Saturday, October 4
Lynchburg, VA
7:00 PM
Liberty University Club Sports
3
vs
2
University of Utah
DI Flames rally for tying goal in final minute of regulation before sweeping Utes in shootout
10/4/2025 11:31:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey
A rough-and-tumble rematch ended in dramatic fashion for the Flames, with junior goalie Konrad Kausch stopping both Utah tries in the shootout to improve to 5-0.
Senior Ryan Finch and sophomore Tucker Shields netted the tying goals late in the first and third periods, respectively, of Saturday night's rematch between Liberty University's ACHA Division I men's hockey team and the University of Utah.
Both forwards then delivered in the clutch with the only two goals in the shootout to lift the Flames to a 3-2 victory on a wild "Rodeo Night" at the LaHaye Ice Center.
"We kind of knew it would be a tighter game tonight," Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "Our guys kept their focus and were positive on the bench and didn't get down on themselves under the circumstances of the game."
Penalties were piling up early in the contest with as many as nine players in the box at one time — five for the Flames and four for the Utes. That depleted a Liberty squad already playing without sophomore forward Hayden DeMars and junior forward Mason Smith, both sidelined with lower-body injuries.
"I didn't always agree with all of the calls, but they called them, and we had to work through that," Handy said. "When you're short players like we were tonight, and then you have to face the adversity of the penalties. It's tough, but you want to play in these games because it makes us a better team."
Paul Waldhauser capitalized on the tail end of a 5-on-3 power play with a rocket of a slapshot from the left circle through a screen in front that trickled over the goal line after glancing off the glove of Flames junior goalie Konrad Kausch for a 1-0 Utah lead with 6:08 to go in the first period.
Liberty then turned the tables on the Utes by cashing in on a 5-on-3 of their own, with Ryan Finch posting up and receiving a pass from fellow senior forward Michael DeBrito in the left crease. Showing poise under pressure, Finch pivoted and roofed a wrist shot that ricocheted from the top left to top right of the cage, evening the score at 1 with 3:52 remaining in the period.
"What a nice shot, right?" Handy said. "He's been on a roll this year, and he's a really good player."
After a scoreless second period that started with a couple missed power-play opportunities for the Flames, the Utes converted the go-ahead goal quickly on a man advantage in the second after senior forward and head captain Sam Feamster was called for charging Utah goalie Joseph Greilich. Trevor Kruczek made Liberty pay by launching a shot through traffic from the high slot that sneaked past Kausch inside the left post for a 2-1 lead at the 13:14 mark.
The Utes maintained the one-goal edge for the next 12 minutes before Liberty pulled Kausch for the final minute and a half and manufactured the tying goal with 54 seconds remaining in regulation. Sophomore forward Tucker Shields delivered a top-shelf putback in the right crease for the dramatic equalizer after Greilich blocked junior defenseman Nick Pomerleau's shot from the high slot.
"We did the right things in order to score," Handy said. "I liked our bench. They didn't get negative. They stayed positive through all of the ups and downs, and guys just didn't give up. It was hard. It was a mental grind tonight. We were down a couple players, and I liked how resilient our team was. It's encouraging."
Skating 3-on-3 in the 5-minute overtime period, neither team could generate much in the way of offensive chances, sending the contest to a shootout. Liberty outshot Utah by a 42-18 margin in regulation and Kausch made 16 saves to preserve the tie. Â
Finch, who started the scoring for Liberty, netted the first shootout attempt with a sure-fire finish in front, beating Greilich low glove-side, before Kausch snuffed Waldhauser's backhanded try.
Flames junior forward Luke Munroe was tripped up by Greilich near the right post after having his backhanded second-round shot blocked. Kruczek then mishandled the puck on the crossover in front and wasn't able to put a shot on net as Kausch poke-checked it away. That set the stage for Shields' heroics on his game-clinching third-round shootout, a pinpoint wrist shot through the slot inside the right post.Â
"Tucker's a great player who comes to play every night and gives you everything he's got," Handy said of Shields, who missed last weekend's series against Delaware with an upper-body injury and took a bruising check to the upper-body in Friday night's series-opening 8-2 victory. "I was really proud. Having our guys keep their focus at the end, I was thankful we had the opportunity to get that chance to come back tonight."
Liberty will venture on its second road trip of the season next weekend to challenge 2021 and 2024 ACHA DI national champion Adrian College in Adrian, Mich.
Handy anticipates DeMars will be available for that road trip as Shields was for the Utah series, providing an added boost to the team riding an eight-game winning streak to start the season.
"We just keep rolling," he said. "Up next, we're going to get to work Monday and have a good week of practice before heading to Adrian. It'll be two great games up there, I can guarantee that."
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video edited by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media
Both forwards then delivered in the clutch with the only two goals in the shootout to lift the Flames to a 3-2 victory on a wild "Rodeo Night" at the LaHaye Ice Center.
"We kind of knew it would be a tighter game tonight," Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "Our guys kept their focus and were positive on the bench and didn't get down on themselves under the circumstances of the game."
Penalties were piling up early in the contest with as many as nine players in the box at one time — five for the Flames and four for the Utes. That depleted a Liberty squad already playing without sophomore forward Hayden DeMars and junior forward Mason Smith, both sidelined with lower-body injuries.
"I didn't always agree with all of the calls, but they called them, and we had to work through that," Handy said. "When you're short players like we were tonight, and then you have to face the adversity of the penalties. It's tough, but you want to play in these games because it makes us a better team."
Paul Waldhauser capitalized on the tail end of a 5-on-3 power play with a rocket of a slapshot from the left circle through a screen in front that trickled over the goal line after glancing off the glove of Flames junior goalie Konrad Kausch for a 1-0 Utah lead with 6:08 to go in the first period.
Liberty then turned the tables on the Utes by cashing in on a 5-on-3 of their own, with Ryan Finch posting up and receiving a pass from fellow senior forward Michael DeBrito in the left crease. Showing poise under pressure, Finch pivoted and roofed a wrist shot that ricocheted from the top left to top right of the cage, evening the score at 1 with 3:52 remaining in the period.
"What a nice shot, right?" Handy said. "He's been on a roll this year, and he's a really good player."
After a scoreless second period that started with a couple missed power-play opportunities for the Flames, the Utes converted the go-ahead goal quickly on a man advantage in the second after senior forward and head captain Sam Feamster was called for charging Utah goalie Joseph Greilich. Trevor Kruczek made Liberty pay by launching a shot through traffic from the high slot that sneaked past Kausch inside the left post for a 2-1 lead at the 13:14 mark.
The Utes maintained the one-goal edge for the next 12 minutes before Liberty pulled Kausch for the final minute and a half and manufactured the tying goal with 54 seconds remaining in regulation. Sophomore forward Tucker Shields delivered a top-shelf putback in the right crease for the dramatic equalizer after Greilich blocked junior defenseman Nick Pomerleau's shot from the high slot.
"We did the right things in order to score," Handy said. "I liked our bench. They didn't get negative. They stayed positive through all of the ups and downs, and guys just didn't give up. It was hard. It was a mental grind tonight. We were down a couple players, and I liked how resilient our team was. It's encouraging."
Skating 3-on-3 in the 5-minute overtime period, neither team could generate much in the way of offensive chances, sending the contest to a shootout. Liberty outshot Utah by a 42-18 margin in regulation and Kausch made 16 saves to preserve the tie. Â
Finch, who started the scoring for Liberty, netted the first shootout attempt with a sure-fire finish in front, beating Greilich low glove-side, before Kausch snuffed Waldhauser's backhanded try.
Flames junior forward Luke Munroe was tripped up by Greilich near the right post after having his backhanded second-round shot blocked. Kruczek then mishandled the puck on the crossover in front and wasn't able to put a shot on net as Kausch poke-checked it away. That set the stage for Shields' heroics on his game-clinching third-round shootout, a pinpoint wrist shot through the slot inside the right post.Â
"Tucker's a great player who comes to play every night and gives you everything he's got," Handy said of Shields, who missed last weekend's series against Delaware with an upper-body injury and took a bruising check to the upper-body in Friday night's series-opening 8-2 victory. "I was really proud. Having our guys keep their focus at the end, I was thankful we had the opportunity to get that chance to come back tonight."
Liberty will venture on its second road trip of the season next weekend to challenge 2021 and 2024 ACHA DI national champion Adrian College in Adrian, Mich.
Handy anticipates DeMars will be available for that road trip as Shields was for the Utah series, providing an added boost to the team riding an eight-game winning streak to start the season.
"We just keep rolling," he said. "Up next, we're going to get to work Monday and have a good week of practice before heading to Adrian. It'll be two great games up there, I can guarantee that."
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video edited by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media
Players Mentioned
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