No. 4 Flames celebrate regular-season-ending shootout win over No. 3 rival Ohio

Saturday, February 22

Lynchburg, VA

7:00 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Ohio University

Flames freshman forward Hayden DeMars crashes the Ohio cage with linemate Tucker Shields looking on from behind the net. (Photos by Emily Cuthrell)

No. 4 Flames celebrate regular-season-ending shootout win over No. 3 rival Ohio

2/22/2025 11:33:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey

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Liberty evened the all-time series with the Bobcats at 24 by getting two goals from freshmen Hayden DeMars and 45 saves by sophomore goalie Konrad Kausch, including all three in the shootout.

Gallery: (2-22-2025) DI men's hockey vs. Ohio Game 2

After No. 3 Ohio University silenced a College For A Weekend crowd in sudden-death overtime in Friday night's series opener, Liberty University's No. 4-ranked ACHA Division I men's hockey team took the Bobcats to a shootout before evening the all-time series at 24 with a 4-3 triumph in Saturday night's regular-season finale.

"They're a very good team," Flames sophomore goalie Konrad Kausch said of Ohio (18-4-4), which won four of six games against Liberty (23-5-5) this season. "Every time we play them, we either go to OT or it's a one-goal game. It feels a little bit better being on this side of it tonight."

With Liberty's Spirit of the Mountain pep band adding to the festive atmosphere provided by a sellout crowd for Senior Night in the LaHaye Ice Center, Kausch (42 saves) shut Ohio out in the five-minute overtime and shootout, when freshman forward Hayden DeMars netted the only goal of the shootout in the third and final round.

"I couldn't really have scripted it up any better," Kausch said. "It's awesome to see (DeMars score the equalizer and game winner). The kid works his tail off every single day in practice and in the gym, and it just shows here on the ice. What a big spot there to get that third shooter to get a goal. He came through like he always does and he's a real special player."

Both teams capitalized on power-play opportunities in the first period, with Liberty graduate forward Jackson Vercellono tipping senior forward and alternate captain Jacob Kalandyk's shot from the point past Ohio goalie Garrett Alderman into the upper netting at the 13:18 mark.

"Put pucks on net and look what happens," Kausch said. "It was really cool to see the seniors contribute the way that they did tonight in their spotlight night. That line has just been clutch. They find a way to score in big moments."

The Bobcats, who outshot the Flames 45-25, pounced twice in the final 2:32, the first on their second power-play chance, with Noah Holt finishing a feed from Laker Aldridge after he received an outlet pass from Alderman. Moments later, with the teams at even strength, Luc Reeve pocketed a wide-open shot in the right crease off an assists across the slot from Aldridge and Holt for a 2-1 advantage just 46 seconds before the first intermission.

Liberty struck quickly in the second period when junior defenseman Nick Pomerleau sent a shot in from near the blue line that freshman forward Liam Cox-Smith got a stick on before DeMars stuck it in past Alderman, tying the game at 2 at the 18:34.

The Flames were unable to seize the lead during a five-minute major midway through the second period, but Kausch preserved the tie with some clutch saves of perimeter shots.

Kal Essenmacher, who took a couple crushing checks against the backboards and before landing on the ice on the play that instigated the five-minute major, sparked the Flames' attack with a drive along the left boards and crossing feed to sophomore forward Ryan Finch for a near finish in front.

Moments later, Cox-Smith stole the puck away from an Ohio defenseman along the backboards and backhanded a pass into fellow Flames freshman forward Tucker Shields for a one-timed top-shelf finish over Alderman in the right crease, lifting Liberty to a 3-2 lead with 11:26 remaining in regulation.

Seconds after killing off a penalty, Ohio netted the tying goal with 7:43 to play when Nolan Abraham beat Kausch on a breakaway through the left circle, forcing the game's third tie.

Kalandyk nearly countered with a breakaway snipe of his own with just under five minutes left after swooping in through the right circle, but Alderman got a glove on the shot to push it over the crossbar.

In the overtime period, Abraham made a steal in the Flames' defensive zone before narrowly missing wide left. Kausch made a spectacular save of Luc Reeve's shot on a 2-on-1 break and another on a high shot by Holt before defenseman Spencer Schons struck a post with his turnaround shot after bringing the puck out from behind the cage into the slot.

Alderman gloved Kalandyk's first shootout attempt before Kausch made a fantastic glove save of Mathieu Ovaert's shot. Vercellono missed a backhand wrist shot over Alderman before Kausch denied Ohio's Barron Stibbe, ending the second round in a scoreless tie.

DeMars beat Alderman with a shot off his pad inside the left post, bringing the fans to their feet before Kausch presented and confronted Abraham, blocking his tying try to send the Flames' bench streaming onto the ice in celebration of the regular-season-ending triumph.

"Going down early, it shows the brotherhood of our team and the resilience of just sticking together and battling, finding a way to get one, finding a way to get two, finding a way to jump ahead in the third," Kausch said. "Everybody bought in, blocking shots. It was a full team win, and for our seniors I don't think there was a better way that we could have ended it with all of their families here. Just to be in the home that we have here at the LIC is really special, and to have a sellout crowd here at the last game of our season is pretty incredible."

The Flames will find out on Tuesday night who they will face in the first round of the March 13-18 ACHA DI National Championships when Liberty's Broadcast Network (LBX) airs the live Selection Show at 9 p.m., announcing all 24 teams in the field.

"We don't care who we play," Kausch said. "We have a group of guys here that is something special and something that everybody has bought into since Day 1. It's going to be exciting.

"I would say that we're extremely ready," he added. "We'll be ready Game 1, we'll be ready Game 2, 3, 4, and 5. Every team, you're going to get the best of the best every single night. Every team is going to be at nationals for a reason so from here on out we're five games away from praying around center ice with a ring on our finger. One game at a time."

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