As the clock struck midnight, the festivities were only beginning for the Liberty Flames men’s D1 hockey team as it took to the ice to face off with the Niagara Purple Eagles Oct. 1.
Liberty’s first “Midnight Mayhem” game of the season also served as the second of a two-game series, in which the team survived the Purple Eagles, going 2-0. The Flames skated away with a 4-1 victory Sept. 29 and were looking to do the same in their Hawaiian-themed matchup.
Despite the late hour, energies between these two groups were high on the ice. The Purple Eagles were the most daunting opponent Liberty had faced yet, showcasing a new level of speed for Head Coach Kirk Handy’s group to get accustomed to.
Things remained scoreless in the first few minutes, as both teams traded possession of the puck and displayed physicality early. It was junior forward Jacob Kalandyk, Liberty’s leading scorer, who broke the ice and put the first puck in the net.
Kalandyk received a feed from sophomore forward Jackson Vercellano and put a wrist shot past Niagara goalie Bennett Oxborough to give the Flames the 1-0 advantage.
With this early display of offensive power, it seemed Liberty might repeat the previous night’s activities. Senior forward Austin Robinson, however, had other ideas as he netted a goal off a rebound from David Christopher’s shot on a power play.
Just a few minutes later, Purple Eagle Devin Sanders would put his team on top with a shot inside the left post, giving Niagara its first lead of the series.
It seemed momentum was surging Niagara’s way, as a hush fell over the sold-out home crowd.
In a matter of moments, however, life in the LaHaye Ice Center was renewed as freshman defenseman Grant Morton capitalized on a pass from senior forward Brett Gammer, lifting a shot that was tipped by junior forward DJ Schwenke to find the net. With the scoreboard even at 2-2, the Flames did not let Niagara respond, with another goal from Schwenke giving Liberty the 3-2 edge.
“Schwenke had a big game,” Handy told media postgame. “He shows up to play in these games, Schwenke and Gammer. Those guys, they’re tough, and they show up every night, which is awesome.”
The Purple Eagles, however, refused to give up the fight. Forward Rylan Clemmons notched his second goal of the season with 1:24 left in the second period, evening things out as he sneaked the puck past Virostek.
It was the third period that saw the Flames offense surge. Junior forward Joe Clark put a top-shelf wrist shot in the net with 11:23 remaining to get Liberty ahead. Senior forward Matt Bartel would then put the game away with a shot through the five-hole of Oxborough — the captain’s first goal of the season.
“It was nice because all four of our lines scored tonight,” Handy said. “Schwenke has two, Kalandyk has one, Joe Clark for the fourth line and Matt Bartel for the first (line). It was really good distribution.”
While the Purple Eagles would score on an empty net with 1:20 remaining, Liberty’s late-night heroics would allow them to earn the 5-4 victory in front of the home crowd.
“It was a really good game, one of the best ‘Midnight’ games I’ve played in,” Schwenke told media. “We play in front of the best crowd in this league, for sure. It was pouring rain outside three hours before (game time), and they’re still lined up and ready to go.”
The Flames improved to 4-0 on the season and will now head north for some of their toughest contests of the year.
No. 5 Liberty will face No. 4 Minot State Oct. 7-8 in Minot, North Dakota, before heading to Adrian, Michigan, to match up with No. 3 Adrian College Oct. 14-15.
“We’re looking forward to getting on the road with our guys and continuing to build on what we’ve done here,” Handy told media. “We have a fantastic rivalry (with Minot). It will be a great series.”
Cory is the sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on Twitter