DI Flames continue recent run of success against Bulldogs with 4-1 road win

Thursday, October 15

Adrian, MI

7:30 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Adrian College

Senior forward and alternate captain Luke Munroe scored the Flames' third unanswered goal of the second period. (Photo by Grace Greer)

DI Flames continue recent run of success against Bulldogs with 4-1 road win

10/15/2026 10:27:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey

Sparked by two goals by graduate forward Tucker Shields and quality goalkeeping by freshman Austin Caley, Liberty beat Adrian for the sixth time in the past eight tries.

Liberty University's No. 6-ranked ACHA Division I men's hockey team started its Fall Break with its biggest victory of the season so far, defeating No. 2 Adrian College for the sixth time in the past eight meetings, 4-1, Thursday night at Arrington Ice Arena in Adrian, Mich.

"It was super impressive," Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "It was a really good team win tonight with contributions from up and down the lineup, from guys top to bottom."

Adrian and Liberty had an even number of chances in the first period, with both taking 10 shots on goal. Graduate forward Ryan Finch and freshman forward Stone Rolston had quality shots for the Flames before the Bulldogs capitalized on a power-play opportunity with 6:08 remaining on a shot by Noel Englot who was left unguarded on the inside edge of the right circle.

In the opening 25 seconds of the second period, off a left-circle faceoff win by Liberty junior forward Zach Nicolas in the Adrian defensive zone and another narrow miss by Rolston, the Flames netted the equalizer when graduate defenseman and alternate captain Nick Pomerleau launched a shot from along the right boards at the blue line. The puck glanced off Bulldogs goalie Peyton Trzaska to Nicolas, who took Trzaska down as he knocked it across the goal line to knot the game at 1-1 at the 19:35 mark.

Then, Liberty seized a 2-1 lead when sophomore defenseman Michael Fischer wrapped a pass back through the left circle to Luke Munroe who ripped a shot through a screen in front by fellow senior forward and alternate captain Mac Ratzlaff that beat Trzaska inside the left post at the 15:52 mark.

"I liked the way our guys battled tonight, and I liked the way we got our goals, by playing hard around the net," Handy said.

Just over 10 minutes later, graduate forward and head captain Sam Feamster received a short pass back from Ratzlaff and skated across the blue line before firing a shot from the high slot that caromed off the back boards and off the back of Trzaska's leg before it popped out to graduate center and alternate captain Tucker Shields for a point-blank putaway and a 3-1 Liberty lead.

"Shields scored twice tonight, and his line with Sam (Feamster) and Ratzlaff ate a lot of minutes," Handy said. "That was important because we started the game with 11 forward and ended it with 10 after another injury today to (senior forward) Kal (Essenmacher)."

Freshman goalie Austin Caley made a great glove save of Luke Marley's shot from deep in the slot after he received Blake Wideman's entry pass from the left boards, and the Flames outshot the Bulldogs by a 14-7 margin in the period and a 33-23 count for the game.

Early in the third period, Caley held his ground near the right post on a turnaround backhand opportunity by Eli Reimer. Finch had two quality chances on a power play around the 12:00 mark, with his first shot glancing off a post and Trzaska making a quick-reflex glove save on the second.

"Our guys were battling all night, and our goalie Caley played well again tonight," Handy said. "He was solid for us in net all night."

Adrian remained perfect on the penalty kill this season before going on a power play of its own that Liberty killed in the middle of the third period.
Then, in the final 3:08, Ratzlaff started an odd-man rush for the Flames by swiping away the puck near the red line and skating in quickly before launching a shot from the top of the right circle that Trzaska blocked in front. Feamster picked up the rebound and had his point-blank shot in the right crease stick-saved by Trzaska but Ratzlaff gathered the loose puck behind the cage and sent a pass out to Shields near the top of the left circle for a one-timed left-handed slapshot that beat Trzaska to the top-right corner for the final score.

"For us, when they pushed on is in the third period, we were able to bend but not break," Handy said. "To only give up six shots in the third period means we're taking care of our own end."

He said for the Flames to finish their first road trip of the season with a series sweep and go into the final two days of their Fall Break with a 9-0 record they will have to play as persistently and with as great a sense of urgency as they did Thursday night.

"It's going to take a bigger effort (on Friday)," Handy said of the 6:30 p.m. rematch that will be streamed live on YouTube by Adrian Hockey TV. "As hard and well as we played tonight, we're going to have to come back and play even better tomorrow. We've got to get some rest and get back at it again."

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer