Flames Get The Blues: No. 5 Liberty Men’s Ice Hockey Falls To No. 4 UNLV in ACHA Quarterfinals

No. 5 Liberty men’s hockey fell in the ACHA Nationals quarterfinals March 13 to rival No. 4 UNLV 4-2. 

The Flames cruised past Illinois 7-1 in the first x of 16 before falling to UNLV in the quarterfinal matchup. Liberty faced off against UNLV a total of four times this season and lost three.

The loss was a difficult one to swallow for the Flames, who started the season hot at 11-2 before cooling off to go 11-8 in their last 20 games. 

Despite the disappointing loss, Head Coach Kirk Handy was pleased with his team’s performance this season. 

“I am super proud of this group,” Handy told Liberty Club Sports. 

The Flames fared better than expected this season. After going all the way to the “Frozen Four” game last season, the team nearly made a return-appearance despite graduating three superstar goal-scorers in Cole Gammer, Quinn Ryan and Brock Thompson. 

The team is still young with 13 of the 26 players on the roster being freshman and sophomores. 

“As I look back on the year and think about coming into it with 11 new players and adding another in January (junior defenseman Cam Kuhn), 12 of our 26 players were brand new,” Handy told Liberty Club Sports. “When I think about all the possibilities for next season, with a strong returning core of guys coming back, guys who work hard, love the culture and environment at Liberty, ultimately, our goal every season is to train champions for Christ and put ourselves in position to contend for the national championship at the end of the year.” 

The 2021-22 season was Handy’s 22nd year as head coach. During his time at Liberty, he has compiled 498 wins, including two “Frozen Four” appearances.

In 2006-07, Handy was a finalist for ACHA Coach of the Year after guiding the Flames to the D1 National Tournament in the team’s first season competing at that level.

After going 33-4 and being No. 2 in the country the final three months of the 2019-2020 season, Handy won his first coach of the year honors. 

Expectations for next season will be high for the Flames, who are set to graduate nine seniors but retain everyone else. 

The Flames finished the season at 22-10 and ranked No. 5 by ACHA. Handy remains confident the team can replicate its success next season.

“We will have to wait to see what the new players look like next year, but I am confident in the guys we have coming back, in the heart and the character we have in our locker room,” Handy said. 

Mccusker is a sports reporter. Follow him on Twitter

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