Flames allow Knights to erase 3-1 deficit in third; suffer 4-3 OT upset in spring opener

Friday, January 17

Lynchburg, VA

7:00 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Calvin University

Flames junior goalie Nicholas Bernstein is surrounded by defensemen as Calvin players rush the net in Friday night's spring semester opener at the LaHaye Ice Center. (Photos by Ted Allen)

Flames allow Knights to erase 3-1 deficit in third; suffer 4-3 OT upset in spring opener

1/17/2025 11:08:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey

Liberty took four penalties that led to two power-play goals in the third period as No. 10 Calvin (Mich.) University stole the first-ever matchup at No. 3 Liberty.

Gallery: (1-17-2025) DI men's hockey vs. Calvin Game 1

In a physical first-time clash, Liberty University's No. 3-ranked ACHA Division I men's hockey team let a two-goal lead slip away by yielding three goals to No. 10 Calvin University in the final 10 minutes of a spring semester-opening setback, falling 4-3 in overtime Friday night at the LaHaye Ice Center.

"We can't take four penalties (in the third period alone)," Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "I don't care if they're good or bad, we took four, so that's too many. We let them back in the game and the mental focus in the third period wasn't there."

Liberty (14-5-3) started the scoring with 6:57 left in the first period when freshman forward Tucker Shields threaded a shot through traffic on a fast-break feed from Liam Cox-Smith as they skated through the left circle, off a secondary assist from fellow freshmen linemate Hayden DeMars.

The Knights (18-3-1) netted the equalizer at the 17:33 mark of the second period when Tony Eaton swiped the puck away from Flames junior goalie Nicholas Bernstein as he attempted to clear out of the left crease after retrieving it from behind the cage.

Bernstein redeemed himself with a few clutch stops throughout the rest of the period, as he had in the first, with one particularly quick-reflex glove save on a breakaway chance by the Knights.

Shields struck again shorthanded with 10:23 to play in the second, skating the puck across the front of the cage and tucking it past Calvin goalie Adam Yost with a point-blank backhand for a 2-1 Liberty lead.

"We definitely had some players step up," Flames freshman forward Kal Essenmacher said. "Tucker had a great game. He was amazing for us on the (penalty) kill and our kill has been a strength. They got some shots to the net, and we just need to be in some more lanes, but if we don't take those penalties, we're not getting those chances against in the first place."

Yost snuffed a breakaway opportunity by DeMars off a feed from freshman defenseman Michael Adamek before the Flames were assessed back-to-back penalties, manufacturing a second shorthanded goal on the second. DeMars started a counterattack before setting up Adamek with a right-to-left circle pass off the stick of a Knights defenseman. From there, Adamek ripped a top-shelf shot past Yost for an insurance goal.

The Flames needed more insurance, however, as Calvin capitalized on a third-period power play to get back into the game, trimming the deficit to 3-2 with 6:45 remaining in regulation when Holden Pratt's shot from the high slot was deflected past Bernstein by Joel Fonovic stationed in front.

DeMars went back into the penalty box with 2:20 to go, putting the Knights back on a 5-on-4, which they increased to 6-on-4 by pulling Yost, and immediately netted the equalizer with 1:06 left when leading scorer Steven Ickes redirected a cross-crease feed from second-leading scorer Krzysztof Petryla from the left crease.

"There's no one person to blame, it's a team aspect, but we can't be doing that if we want to win games," Essenmacher said of taking back-to-back penalties down the stretch. "We just can't lay off. We took our foot off the gas pedal and that's what happens."

Graduate forward Jackson Vercellono nearly netted the game winner on a breakaway opportunity less than two minutes into the five-minute, 3-on-3 overtime period, but his point-blank shot was gloved by Yost.

Then on the other end, after an empty-net miss by Essenmacher on a putback, Ickes delivered the dagger on a backhanded putback from deep in the slot for the game winner — his fourth of the season — with 1:54 to play.

Liberty, which was outshot 40-24, was playing without five of its top players who are competing in the Winter World University Games in Italy. (Team USA improved to 4-0 in pool play with a 5-1 win over Ukraine on Friday, setting up a quarterfinal matchup with South Korea on Sunday.)

The Flames will return freshman forward Mac Ratzlaff, who was serving a game suspension Friday, for Saturday's rematch, when the puck will again drop at 7 p.m. from the LIC on Star Wars Night.

"We have a good opportunity to regroup and come back tomorrow," Handy said. "Big picture, it's part of the learning curve. We've got to learn from it. I believe in the team, believe in that locker room, and have complete confidence in all of our guys. We'll be in a good spot (Saturday) night."

"We're definitely down some of our key players, but we can't make that an excuse," Essenmacher added. "We need to get used to this. If we can embrace this grind, then when we're all healthy, who knows what we can do?"

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