Rock the Rink podcast features DI men’s Assistant Ben Hughes, DII women’s Head Rena Leone

The Summer Break episode of "Rock the Rink" features interviews with new Liberty University ACHA Division I Assistant Coach Ben Hughes and veteran Division II women's hockey Head Coach Rena Leone.

Ben Hughes screenshot — Ben Hughes is looking to stoke the DI Flames in his first season as assistant coach working primarily with the defensive corps.

Hughes, a former Flames DI defenseman who spent the past eight seasons as Head Coach of the DII men's team, has been on front lines of recruiting and running the Liberty Hockey Camps. He has made a smooth transition from the head coaching role to the assistant coaching job, working with Liberty's defensemen and helping to run the penalty kill unit.

"I was a defenseman myself and I am passionate about the D corps," Hughes said. "I am really excited to go deeper with the guys, relationally, on the ice, holistically, too, whether it's spiritually, academically, professionally."

Hughes wants to push the Flames to get the most out of them as student-athletes and ambassadors for Christ both on and off the ice.

"For me, I just want to try to pour gasoline on the fire," he said. "They have everything that they need. Their forward group, the D corps, everyone coming back, I think we have the best goalie duo in the league. Practically, right now, that starts on the recruitment side, making sure we're bringing in the right players to move the needle on the ice and in the locker room and continuing to pour in on the development side, especially with the D corps. I'm thrilled, and I hope they are, too."

Rena Leone Liberty DII women's hockey coach — Rena Leone enters the 2025-26 season as optimistic as before any of her previous six at the helm.

Leone, a former Lady Flames defenseman and assistant coach under Sarah (Niemi) Madera, was complemented on the DII women's hockey staff last season by Assistant Coach Justin Forth, who also served as a co-host on the Rock the Rink episode. Previously, Forth served in the same role for the women's DI team, winning five national championships in his 11 years.

"Coach Forth was a great addition to the team," Leone said. "With him being able to draw things out of players that we haven't seen before, we were definitely able to increase our hockey IQs on the ice this year. Going into this upcoming season, we're going to be about a year ahead of where we've been in the past with our systems."

Forth asked Leone about her incoming class of seven recruits who will bring the roster to 26 players, its largest in program history.

"I definitely have changed things recruiting-wise," Leone said. "The best way to say it is I gave it to God. When I'm talking to prospective athletes, they can see that I'm not trying to sell them something; I'm trying to make their lives better because I feel that Liberty — not only as an athlete or from an academic (perspective), but from the Christ-centered personalities here — just makes you a better person."

The result of that God-focused sales pitch is arguably the highest quality recruiting class to date, including two AAA players — Emma Bardwell from Sarasota, Fla., who plays for the Florida Alliance, and Sasha Haring from Midlothian, Va., who plays for the Junior Flyers — along with Pimsiri Wilhelmy from the Nashville Predators, M.J. Petisce from Methuen, Mass., and Sabina Honeycutt, who plays for Team Puerto Rico.

"The girls we're bringing in all have high hockey IQs, they've all played high-caliber hockey," Leone said. "Next year and the year after, we're going to be in a really good place."

In addition to instilling a solid spiritual culture in the team, with five Disciple Makers and four captains, Leone desires to ensure that each member of her team knows they are cared for as student-athletes and as young women.

"I want to make sure that every female athlete that comes here is loved, is respected, has a voice," Leone said. "Sometimes, it's having those hard conversations, but any interaction that I have with my players no matter what it is I want to make sure they're walking away knowing they are loved, that I'm showing Christ's love through what I do. I want that to be a safe space to love the game again and enjoy what they're doing."

Video edited by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media

Rock the Rink podcast features DI men’s Assistant Ben Hughes, DII women’s Head Rena Leone

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