DII Flames turn heat up on Icepack, win in shootout at home, overtime on road

Thursday, January 16

Lynchburg, VA

9:30 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

NC State University

Flames junior forward Mark Padgett overtook the team scoring lead with the tying and winning goals Friday night at N.C. State.

DII Flames turn heat up on Icepack, win in shootout at home, overtime on road

1/19/2025 10:59:00 PM | Men's D2 Hockey

Liberty overcame 2-0 and 3-0 deficits to defeat North Carolina State 3-2 in a shootout and 5-4 in overtime, respectively.

A weekend after dropping back-to-back games to Central Region frontrunner Lindenwood (Mo.) University at the LaHaye Ice Center, Liberty University's ACHA Division II men's hockey team slipped one spot to No. 3 in the Southeast Region rankings.

However, the Flames (15-8-5) strengthened their standing after staging a home and home sweep with back-to-back triumphs over No. 6 North Carolina State University (18-4-4). Liberty overcame 2-0 and 3-0 deficits against the Icepack — winning Thursday night's opener at the LIC, 3-2 in a shootout, before scoring three goals in the third period to force overtime in Friday night's rematch in Morrisonville, N.C., and winning 5-4 in sudden death.

NC State scored both of its goals in the first period in the first game, both by forward Zachary Herman, who netted five of the Icepack's six goals in the series to move into a tie for his team's season scoring lead.

Liberty answered with junior forward Josh Martin's power-play goal off assists from senior defenseman Logan Johnson and senior forward and head captain Josh Harrell at the 2:45 mark of the first period before sophomore defenseman Cade Pawluk netted the equalizer off feeds from junior forward Mark Padgett and senior forward Eric Abbate. The Flames had a potentially game-winning goal that was ruled to have crossed the goal line a split second after the third period buzzer sounded.

After a scoreless overtime period, Flames senior goalie Lane Skon stopped all five of N.C. State's attempts in the shootout before junior forward Thomas Kayner delivered the lone goal on Liberty's fifth try.

In the rematch, less than 24 hours later at the Wake Competition Center, the Carolina Hurricanes' practice facility, the Flames rallied from a 3-0 deficit on goals by graduate defenseman Dylan Kent on a power play off assists from Kayner and Padgett with 40 seconds to go in the second period before Martin scored unassisted to trim the deficit to 4-2 at the 18:21 mark of the third period, 39 seconds after Herman completed his hat trick.

Martin scored again just 1:54 later off a pass from Harrell before Padgett netted the equalizer — moving into the team scoring lead with his 16th goal of the season — off assists from freshman forward Anthony Emme and senior forward Roman Lamoureux with 8:34 remaining in regulation. Finally, in the five-minute overtime, with the two teams skating 3-on-3, Padgett finished feeds from Kent and Lamoureux for the game winner at the 2:40 mark.

Liberty outshot the Icepack, 39-33, and sophomore goalie Christian Sehlke made 29 saves to earn the win.

Next weekend, the Flames will compete in the Miami (Ohio) University Showcase with games against the host RedHawks on Friday at 3 p.m., Lindenwood on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., and Florida Gulf Coast University, the No. 1-ranked team in the Southeast, Sunday at 8:15 a.m.

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