Flames DI men’s hockey celebrates spectacular season with team awards banquet

Sterling Payne (left) makes a catch in practice while fellow Flames junior Luke Overlie looks to pass.

Flames DI men’s hockey celebrates spectacular season with team awards banquet

4/17/2025 1:42:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey

Liberty celebrated a 25-6-5 season that culminated with the team's third Final Four berth in the past five seasons near St. Louis.

Gallery: (4-17-2025) Liberty DI men's hockey banquet

Liberty University's ACHA Division I men's hockey team held its end-of-year banquet on Wednesday night at The Virginian in downtown Lynchburg and honored its most exceptional performers from the 2024-25 season, which ended with the Flames (25-6-5) ranked No. 4 in the nation.

Graduate center Jackson Vercellono was named the Flames' Forward of the Year as the team's leading scorer with 17 goals — including five on the power play and three game-winners — and 18 assists. One of Liberty's Disciple Makers, Vercellono serves through FCA Hockey and on Club Sports' Holistic Development staff as a Spiritual Development Assistant.

Junior forward and head captain Sam Feamster was selected as the team's Hardest Worker for the second time in three seasons. Feamster battled back from an injury that sidelined him for much of the spring semester to play a key role in helping the Flames advance to their third Final Four appearance in the past five seasons at the ACHA Division I National Championships in Maryland Heights, Mo.

The son of former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Dave Feamster, Sam picked up his father's work ethic growing up as an employee for one of his father's six Little Ceasars pizza establishments in the Pueblo, Colo., area. He will be the only returning member of the Flames' captaincy corps for next season after senior forwards Jacob Kalandyk and Truett Olson graduate next month.

Junior defenseman Nick Pomerleau was named Liberty's Defenseman of the Year after ranking as the team's leading scorer with 1 goal and 26 assists. Sophomore forward Mason Smith, who finished seventh in scoring with 10 goals and 14 assists, was honored as the Most Improved Player. Freshman center Hayden DeMars, who ranked second behind Vercellono in scoring with 16 goals and 17 assists and had a team-high four game-winning goals, was selected as the Rookie of the Year.

Sophomore goalie Konrad Kausch, who transferred from NCAA Division III St. Mary's (Minn.) University before this past season and filled the skates of Hunter Virostek, a five year starter in net, was named the team's Most Valuable Player after finishing 15-3-2 in the regular season with a 2.12 goals-against average, 94.0 save percentage, and three shutouts.

The Flames, who led eventual national champion UNLV 2-0 with less than 10 minutes remaining in the third period of their semifinal before suffering a 5-2 setback, were well represented on the ACHA DI men's National Championships' All-Tournament teams with three players selected to the Second Team and two others earning Honorable Mention recognition.

Feamster earned All-Tournament Second Team status along with Kausch and DeMars. Smith and Pomerleau received Honorable Mention.

Pomerleau was Liberty's only ACHA Division I Second-Team selection for the end-of-season All-Athletic awards, with Kausch landing on the Third Team as well as the All-Rookie Team.