DII Flames sweep Delaware to reach .500 mark for first time since start of season

Friday, January 16

Lynchburg, VA

7:30 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

University of Delaware

Junior forward Travis Strutt started the scoring for the Flames in Saturday's 8-4 triumph that completed the sweep of the Blue Hens. (Photos by Simon Barbre)

DII Flames sweep Delaware to reach .500 mark for first time since start of season

1/22/2026 9:52:00 AM | Men's D2 Hockey

Photo Gallery

Sophomore forward Cooper Fredericks totaled nine points in two games to pace the attack for Liberty (11-11) in the high-scoring series with the Blue Hens.

Gallery: (1-21-2026) DII men's hockey vs. Delaware

Liberty University's ACHA Division II men's hockey team, which lost six of its first seven games in the fall semester, reached the .500 mark for the first time this season by sweeping the University of Delaware on Friday night and Saturday afternoon at the LaHaye Ice Center.

The Flames (11-11) followed a 7-4 victory in the opener with an 8-4 triumph in the rematch with the Blue Hens (9-17-2).

Sophomore forward Cooper Fredericks shined offensively for the Flames, netting two goals and distributing two assists in Friday's first game and contributing a hat trick with two more assists in Saturday's rematch.

Liberty seized a 2-1 lead in the opener on back-to-back goals by sophomore forward Ben Kovak and freshmen defensemen Glen Farmer in the final 72 seconds of the first period.

Fredericks tallied the Flames' first two goals of the second period, the first off an assist from freshman defenseman Theo Priem, who netted the third with assists from Fredericks and freshman forward Boaz Sochaczevski, lifting Liberty to a 5-2 advantage.

Freshman defenseman Trevor Blazynski and Sochaczevski answered Delaware goals in the third period, finishing assists from Kovak and senior forward Josh Martin and Fredericks, respectively. The Flames outshot the Blue Hens by a 42-24 margin and junior goalie CJ Sehlke made 20 saves to clinch the win.

On Saturday, freshman forward Drake Perham sandwiched the Flames' final two goals — assisted by Fredericks and Sochaczevski — around a second power-play score by Delaware's Patrick Olenski in the third period to break open a 5-3 contest.

Junior forward Travis Strutt, Farmer, and Blazynski each tallied single scores for the Flames, who outshot the Blue Hens, 41-25. Sophomore goalie Andrew Young got the start in goal and made 21 saves to secure the sweep.

This weekend's expected snowfall canceled the Flames' scheduled trip to Oxford, Ohio, to play in the Miami University Showcase with games against the host RedHawks as well as ACHA DII powers Lindenwood University and Florida Gulf Coast University.

Instead, Liberty will next host Army at the LIC on Jan. 31 at 4:30 p.m. and Feb. 1 at 1:30 p.m. in rematches of the past two seasons' pool play showdowns against the Black Knights at the ACHA DII National Championships near St. Louis.