Bobcats pounce on Flames in third period of series opener in Bird Arena

Friday, February 7

Athens, OH

7:00 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Ohio University

The Bobcats were on the prowl around Liberty's cage back in November, when they swept the series at the LaHaye Ice Center, as the will look to do again on Saturday in Bird Arena. (Photo by Brooke McDuffee)

Bobcats pounce on Flames in third period of series opener in Bird Arena

2/7/2025 11:02:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey

Liberty let Ohio seize a 23-22 lead in the all-time series but will look to even the score and salvage a split in Saturday's 7 p.m. rematch.

Liberty University's No. 3-ranked ACHA Division I men's hockey team allowed three unanswered goals in the third period — including an empty-netter in the final minute and a half — of a 5-2 setback in Friday night's series opener against No. 4 Ohio University at Bird Arena in Athens, Ohio.

"It was 2-2 going into the third and there were a couple of goals where we had some breakdowns that led to the puck in the back of our net," Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "We pulled our goalie at the end and (it backfired)."

The Bobcats (17-3-1) only outshot the Flames (18-6-4) by a 35-33 margin for the game and Liberty sophomore goalie Konrad Kausch made 30 saves in defeat.

Ohio forward Nolan Abraham scored the only goal of the first period at the 7:31 mark off assists from Mathieu Ovaert and Drake Albers. Flames freshman forward answered with the equalizer on a power play with 12:04 left in the second period, finishing feeds from freshman forward Mac Ratzlaff and graduate center Jackson Vercellono.

With 2:56 to go in the second, Ovaert put the Bobcats back on top before Liberty junior defenseman Laz Kaebel tied it at 2 by capitalizing on assists from Vercellono and freshman forward Michael DeBrito.

"There was some definite resilience in our game," Handy said of the Flames battling back to tie it twice. "But we have to bring our A effort tomorrow. We didn't have our A game tonight."

It was all Ohio in the third period when Collin Felton netted the game winner with 15:52 remaining in regulation and Ovaert added the empty netter before assisting Abraham on his second goal with 57 seconds to play.

"We win together and we lose together," Handy said. "We've all got to be better than we were today. There was an element of a 60- minute game that wasn't there tonight. Again, when you're facing a quality opponent like that, you need to bring it for the full 60 minutes.

Liberty went 1-for-3 on the power play while its penalty kill stifled all three Ohio opportunities with a man advantage. Bobcats goalie Scott Bird, who spent his freshman season in Lynchburg, Va., started in goal and made 31 saves to seal the Flames' fate.

Kausch's status, meanwhile, was left in question for Saturday's 7 p.m. series finale back in Bird Arena after being on the receiving end of a number of collisions in the net.

"Kausch got banged up, as (the Bobcats crashed the cage) a few times tonight," Handy said, noting that junior goalie Nicholas Bernstein could get the call to start Game 2.

Freshman forward Brad Barker was also left on injured reserve after Friday night's game and will not be in the lineup on Saturday.

"It was a little bit of a hiccup, but our guys have been resilient all year and we've got to get back at it tomorrow," Handy said, when the Flames will try to retie the all-time series at 23.

The rematch will be streamed live on FloHockey.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer