DI Flames leave Lakers high and dry in first-ever meeting to advance to Sunday’s national quarterfinals

Gallery: (3-14-2025) DI mens hockey vs. Oswego State

In the second round of the ACHA Division I National Championships, Liberty University's No. 4-ranked men's hockey team overcame 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 deficits to No. 20-seeded Oswego State by scoring four unanswered goals in the third period to secure a 6-3 triumph, Friday morning at the Centene Community Ice Center near St. Louis.

The victory sends the Flames to Sunday's 11:15 a.m. EST quarterfinal against the winner of Saturday's second-round game between No. 5 Jamestown (N.D.) University and No. 12 Grand Canyon.

Playing for the first time in 20 days, the Flames (24-5-5) appeared vulnerable to an upset against the Lakers (21-8-5), despite outshooting them by a 52-21 margin for the contest.

Liberty netted three power-play goals, and Oswego State tallied two of its own before freshman forward Hayden DeMars put the game away with an empty-netter in the final minute.

"This time of year, special teams are so important," Liberty Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "We give up two on the PK, and it felt like there were a lot of nerves at the beginning of the game. Like any game at nationals, there was a lot of energy and emotion. As the game went on, we played really well, especially in the third period, when we were on the forecheck and gave ourselves great scoring opportunities."

Liberty dominated time of possession and held a 17-9 advantage in shots on goal in the first period. However, the Flames took three of their five penalties, and Oswego State struck first just nine seconds into a 4-on-3 power play when Anthony Divita slammed Zach Derito's redirected shot from the high slot into an open net from deep in the right crease with 1:00 remaining.

The Flames ended the period on a 4-on-3 advantage but could not capitalize. Just 49 seconds into the second, skating 5-on-4, Liberty netted the equalizer with exceptional puck movement around the perimeter as DeMars skated the puck behind the cage before sending a pass to freshman defenseman Michael Adamek at the right point. Adamek dished a saucer pass across the blue line to freshman forward Tucker Shields, who spotted junior forward and head captain Sam Feamster posting up in the left crease. Feamster received the puck and sent a backdoor feed to sophomore forward Mason Smith for an open-net finish in the right crease to make it 1-1 at the 19:11 mark.

However, with the Lakers back on the power play, they converted off a fast break to seize a 2-1 advantage with 17:23 left in the second period when Adam Jubran skated the puck around the back of the net from left to right and fed Jeremy Keyes cutting through the right crease for a point-blank shot over diving Flames sophomore goalie Konrad Kausch.

Shields capitalized on a second power-play opportunity, nine seconds into another 5-on-4, by receiving a point-to-point pass from Adamek. From there, he launched a wrist shot from the top of the left circle through traffic past Oswego State goalie Thomas McAleer, tying it at 2 with 12:58 to play in the second.

The Lakers answered at even strength 31 seconds later with Keyes capitalizing on his second score by weaving around a Liberty defenseman on a quick counterattack and firing a shot from the left circle over Kausch's glove inside the right post for a 3-2 lead.

After killing off an Oswego State power play, Liberty missed a golden opportunity to retie the contest when it failed to convert on a 4-on-1 fast break. The Flames had a flurry of chances at the end of the second period, with near misses on shots by freshman forward Mac Ratzlaff, Feamster, and sophomore forward Ryan Finch.

Five and a half minutes into the third period, graduate forward Jackson Vercellono, Liberty's leading scorer, retrieved the puck out of the defensive end before sending an outlet pass to senior defenseman Kevin Bite. He worked the puck to senior forward Truett Olson, cutting down the slot before Bite took it back behind the cage and found Vercellono open at the top of the left circle. From there, he unleashed a snipe it past McAleer into the top-left corner of the net, knotting the score at 3 with 14:30 remaining in regulation.

Building momentum with every shift, the Flames maintained offensive pressure and claimed their first lead of the contest with 11:07 to play when DeMars picked up a loose puck in the high slot and fired a shot that deflected off a Lakers defenseman, past McAleer, and into the top-right corner of the cage to make it 4-3.

With just under 7 minutes remaining, Vercellono had his backhander in the left crease stopped by McAleer before Kal Essenmacher's shot from the right circle struck the left post, and fellow freshman forward Michael DeBrito had two shots blocked by McAleer.

After Kausch smothered a point-blank shot by Keyes in the right crease, an untimely tripping penalty against Keys on Ratzlaff put the Lakers against the wall for the final 2:14, and Liberty delivered the knockout blows. Feamster won the ensuing faceoff in the offensive zone before posting up left of the cage and receiving a return pass from Shields. He drove on net before again finding Smith open in the right crease, this time for a point-blank insurance goal at the 2:06 mark.

Oswego State pulled McAleer for the final 1:35, and Kausch nearly capitalized with a 190-foot empty netter before DeMars put the game away with his second goal of the period. Shields won a faceoff in the defensive zone, and sophomore defenseman Luke Anderson cleared the puck out of the corner to DeMars, who chased it down along the right boards and beat two Lakers defensemen with a bar-down wraparound from the left side.

Looking ahead to their quarterfinal matchup, the Flames have never faced Grand Canyon, which is making its first trip to the national championships since moving up to the Division I level five seasons ago. But Liberty is familiar with Jamestown, winning three of four meetings in the 2021-22 season.

Last season, No. 20 Pittsburgh upset the No. 4 Jimmies in the second round, marking the first time in tournament history a team seeded that low had advanced to the quarterfinals.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer

DI Flames leave Lakers high and dry in first-ever meeting to advance to Sunday’s national quarterfinals

Players Mentioned

Michael Adamek

Luke Anderson

Kevin Bite

Hayden DeMars

Kal Essenmacher

Ryan Finch

Konrad Kausch

Truett Olson

Mac Ratzlaff

Tucker Shields

Mason Smith

Jackson Vercellono

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