Liberty University Club Sports Athletics
Friday, September 25
Raleigh, NC
7:45 PM
Liberty University Club Sports
at
NC State University
Graduate forward Ryan Finch, Liberty's leading scorer last season, controls the puck in front of senior forward Luke Munroe in last September's meeting with the Icepack at the LaHaye Ice Center. (Photos by Travis Clayton)
Flames prep for first road test at NC State, return to LIC for Saturday night rematch with Icepack
9/24/2026 11:00:00 AM | Men's D1 Hockey
Liberty has won all six meetings with North Carolina State, sweeping its home-and-home series last season, the Icepack’s first at the ACHA DI level.
Building on back-to-back wins against teams from the Southeast, Liberty University's ACHA Division I men's hockey team will seek to extend that streak of success when it takes on second-year DI rival North Carolina State University in a home-and-home series this weekend.
Friday night's game will be the second opportunity for graduate forward Ryan Finch — who grew up playing in the Junior Hurricanes system and for the North Carolina Golden Bears of the EHL — to skate against NC State in its home rink, near his hometown of Raleigh.
"I'm super excited to go back to NC State, my hometown, and play again," said Finch, last season's leading scorer for the Flames who netted two goals and distributed two assists in a season-opening shutout of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill at the LaHaye Ice Center. "It was fun last year. A lot of my friends and family are coming, so I'm excited to play in front of them. I think we just have to play fast, play physical, and just play simple. We're a really good team when we just move the puck and move our feet. As long as we do that, we'll be OK."
Scouting Preview, Games 3-4: No. 7 Liberty (2-0) at North Carolina State (1-2-1), Friday at 7:45 p.m. at Lane Arena at Wake Competition Center in Morrisville, N.C.; NC State at No. 7 Liberty, Saturday at 7 p.m. at the LaHaye Ice Center. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
All-time series: Liberty leads 6-0 after sweeping a home-and-home series in NC State's first season playing at the ACHA DI level last September, winning the opener in Raleigh, N.C., 4-2, before completing the sweep with a 1-0 overtime game-winner by senior forward Michael DeBrito. The Flames won four previous meetings with the DII Icepack to kick off their 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 seasons.
Liberty Scouting Report: After Finch's four-point game against the Tar Heels, sophomore forward Tanner Hunt contributed a goal and three assists in last Friday night's 6-4 come-from-behind win over Florida Gulf Coast University. Hunt now leads the Flames in scoring (1G, 4A), followed by Finch and five players with three points — senior forwards Kal Essenmacher (2G, 1A) and Luke Munroe (1G, 2A), senior defenseman Mason Smith (1G, 2A), sophomore defenseman Michael Fischer (1G, 2A), and freshman forward David Utkin (3A). DeBrito is sidelined by injury for the second weekend in a row and may not be available for next weekend's home series against Arizona.
In goal, the Flames have platooned freshman Austin Caley (1-0, 0.00 goals-against average, 1.000 save percentage, 1 shutout) and junior Joe Kuchaslo (1-0, 4.00 GAA, 87.1 SP), a transfer from No. 9 Drury (Mo.) University.
North Carolina State Scouting Report: After doubling up former ACHA DII rival Virginia Tech 4-2 in the season opener at the Wake Competition Center — the official practice facility of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes — on Sept. 11, the Icepack traveled to Lake Placid, N.Y., for the Fall Faceoff Invitational last weekend, finishing 0-2-1 with losses to Utah (4-0), Davenport (4-3 in OT), and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (7-6).
NC State, which went 19-12-1 in its debut season at the ACHA DI level, is paced offensively by forwards Jack Ammons (5G, 2A), Daniel Prazma (7A), and Noah Fitzsimons (3G). Prazma (21 in two games) and defenseman Erik Dahlin (19 in three games) have combined for 40 penalty minutes.
In goal, the Icepack has platooned Pieter Bartelse (1-2, 4.35 GAA, 89.3 SP) and Dillon Christy (0-0-1, 3.89 GAA, 88.2 SP).
Coaches: Kirk Handy has a career record of 583-240-39 since taking the helm of the Flames in 2000. He has led Liberty to four Final Four appearances since the program was elevated to the ACHA Division I level in 2006-07 and is nine wins away from surpassing former Lady Flames NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Head Coach Carey Green (591-240) as Liberty's all-time winningest coach at any level. Nagib Ward, a native of France who grew up playing hockey there and in Switzerland and collegiately in Minnesota, is in his first season as head coach of the Icepack, succeeding Tim Healy. Alex Rossetto, a Liberty alumnus, is in his 10th season as NC State's goalie coach.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video edited by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & MediaGallery: (9-24-2026) Liberty vs. NC State DI men's hockey
Friday night's game will be the second opportunity for graduate forward Ryan Finch — who grew up playing in the Junior Hurricanes system and for the North Carolina Golden Bears of the EHL — to skate against NC State in its home rink, near his hometown of Raleigh.
"I'm super excited to go back to NC State, my hometown, and play again," said Finch, last season's leading scorer for the Flames who netted two goals and distributed two assists in a season-opening shutout of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill at the LaHaye Ice Center. "It was fun last year. A lot of my friends and family are coming, so I'm excited to play in front of them. I think we just have to play fast, play physical, and just play simple. We're a really good team when we just move the puck and move our feet. As long as we do that, we'll be OK."
Scouting Preview, Games 3-4: No. 7 Liberty (2-0) at North Carolina State (1-2-1), Friday at 7:45 p.m. at Lane Arena at Wake Competition Center in Morrisville, N.C.; NC State at No. 7 Liberty, Saturday at 7 p.m. at the LaHaye Ice Center. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
All-time series: Liberty leads 6-0 after sweeping a home-and-home series in NC State's first season playing at the ACHA DI level last September, winning the opener in Raleigh, N.C., 4-2, before completing the sweep with a 1-0 overtime game-winner by senior forward Michael DeBrito. The Flames won four previous meetings with the DII Icepack to kick off their 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 seasons.
Liberty Scouting Report: After Finch's four-point game against the Tar Heels, sophomore forward Tanner Hunt contributed a goal and three assists in last Friday night's 6-4 come-from-behind win over Florida Gulf Coast University. Hunt now leads the Flames in scoring (1G, 4A), followed by Finch and five players with three points — senior forwards Kal Essenmacher (2G, 1A) and Luke Munroe (1G, 2A), senior defenseman Mason Smith (1G, 2A), sophomore defenseman Michael Fischer (1G, 2A), and freshman forward David Utkin (3A). DeBrito is sidelined by injury for the second weekend in a row and may not be available for next weekend's home series against Arizona.
In goal, the Flames have platooned freshman Austin Caley (1-0, 0.00 goals-against average, 1.000 save percentage, 1 shutout) and junior Joe Kuchaslo (1-0, 4.00 GAA, 87.1 SP), a transfer from No. 9 Drury (Mo.) University.
North Carolina State Scouting Report: After doubling up former ACHA DII rival Virginia Tech 4-2 in the season opener at the Wake Competition Center — the official practice facility of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes — on Sept. 11, the Icepack traveled to Lake Placid, N.Y., for the Fall Faceoff Invitational last weekend, finishing 0-2-1 with losses to Utah (4-0), Davenport (4-3 in OT), and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (7-6).
NC State, which went 19-12-1 in its debut season at the ACHA DI level, is paced offensively by forwards Jack Ammons (5G, 2A), Daniel Prazma (7A), and Noah Fitzsimons (3G). Prazma (21 in two games) and defenseman Erik Dahlin (19 in three games) have combined for 40 penalty minutes.
In goal, the Icepack has platooned Pieter Bartelse (1-2, 4.35 GAA, 89.3 SP) and Dillon Christy (0-0-1, 3.89 GAA, 88.2 SP).
Coaches: Kirk Handy has a career record of 583-240-39 since taking the helm of the Flames in 2000. He has led Liberty to four Final Four appearances since the program was elevated to the ACHA Division I level in 2006-07 and is nine wins away from surpassing former Lady Flames NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Head Coach Carey Green (591-240) as Liberty's all-time winningest coach at any level. Nagib Ward, a native of France who grew up playing hockey there and in Switzerland and collegiately in Minnesota, is in his first season as head coach of the Icepack, succeeding Tim Healy. Alex Rossetto, a Liberty alumnus, is in his 10th season as NC State's goalie coach.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video edited by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media
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