Flames let leads slip away in first two periods against Panthers before comeback bid fizzles in third

Saturday, October 24

7:00 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Drury University

Flames defensemen Michael Adamek and Nick Pomerleau, goalie Austin Caley, and forward Kal Essenmacher battle in front of their own cage against Drury (Mo.) University's Luke Davies and Matthew Johnston on Saturday at the LaHaye Ice Center. (Photo by Dawn Baker)

10/25/2026 12:13:00 AM | Men's D1 Hockey

In the teams’ first-ever meetings, No. 7 Drury scored three straight goals to deal No. 5 Liberty its third consecutive defeat.

After opening the season on an eight-game winning streak, Liberty University's No. 5-ranked ACHA Division I men's hockey team suffered its third consecutive setback, falling 4-3 in its rematch with No. 7 Drury (Mo.) University Saturday night at the LaHaye Ice Center.

"It's not the result we want, but there's a lot we can learn from situations like this," Flames senior forward Kal Essenmacher said. "We're going to be in that situation again. We're going to be down again. It will help us down the road playing tough teams … throughout the season (and) in every single round at nationals "

Just 17 hours after the teams' first-ever meeting in the season's first of three Midnight Mayhem matchup, the Flames again got out to a fast start, netting the game's first goal on a two-on-one break with senior defenseman Mason Smith assisting junior forward Zach Nicolas for a top-shelf finish in the left crease at the 14:47 mark.

"I liked our start again tonight," Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said, noting they struggled on special teams, finishing 0-for-3 with a man advantage. "We didn't capitalize on a few power plays. That would have helped us tonight. We learned tonight that we've got to be a little more simple in the way we play, and we've got to make better decisions and we've got to capitalize on situations that come your way, whether that's 5-on-5 or on a power play. "

Liberty maintained pressure on the offensive end, though it narrowly missed converting on close chances around the net with shots by freshman forward David Utkin, graduate forward Ryan Finch, senior forward and alternate captain Luke Munroe and junior forward Zach Nicolas blocked by Drury goalie Brett Sweet on successive possessions.

Given the reprieve, the Panthers responded by tying the contest on a perfectly executed fast break with 2:34 to play in the period with Daniel Beaupre finishing feeds from Anmol Garcha — who netted a hat trick in the 6-3 Midnight Mayhem upset — and Matthew Johnston.

But the Flames didn't cave in and kept the Drury attack in check long enough to reclaim the lead on an odd-man rush of their own at the 13:34 mark of the second period when Essenmacher put away passes from sophomore forward Bronson Hunt and Finch.

Liberty and freshman goalie Austin Caley preserved the one-goal lead by killing off a power play with the help of a timely poke check by Finch and a couple clutch saves by Caley in the closing second of the man advantage.

However, as in the late-night opener, the Flames allowed the Panthers to remain on the prowl and eventually capitalize on another power-play opportunity when Johnston slammed home assists from Lukas Ravenstein and Luke Aston from point-plant range, tying the contest at 2-2 just 1:53 before the second intermission.

Back-to-back goals by Drury forwards Jeff Patola and Garcha in a span of 1:45 early In the third period put the Panthers in pole position for the final 15 minutes. The Flames were able to generate a few quality scoring chances from Nicolas, senior forward Michael DeBrito, and Finch down the stretch before Utkin finally punched in a loose puck near the left post off assists from Pomerleau and graduate forward and alternate captain Tucker Shields with 1:33 remaining in regulation.

"David's obviously a good hockey player and that was a big goal," Handy said of Utkin's first career goal for the Flames. "We were pushing and we scored that goal and gave us an opportunity to tie up the game."

Liberty outshot Drury by a 33-24 margin on the night, including 11-6 in the third period.

"From about the 10-minute mark, we had some really good opportunities to score," Handy said. "We pushed back hard."

Utkin and Finch nearly pocketed the equalizer on putbacks with 20 seconds to play, but Drury goalie Brett Sweet sprawled on the ice to smother the puck in the left crease, squelching the Flames' final threat.

"If we had the energy that we had in the last five minutes the whole game, it would have been a different outcome," Essenmacher said. "We just need to be more desperate from the puck drop. It's not on any specific guy. It's an entire team thing. To have a lead like that and to lose it, we can't shift our play style if we're up on a team; we have to keep pounding, keep attacking."

"Those guys will be a top team in the ACHA," Handy added. "But we're right there. There's a reason why we play these games at this time of the year. We want a benchmark for where we're going to be in March, so for us it's important that we play these games and end up on both sides of them. We have to be willing to learn, because if we aren't we're not going to get better."

"There's a couple things we have to refine and get better at and we will," he added. "It is a process. It's not just players; it's coaches, too. It's all of us together, and there's a high degree of willingness to try to learn and get better."

The Flames return to the LIC next Friday night for a single-game Homecoming Weekend clash with ACHA DII Virginia Tech, with the puck again dropping at 7 p.m.

"We were 8-0 and now we've lost three in a row," Handy said. "We've got to get back at it next week and have a good week of practice and be ready to go again. To get swept at home is never a good feeling (but) we're going to have an opportunity to turn it around on Friday night."

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video edited by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media