environment to come into. You're trying to manage your emotions, manage your energy playing in front of a sell-out crowd, so I thought they did a very good job."

With 6:14 to play in the first period, freshman centerman Tucker Shields doubled Liberty's lead. After an initial shot in front from sophomore defenseman Reid Bogenholm, Shields stuck in a third-chance putback in the right crease, finishing a secondary assist from junior forward Mason Smith.

However, less than three minutes later, Tar Heels captain Patrick O'Shaughnessy answered off a turnover in the Flames' defensive zone, trimming the deficit to 2-1 by tucking the puck through the five hole of Flames sophomore goalie Konrad Kausch, a transfer from NCAA Division III St. Mary's (Minn.) University, at the 3:15 mark.

Just 1:24 into the second period, Ratzlaff received assists from Bogenholm and junior defenseman Grant Morton in the slot and one-timed a shot through traffic that slipped between the pads of Brown. Then, 6:26 before the second intermission, Ratzlaff pounced on a loose puck as he crossed the blue line and snuck a breakaway shot past Brown for a shorthanded score that extended the Flames' advantage to 4-1.

"That was a key moment for us," Handy said. "(UNC) had some pushback and I thought our guys responded well. Mac had a good game for us, had some jump for us."

"Mac's got a bright future here," Vercellono added. "He'll be a future leader on this team. He's awesome."

Kalandyk struck again 18 seconds into the third period, taking the puck from freshman forward Liam Cox-Smith and skating it into the right circle before ripping a sharp-angled shot into the top-left corner of the cage to pad the Flames' lead to 5-1.

"(Kalandyk) is an outstanding player for us who leads on and off the ice," Handy said. "Both him and (junior forward and head captain) Sam (Feamster) stepping up for us was huge."

Sophomore forward and North Carolina native Ryan Finch stretched it to 6-1 with 5:42 remaining in regulation, receiving feeds from senior forward and alternate captain Truett Olson and Ratzlaff along the left corner boards before threading a shot past Brown near post.

Feamster capped the scoring with the Flames' second shorthanded goal of the game with 2:30 to go, skating onto a lead pass along the left boards and showcasing his speed by cutting through the left circle before lifting a wrist shot top shelf.

"We've got something we haven't had before, which is interchangeability," Vercellono said. "Anyone on our fourth line could play on our first line all the way up. We're super deep with so much talent and we've got every role on our team filled. It's something special."

Liberty outshot UNC 57-23 on the night and Konrad Kausch shut UNC out for the final 40 minutes, facing few serious scoring threats.

Aside from netting two shorthanded scores, the Flames finished 4-for-4 on the penalty kill. However, Liberty went 0-for-6 with a man advantage.

"Our power play wasn't very good tonight," Handy said. "Typically, that happens early in the year. Power play is usually the thing that takes a little bit to get going, so we have some work to do with that this week."

The Flames will return to the LIC next Friday night for another one-game series against an ACHA DII team, with Florida Gulf Coast University coming to town to play the DI squad before taking on Liberty's DII team twice, on Saturday and Sunday.

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