Friday, October 3
Lynchburg, VA
7:00 PM
Liberty University Club Sports
8
vs
2
University of Utah
Flames snuff Utes in opener, 8-2, sparked and capped by power-play goals
10/3/2025 11:47:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey
Liberty converted two of its five chances with a man advantage and killed off a 5-on-3 opportunity by Utah, which racked up 31 penalty minutes.
A first-ever encounter between Liberty University's No. 4-ranked ACHA Division I men's hockey team and No. 10 Utah resulted in a backstreet rumble and 8-2 rout for the Flames, Friday night at the LaHaye Ice Center.
"They're a hard team, and so are we," Flames junior forward Mason Smith said. "They like playing the body. It came down to who wanted it more, and I think we wanted it a lot more than they did tonight."
The Flames (7-0) outshot the Utes (2-1) by better than a 2-to-1 margin, 49-24, getting two goals from sophomore forward Tucker Shields and senior forward Ryan Finch and single scores from Smith, sophomore forwards Brad Barker and Kal Essenmacher, and senior forward and head captain Sam Feamster for a season-high total.
"We spread the scoring out, and that's been a strength of ours," Liberty Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "We seemed to have a response tonight (to both Utah goals). Offensively, we managed the game pretty well. We need to stay out of that stuff (fighting) as much as we can. We just want to play our way."
The Flames were assessed seven penalties for 14 minutes, and the Utes spent 31 minutes in the box for nine infractions. Liberty capitalized on two of its five power plays while its penalty kill unit went a perfect 2-for-2.
"It was nice to see that power play get clicking," Smith said. "The power play is a big part of our team's game, and it's nice that the special teams can do a job well, both on the penalty kill and on the power play. I thought it was good tonight. We did our jobs, and it was an all-around solid game."
In an action-packed first period, Liberty racked up four scores to seize control of the contest, starting with a power-play goal by Shields, who received assists from sophomore defenseman Michael Adamek and Feamster and skated to the top of the left circle before pocketing his perimeter shot past Utah goalie Garrett Fuller into the top-right corner of the goal for a 1-0 lead 5:09 after the opening faceoff.
Just six seconds after the Utes tied the contest on Gavin Barr's second putback from deep in front that trickled just out of the reach of the glove of diving junior goalie Konrad Kausch, the Flames struck for the go-ahead goal on an unassisted snipe by sophomore forward Brad Barker from the high slot inside the right post. Senior forward Ryan Finch netted the game winner less than two minutes later when junior forwards Aidan Carney and Luke Munroe set the plate with passes out of the right corner for a one-timer from the slot inside the left post to stretch the edge to 3-1 with 10:49 left in the first period.
"A quick start is what we strive for as a group," Smith said. "When we have a good start like that, it's easy to shut them down because we go up quick and it's just us playing our game."
Shields capped the first-period scoring by slinging a shot from the high slot that glanced off the crossbar, down, and in. He had received a beautiful backhanded assist from senior forward Michael DeBrito as he crashed into the back boards.
Liberty's penalty kill unit squelched a 5-on-3 power-play opportunity by the Utes midway through the second period before allowing Karsten Senden to cut the deficit to 4-2 at full strength moments later on a seeing-eye shot that may have glanced off a defenseman. But the Flames padded their lead back to three goals a split second after their power play ended at the 1:08 mark of the period when Smith launched a wrist shot through traffic into the top-right corner of the cage.
"The puck came to me in the slot there, and I let it go, and it found its way in, so it felt good," Smith said. "We're getting different guys scoring goals, so it's good for our depth of scoring."
Shields received a crushing check along the left boards late in the second period and suffered an upper-body injury on the hit that unsnapped his helmet.
"Tucker's a big part of our team, and it sucks to see him go down," Smith said. "Praying for him and praying for a quick recovery and to get him back out there."
After the Utes killed off a penalty for checking Carney into the boards early in the third period, sophomore forward Kal Essenmacher finished a feed from freshman forward Seth Huygen out of the corner with a sharp-angled shot into the upper netting to make it a four-goal game with 15:09 to play.
Moments later, Carney took a pass from Munroe in the high slot and worked around a Utah defenseman before dishing the puck to Finch at the right circle dot for his second one-timed finish and a commanding 7-2 Liberty lead.
Sam Feamster, standing on the doorstep, capped the scoring with a second power-play goal on a perfectly timed tip-in of Essenmacher's entry pass from the right circle that beat Fuller from point-blank range with 1:59 remaining in regulation.
"Kal had a good look to Sam, and it was a free one for Sam, just a tap-in," Smith said.
Kausch made 22 saves to improve to 3-0 while seeing his goals-against average elevate to 0.98 and his save percentage drop to 94.9.
"Konrad was big back there," Smith said. "He's our best penalty killer, so it was good for him to help us out and keep them off the board."
For Saturday's 7 p.m. rematch with Utah, streamed live on ESPN+, the theme will be "Rodeo Night," with those who come dressed in cowboy or cowgirl hats and boots given a puck upon admission to toss onto the ice during a special prize opportunity promotion at intermission.
"Utah will be better tomorrow, and we know that," Handy said. "We're going to have to be better tomorrow, too."
"We need to keep rolling," Smith added. "We've got to get rested tonight, get hydrated, and be back tomorrow and finish the job. It's not done yet. We've got some work to do tomorrow. It will come down to who wants it more, and I'd hate to be the guys going against our team when we want it. We're all pretty hungry for it."
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video edited by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media
"They're a hard team, and so are we," Flames junior forward Mason Smith said. "They like playing the body. It came down to who wanted it more, and I think we wanted it a lot more than they did tonight."
The Flames (7-0) outshot the Utes (2-1) by better than a 2-to-1 margin, 49-24, getting two goals from sophomore forward Tucker Shields and senior forward Ryan Finch and single scores from Smith, sophomore forwards Brad Barker and Kal Essenmacher, and senior forward and head captain Sam Feamster for a season-high total.
"We spread the scoring out, and that's been a strength of ours," Liberty Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "We seemed to have a response tonight (to both Utah goals). Offensively, we managed the game pretty well. We need to stay out of that stuff (fighting) as much as we can. We just want to play our way."
The Flames were assessed seven penalties for 14 minutes, and the Utes spent 31 minutes in the box for nine infractions. Liberty capitalized on two of its five power plays while its penalty kill unit went a perfect 2-for-2.
"It was nice to see that power play get clicking," Smith said. "The power play is a big part of our team's game, and it's nice that the special teams can do a job well, both on the penalty kill and on the power play. I thought it was good tonight. We did our jobs, and it was an all-around solid game."
In an action-packed first period, Liberty racked up four scores to seize control of the contest, starting with a power-play goal by Shields, who received assists from sophomore defenseman Michael Adamek and Feamster and skated to the top of the left circle before pocketing his perimeter shot past Utah goalie Garrett Fuller into the top-right corner of the goal for a 1-0 lead 5:09 after the opening faceoff.
Just six seconds after the Utes tied the contest on Gavin Barr's second putback from deep in front that trickled just out of the reach of the glove of diving junior goalie Konrad Kausch, the Flames struck for the go-ahead goal on an unassisted snipe by sophomore forward Brad Barker from the high slot inside the right post. Senior forward Ryan Finch netted the game winner less than two minutes later when junior forwards Aidan Carney and Luke Munroe set the plate with passes out of the right corner for a one-timer from the slot inside the left post to stretch the edge to 3-1 with 10:49 left in the first period.
"A quick start is what we strive for as a group," Smith said. "When we have a good start like that, it's easy to shut them down because we go up quick and it's just us playing our game."
Shields capped the first-period scoring by slinging a shot from the high slot that glanced off the crossbar, down, and in. He had received a beautiful backhanded assist from senior forward Michael DeBrito as he crashed into the back boards.
Liberty's penalty kill unit squelched a 5-on-3 power-play opportunity by the Utes midway through the second period before allowing Karsten Senden to cut the deficit to 4-2 at full strength moments later on a seeing-eye shot that may have glanced off a defenseman. But the Flames padded their lead back to three goals a split second after their power play ended at the 1:08 mark of the period when Smith launched a wrist shot through traffic into the top-right corner of the cage.
"The puck came to me in the slot there, and I let it go, and it found its way in, so it felt good," Smith said. "We're getting different guys scoring goals, so it's good for our depth of scoring."
Shields received a crushing check along the left boards late in the second period and suffered an upper-body injury on the hit that unsnapped his helmet.
"Tucker's a big part of our team, and it sucks to see him go down," Smith said. "Praying for him and praying for a quick recovery and to get him back out there."
After the Utes killed off a penalty for checking Carney into the boards early in the third period, sophomore forward Kal Essenmacher finished a feed from freshman forward Seth Huygen out of the corner with a sharp-angled shot into the upper netting to make it a four-goal game with 15:09 to play.
Moments later, Carney took a pass from Munroe in the high slot and worked around a Utah defenseman before dishing the puck to Finch at the right circle dot for his second one-timed finish and a commanding 7-2 Liberty lead.
Sam Feamster, standing on the doorstep, capped the scoring with a second power-play goal on a perfectly timed tip-in of Essenmacher's entry pass from the right circle that beat Fuller from point-blank range with 1:59 remaining in regulation.
"Kal had a good look to Sam, and it was a free one for Sam, just a tap-in," Smith said.
Kausch made 22 saves to improve to 3-0 while seeing his goals-against average elevate to 0.98 and his save percentage drop to 94.9.
"Konrad was big back there," Smith said. "He's our best penalty killer, so it was good for him to help us out and keep them off the board."
For Saturday's 7 p.m. rematch with Utah, streamed live on ESPN+, the theme will be "Rodeo Night," with those who come dressed in cowboy or cowgirl hats and boots given a puck upon admission to toss onto the ice during a special prize opportunity promotion at intermission.
"Utah will be better tomorrow, and we know that," Handy said. "We're going to have to be better tomorrow, too."
"We need to keep rolling," Smith added. "We've got to get rested tonight, get hydrated, and be back tomorrow and finish the job. It's not done yet. We've got some work to do tomorrow. It will come down to who wants it more, and I'd hate to be the guys going against our team when we want it. We're all pretty hungry for it."
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video edited by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media
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