Flames establish pecking order on Blue Hens in chippy Midnight opener
9/27/2025 10:29:00 AM | Men's D1 Hockey
Liberty netted seven goals from seven different players and junior goalie Konrad Kausch commanded the cage in the 7-1 defeat of Delaware.
Early and often, Liberty University's ACHA Division I men's hockey team stoked the Flames fans who flocked to the LaHaye Ice Center for the season's first Midnight Mayhem game, eclipsing its season scoring record in a 7-1 victory over previously unbeaten Delaware early Saturday morning.
 "It was unreal, the energy of the crowd," said freshman forward Seth Wall, who netted the game's first goal — his first in a Flames uniform — to spark Liberty's attack. "It was electric, even in warmups. It was just really fun to play in it."
The No. 4-ranked Flames (5-0) netted four goals in the first period before adding two in the second and one in the third. They outshot the No. 22 Blue Hens (3-1) by a 44-22 margin and got goals from seven different players, including the first of their careers for Wall, fellow freshman forward Michael Fischer, and sophomore defenseman Joe Feamster.
"We took advantage of the opportunities we had," Liberty Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "I really liked the way we played five-on-five tonight. I really liked the contributions from different guys. The fourth line played great tonight with (sophomore forward) Brad (Barker) and (Seth) Wall and (freshman forward) Seth Huygen. They played really well for us."
"I love playing with Brad and Seth and whoever I'm with," Wall added. "The whole team played really well today. We definitely have some good chemistry going and it's showing on the ice. We're playing together as a team and scoring goals. It's fun. I just try to do my part and see what happens."
In a game plagued by chippy activity on both sides, the Flames' penalty kill unit shut out the Blue Hens on their four power-play chances. Liberty players spent 25 minutes in the penalty box, including a 10-minute misconduct assessed to senior forward and head captain Sam Feamster in the first period for retaliating to a Delaware player's aggression along the back boards.
"We killed too many penalties in the third period," Handy said. "That was part of it. We've got to clean that up (Saturday night). We have to go home, get some sleep, and come back to play a full 60 minutes. They're going to be better tomorrow, and we've got to be better, too."
Delaware possessed the puck for much of the opening three minutes of action before the Flames (5-0) struck first on a counterattack at the 16:40 mark. Junior defenseman Luke Anderson sent a pass up to Huygen on the left wing where he distributed a crossing pass to Wall for an upper-net finish from deep in the right crease.
"It was a big goal (and) a great play by Seth Huygen on the left side," Wall said. "I was just in the right spot and finished. The boys made a great play, and I just happened to be the one to bury it. I'm glad I could get the crowd going and get some momentum for us. It was great execution."
Liberty tripled its 1-0 advantage with back-to-back top-shelf scores in a span of 11 seconds just over a minute later, with senior forward Aidan Carney falling down as he set up senior forward Ryan Finch on the first for an uncontested finish in the slot at the 15:19 mark.
After the ensuing faceoff, Flames senior forward Michael DeBrito stole the puck back in the Delaware zone on the right wing and launched a wrist shot from deep in the circle into the upper netting for a lightning-fast 3-0 Liberty lead with 15:08 left in the first period.
"Those first three goals are huge," Handy said. "There's a lot of momentum and energy that's gained from those quick goals that we scored there."
Delaware goalie Jacob Snellenburg snuffed Wall's point-blank backhander after he had skated the puck across the crease. Later, the Blue Hens ended Flames junior goalie Konrad Kausch's shutout bid when Mason Moore crashed the net and Kausch accidentally kicked the rebound of his shot inside the right post after blocking Tanner Mahoney's shot in front, trimming the deficit to 3-1 with 6:08 remaining in the period.
But just 21 seconds after that, Barker — in his first game back from his trip to Argentina as a softball pitcher for the U23 Canadian National Team — responded. He received a long stretch pass from senior forward Connor Diem, skated the puck down the slot, and ripped a wrist shot over the blocker of Snellenburg to extend the advantage to 4-1 with 5:47 to go in the first period.
Early in the second, Barker recovered the puck on the defensive end and flipped an outlet pass through the air up to Wall, who gloved it like a wide receiver before having his one-on-one opportunity smothered by Snellenburg. Kausch made a similar stop on a fast-break counterattack by the Blue Hens late in the period, falling to his back after making a glove save of a point-blank Delaware shot.
"He was great," Handy said of Kausch, who made 21 saves. "He was solid for us tonight."
Seconds later on the offensive end, Flames junior forward Luke Munroe took passes from Finch and sophomore defenseman Michael Adamek around the top of the right circle before sniping a shot past Snellenburg inside the right post for a commanding 5-1 lead.Â
In the closing minute of the second stanza, Joe Feamster received feeds from Wall and Barker in the high slot and rifled a shot through traffic in front for a bottle-popper that stretched the edge to 6-1.
"There was a lot of chaos in front of the net," Wall said. "That was Joe's first goal, so I am really happy for him, too."
Kausch made a spectacular save early in the third frame before the Flames finally cashed in to cap the scoring with a seventh goal after struggling to clean up a series of chances around the cage. Fischer slammed home a wide-open putback with 11:29 to play after the puck sprung loose through the slot following shots by DeBrito and Carney.
Liberty returns to the LIC to host the rematch with the Blue Hens at 7 p.m. Saturday, again streamed live on ESPN+.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Videos edited by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & MediaÂ
 "It was unreal, the energy of the crowd," said freshman forward Seth Wall, who netted the game's first goal — his first in a Flames uniform — to spark Liberty's attack. "It was electric, even in warmups. It was just really fun to play in it."
The No. 4-ranked Flames (5-0) netted four goals in the first period before adding two in the second and one in the third. They outshot the No. 22 Blue Hens (3-1) by a 44-22 margin and got goals from seven different players, including the first of their careers for Wall, fellow freshman forward Michael Fischer, and sophomore defenseman Joe Feamster.
"We took advantage of the opportunities we had," Liberty Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "I really liked the way we played five-on-five tonight. I really liked the contributions from different guys. The fourth line played great tonight with (sophomore forward) Brad (Barker) and (Seth) Wall and (freshman forward) Seth Huygen. They played really well for us."
"I love playing with Brad and Seth and whoever I'm with," Wall added. "The whole team played really well today. We definitely have some good chemistry going and it's showing on the ice. We're playing together as a team and scoring goals. It's fun. I just try to do my part and see what happens."
In a game plagued by chippy activity on both sides, the Flames' penalty kill unit shut out the Blue Hens on their four power-play chances. Liberty players spent 25 minutes in the penalty box, including a 10-minute misconduct assessed to senior forward and head captain Sam Feamster in the first period for retaliating to a Delaware player's aggression along the back boards.
"We killed too many penalties in the third period," Handy said. "That was part of it. We've got to clean that up (Saturday night). We have to go home, get some sleep, and come back to play a full 60 minutes. They're going to be better tomorrow, and we've got to be better, too."
Delaware possessed the puck for much of the opening three minutes of action before the Flames (5-0) struck first on a counterattack at the 16:40 mark. Junior defenseman Luke Anderson sent a pass up to Huygen on the left wing where he distributed a crossing pass to Wall for an upper-net finish from deep in the right crease.
"It was a big goal (and) a great play by Seth Huygen on the left side," Wall said. "I was just in the right spot and finished. The boys made a great play, and I just happened to be the one to bury it. I'm glad I could get the crowd going and get some momentum for us. It was great execution."
Liberty tripled its 1-0 advantage with back-to-back top-shelf scores in a span of 11 seconds just over a minute later, with senior forward Aidan Carney falling down as he set up senior forward Ryan Finch on the first for an uncontested finish in the slot at the 15:19 mark.
After the ensuing faceoff, Flames senior forward Michael DeBrito stole the puck back in the Delaware zone on the right wing and launched a wrist shot from deep in the circle into the upper netting for a lightning-fast 3-0 Liberty lead with 15:08 left in the first period.
"Those first three goals are huge," Handy said. "There's a lot of momentum and energy that's gained from those quick goals that we scored there."
Delaware goalie Jacob Snellenburg snuffed Wall's point-blank backhander after he had skated the puck across the crease. Later, the Blue Hens ended Flames junior goalie Konrad Kausch's shutout bid when Mason Moore crashed the net and Kausch accidentally kicked the rebound of his shot inside the right post after blocking Tanner Mahoney's shot in front, trimming the deficit to 3-1 with 6:08 remaining in the period.
But just 21 seconds after that, Barker — in his first game back from his trip to Argentina as a softball pitcher for the U23 Canadian National Team — responded. He received a long stretch pass from senior forward Connor Diem, skated the puck down the slot, and ripped a wrist shot over the blocker of Snellenburg to extend the advantage to 4-1 with 5:47 to go in the first period.
Early in the second, Barker recovered the puck on the defensive end and flipped an outlet pass through the air up to Wall, who gloved it like a wide receiver before having his one-on-one opportunity smothered by Snellenburg. Kausch made a similar stop on a fast-break counterattack by the Blue Hens late in the period, falling to his back after making a glove save of a point-blank Delaware shot.
"He was great," Handy said of Kausch, who made 21 saves. "He was solid for us tonight."
Seconds later on the offensive end, Flames junior forward Luke Munroe took passes from Finch and sophomore defenseman Michael Adamek around the top of the right circle before sniping a shot past Snellenburg inside the right post for a commanding 5-1 lead.Â
In the closing minute of the second stanza, Joe Feamster received feeds from Wall and Barker in the high slot and rifled a shot through traffic in front for a bottle-popper that stretched the edge to 6-1.
"There was a lot of chaos in front of the net," Wall said. "That was Joe's first goal, so I am really happy for him, too."
Kausch made a spectacular save early in the third frame before the Flames finally cashed in to cap the scoring with a seventh goal after struggling to clean up a series of chances around the cage. Fischer slammed home a wide-open putback with 11:29 to play after the puck sprung loose through the slot following shots by DeBrito and Carney.
Liberty returns to the LIC to host the rematch with the Blue Hens at 7 p.m. Saturday, again streamed live on ESPN+.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Videos edited by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & MediaÂ
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