Liberty University Club Sports Athletics
Jozef 'Joe' Kuchaslo made more than 1,000 saves in his two seasons at Drury (Mo.) University.
Drury University transfer goalie Kuchaslo third DI men’s hockey recruit of 2026-27 class
5/3/2026 10:45:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey
The rising junior posted a 32-6 record with a goals-against average of just over 2.00 and a save percentage of around 92.5 in two seasons with the Panthers.
"Joe's a guy who's been on a successful team in the league and is someone who give us another veteran player to look to from a leadership standpoint," Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "He's a mature guy who wants to come here and be a part of our team, not just on the ice but also off the ice. He's going to be a good fit for us. He wants to embrace Liberty and what makes it so special. He's seen that, and he's really excited to get here in the fall.
In 2024-25, Kuchaslo had a breakout year as a freshman at Drury, going 16-2 with a 2.00 GAA and 93.1 SP.
"Joe's a guy who's proven he can play at this level," Handy said. "He was incredible the past two years, and he's going to be someone who's got experience at this level and he's going to give our goalies competition for starting time."
Kuchaslo started his playing career with Mission Minor Hockey, a local youth association, and won a couple provincial championships at a young age before playing for the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds U-16 and U-18 AAA organizations.
"After COVID, I made my way to Notre Dame in the SJHL … and then to the Revelstoke Grizzlies in the KIJHL, and I really found my home there," he said. "That organization really taught me how to work hard and how to work for what I wanted. We won a couple league and provincial championships there and it was a really good experience. They were unbelievable to me."
Now, Kuchaslo is looking forward to taking his game to the next level and helping the Flames challenge for their first ACHA DI National Championship.
Though he has Ukrainian ancestry, Kuchaslo was born and raised in Mission, British Columbia. Since moving to Missouri and meeting his girlfriend, who introduced him to the Catholic faith, he has been on an even more purposeful mission from God.
"Drury gave me really, really good experience, and I have nothing but good things to say about the program, but for me, this was where my path was leading," Kuchaslo said. "I talked with (Liberty Hockey Recruitment Coordinator) Brett (Berthiaume) and the coaches at Liberty when I was 20 years old, before I went to Drury. This year, I felt like I needed a little bit of a change of scenery."
Prior to Drury, he had not given his life to Christ nor been involved in the church.
"I've been exploring my faith and what it takes to truly walk in this path and live this life," Kuchaslo said. "I'm super excited to come here and work hard and really explore my faith as well, to kind of begin my spiritual journey."
A friend of Flames sophomore forward Mac Ratzlaff, who is also a native of British Columbia, Kuchaslo made several new friends at this past week's Men's Select Prospect Camp hosted by Liberty at the LaHaye Ice Center.
"Me and Mac are pretty good buddies, and he was a big influence in me coming here as well," Kuchaslo said, noting they played against each other and skated and sharpened their skills together in recent summers. "He's been great, and I've been super blessed with some really good people around me. The coaching staff and every single guy I've gone up to has been super nice."
He said the demeanor and outlook of the staff and players at Liberty was refreshing.
"I really feel that the positivity and the vibe here is different than what I'm used to," Kuchaslo said. "Overall, I'm really willing to work for these guys, really willing to do what it takes to win a national championship here, and I think a lot of these guys have the same mindset, which is really good to hear and really good to see. I'm just super blessed and happy to be here."
He was thankful to be invited to the camp and honored to be the newest recruit for Liberty's DI men's team.
He plans to pursue degrees in accounting and finance in Liberty's School of Business, and was introduced to the program by Resident Chair Dr. Beth Koss while on campus last week.
"I was super honored, super blessed to have met Dr. Koss, who is amazing," he said. "She was very influential on the academic side of things, to help me know what to expect for my junior year of classes. I have heard nothing but good things about the rest of the business faculty as well, and that was another big thing in coming here."
Kuchaslo was fully sold on Liberty after attending his first Convocation on Friday, a revival-like service led by Philip Anthony Mitchell, lead pastor of 2819 Church in Atlanta.
"(Convocation) was super cool, and to be honest at that point, that's when I knew that, 'Yes, this is the place for me,'" he said. "That was really a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. That was what almost swung me 100 percent to come here no matter what. I'm fully locked in, really excited to be here and happy that everything worked out for me to come here."
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
Players Mentioned
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