Liberty Hockey sweeps Delaware in a two-game series

• Flames hockey scores 6 points against the University of Delaware in first game but still finds areas for improvement.
• Despite scoring 11 points in the second game, the Flames hope to improve their fight to get the puck into the net.

 

Game 1, Saturday, Nov. 10

After allowing the first goal of the game 37 seconds in, the Liberty Flames D1 men’s hockey team scored five consecutive goals and defeated Delaware 6-2. In a game that saw a combined 27 infractions, Liberty was able to come out on top of Game 1 of the series.

Liberty could not clear the puck out early in the game, but they were able to clean that up just a few minutes in.

“We had to play better in our own end,” coach Kirk Handy said. “I think in our D-zone, we weren’t as committed as I would have liked.”

After a few minutes of struggling in their own end, the Flames started attacking on offense and generated many early chances, but had a difficult time executing. They managed to get off 18 shots, but only scored two goals from those in the first period.

“I thought our execution was okay,” Handy said. “I think it definitely can be better.”

Sophomore forward Victor Blomberg tied the game at 7:58 in the first period after a nice deke off a breakaway. Zane Schartz scored less than four minutes later on a 5-on-3 power play, which was assisted by Grant Garvin and Quinn Ryan.

The Flames spent a lot of time in Delaware’s zone, which is why they were able to get off 18 shots while only allowing five.

“I thought we were able to maintain some good pressure and we were able to get pucks in, and our forwards were able to set up pretty effectively in there,” Handy said.

Schartz scored another power play goal early in the second period, and Brock Thompson scored a power play goal near the end of the second period to make the game 4-1 after two periods of play.

“We had some pretty nice shots on the power play,” Handy said. “We were able to get shots through – I think that was the big thing.”

Forward Jordan Bochnski scored less than four minutes into the third period to make it a 5-1 game. Delaware scored another goal at the 8:54 mark to bring it back within three, but then forward Tim Bierema capped off the scoring for the night with just a tick under nine minutes left in the contest to make the game 6-2.

Though Liberty scored six goals and only gave up two, Handy believes there is another level they have not yet reached.

“I thought we played not bad,” Handy said. “I still think we have another level. It was there for parts of the game and parts of the game it wasn’t, so I’d like to see it consistently.”

One of the biggest things Handy would like to see his team do a better job of is staying out of the penalty box. They took three minor penalties in the first two periods, and then nine penalties in the third period. This included a five-minute unsportsmanlike conduct, a 10-minute unsportsmanlike misconduct, and a fighting game disqualification.

“I would like to see us do a better job, and I think we can do a better job,” Handy said. “I think that we kind of got caught up in the antics of the game, and that’s something we want to try to stay away from.”

Handy said the game was chippy, and that his guys need to watch how involved they get. He said the players need to know when it is too much to get involved in terms of hurting the team.

“There’s a line and you want the guys to play to the line,” Handy said. “If they go over the line, they hurt the team. You definitely want to push them to stay at that line, the intensity line that’s needed.”

Handy highlighted the goalie play as well. Goalie Joshua Halpenny made 21 saves on 23 shots, keeping his team in the game.

“Halpenny played well,” Handy said. “He held us in the game for sure.”

Handy also highlighted the fact that the scoring was spread out in the game, as 10 different players registered a point in the contest.

“It just kind of happens. You get different lines going, different guys going,” Handy said.

Liberty saw defenseman Chayden Lauber exit the game very early with an upper body injury, and Handy said he would miss Saturday’s game. Handy also said the team will be without forward Quinn Ryan after he was involved in a fight that got him a game misconduct late in the third period.

Next weekend, the Flames will travel to New York University, and then West Chester the following week, before returning home against Indiana University of Pennsylvania Dec. 8 and 9.

Game 2, Saturday, Nov. 11

The Liberty men’s D1 Hockey team defeated the University of Delaware 11-7 at Saturday night’s game on Veterans Day, sweeping the Blue Hens in a two-game series.

Saturday’s game ended with 49 shots for the Flames and 35 for Delaware. There was a total of 19 penalties between the two teams.

Prior to the game, Liberty honored veterans with the national anthem. Junior defender Kyle Crane said the team is always thinking about the sacrifice men and women make for the land of the free.

“I think everyone knows the privilege it is to play here,” Crane said. “We know what men and women do for us and we are always thinking about it in the back of our heads.”

The Flames currently hold second place in the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL). Saturday night’s game was another big deal, especially for the momentum it gave the team.

“The highlight (to this game) was getting two conference wins,” defenseman Zane Schartz said. “Every win is big.”

Junior forward Zechariah Roberts scored the first goal of the night during a power play after Delaware was called for holding. Center Grant Garvin and Schartz were credited with the assists.

Freshman forward Cole Gammer scored at the fifth minute with assistance from sophomore forward Victor Blomberg and junior defender Basil Reynolds.

The third goal of the first 10 minutes was shot at the seventh minute by senior forward Timothy Bierema with no assistance.

Crane said the team has been playing more together, and they performed this well all night long.

“We are losing selfishness and playing like a brotherhood,” Crane said.

Despite sustaining injuries from the season, Liberty’s team stepped up and fought for the win.

“Offense did a good job of putting pucks on net and scoring,” Schartz said. “We had some guys step up as well, which was good.”

Delaware scored its first goal at the last minute of first period, bringing the score to 3-1 at the 20th minute.

Liberty’s freshman forward Ryan Cox scored in the fourth minute of the second period with assistance from Reynolds and freshman forward Sam Carlson. Delaware then scored twice within three minutes on power plays, after Liberty faced two penalties within two minutes for holding slashing.

Liberty scored again in the tenth minute when sophomore forward Brock Thompson scored with assistance from Garvin and Roberts on the power play goal after Delaware was penalized for hooking.

Delaware managed to score twice again at the 12th and 13th minutes of the second period, bringing the score to 5-5 for a tied game.

Schartz said he expected Delaware to put up a bigger fight during Saturday’s game, considering the Flames had defeated them on Friday.

“We expected them to come out harder than they did last night, which they did, so we tried to meet and exceed what we expected,” Schartz said.

 

 

Schartz quickly fixed this by nailing two shots into the net with assistance from Garvin, Roberts and senior forward Cole Steele.

“I work a lot after practice on my ‘one-timers’ and the guys gave me good passes,” Schartz said.

The second period ended 7-5, breaking the fiercely tied game.

In the third period, Delaware came out firing, immediately scoring off a power play within the first minute.

Between Crane, Garvin and Schartz, three more goals were nailed into the net within five minutes of play. Delaware became aggressive as they tried to make a comeback, but Liberty’s freshman forward Jordan Bochiniski forced another shot in, crushing any possibility of a Blue Hens victory.

Schartz’s goal did not just mean another point on the board – it was also a personal record – his first ever hat trick.

“Praise God, I got a hat trick,” Schartz said. “That was my first one. I am pretty excited.”

Two of Delaware’s players and Liberty’s freshman forward Tyler Cox were placed on a game-ending suspension after fighting behind the net at the 14th minute of the third period.

“Forwards and defenders all stepped up big time,” Crane said. “There were a lot of injuries.”

Delaware managed to get one more mercy goal in the net at the 18th minute of the game, ending the Military Day game at 11-7 in Liberty’s favor.

Crane said the team is going to work on their fight to get the puck in the net, as they did surrender some goals during the game.

“We gave up a decent amount of goals today so we need to battle around the net more,” Crane said.

Liberty will play their next home game against Indiana of Pennsylvania Dec. 8 for Midnight Mayhem, beginning at 11:59 pm.