Hockey hunts Hens

Flames split home series against University of Delaware Hens

It was a tale of two games as Liberty University’s men’s Division I (DI) hockey team split their Nov. 7-8 weekend series against the University of Delaware 1-1.

After dropping the first game 6-4 despite an early three-goal lead, neither players nor coaches had much to say.

THE CHASE — Forward Luke Simon hawks down opponent. Photo credit: Courtney Russo

THE CHASE — Forward Luke Simon hawks down opponent. Photo credit: Courtney Russo

“It feels a bit like déjà vu at this point,” captain and senior defenseman Matt Sherry said. “It’s a mentality problem. We’ve had success in getting early leads, but then we lay off and don’t execute afterwards. We have to play 60 minutes of hockey.”

Senior forward Ryley Egan kicked off the Flames first-period scoring frenzy on a pass from freshman forward Colt Steele. Alternate captain and senior forward Lindsay LeBlanc scored soon after with help from Steele and Sherry, and freshman forward Luke Simon found the back of the net in the final minutes with help from freshmen defenseman Ben Hughes and forward Luke Hannon.

When the puck dropped for the start of the second period, though, the Flames saw their lead evaporate as the Blue Hens netted four unanswered goals. They scored a fifth midway through the final period.

The Flames rallied in the third with inspiring effort, and Division II (DII) forward Peter Kazmierczak, called up due to injuries plaguing the DI roster, scored a fourth goal on an assist from junior forward Tyson Street. It was not enough to change the outcome of the game, though, and the Blue Hens scored once more as time expired.

With no statistics or glaring errors on which to blame the loss, Handy and his team admitted they needed a mindset shift.

The Flames answered their intangible problem in resounding fashion just one day later. Liberty beat Delaware 5-1 in a charge led not so much by the usual playmakers, but the third and fourth-string hustle players.

“Every team has to have the guys who go out there every night and just battle,” Steele said. “Tonight, we’re finally getting rewarded. We’re starting to play as a team.”

LeBlanc scored five minutes into the game on a power play, assisted by senior defenseman Cam Bakker and Hannon, and the Blue Hens evened things up not
long after.

One long stretch of back-and-forth play later, defenseman Chase Harris found the back of the net with assists from Egan and freshman forward Paul Lamourex on a mid-second period power play.

Steele drove to the net for an unassisted goal to kick off the third period, and senior forward Christian Garland got one of his own with help from Hughes and Kazmierczak. He returned the favor for Harris with eight minutes left in the game, passing the puck to junior forward Kyle Garcia to assist the Flames fifth and final goal of the evening.

“The guys that I play with just want to win,” Garland said. “We’ll do whatever it takes to win, so we go out and do our jobs and work hard and hope it’s infectious.”

Garland was also quick to praise DII call-ups Kazmierczak and junior forward Paul Ingles for their effect on the team’s overall attitude.

“They come in and they work hard, and I mean, no one wants to be outworked by guys who come in with nothing to lose, right?” Garland said. “Really, it’s pretty inspiring to see two or three guys come in and immediately work that hard — forecheck, backcheck, taking hits and really wanting to win.”

Bakker also added that he was proud about the collective team effort.

“Today we told ourselves that we were going to play a full 60, and a full 60 hard,” Bakker said, who recorded six blocked shots alone on the night in a defensive effort.

“We wanted to play hard-nosed hockey, hitting the corners and scaring them away from the puck, and I think we did that. … Hard work is contagious.”

The team looks to maintain the mentality they showed in game two next weekend at home against Stony Brook University, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14-15.

RUSH is a sports reporter.

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