No. 4 Ohio Beats Liberty D1 Hockey In Weekend Series

The visiting Ohio Bobcats took care of business against the Liberty University Division I Hockey team, winning 4-3 Nov. 8 and 5-3 Nov. 9 at the LaHaye Ice Center. 

The No. 4 Bobcats were clicking offensively, taking an early lead in both games and never looking back.

“This was a great learning opportunity for us,” Head Coach Kirk Handy said. “Ohio was the better team this weekend, but we didn’t give up yesterday, and we didn’t give up today.”

After getting swept last weekend against the Niagara Purple Eagles, the Flames were hoping to bounce back on their home ice. Sitting at 9-5, a series win would have propelled the Flames as the season pushed forward.

Debuting their camouflage sweaters in front of a sold-out crowd at the LaHaye Ice Center, the Flames worked to get things going early in game one. 

However, it was the Bobcats who struck first with Ohio forward Nolan Abraham’s shot attempt sneaking past sophomore goalie Konrad Kausch, giving the Bobcats a 1-0 lead midway through the first. 

Liberty failed to tie the game before time ran out in the first period. Despite several strong opportunities, the Ohio defense led by goalie Garrett Alderman held strong as the Bobcats kept their 1-0 lead. 

It was a rocky offensive showing for the majority of the second period, as both teams struggled to connect on their shot attempts. After nearly 36 minutes of play, the Flames finally tied up the game on a deep shot from sophomore forward Mason Smith. 

On the ensuing face-off, Ohio immediately gained possession and ripped off multiple shot attempts. After an initial defensive stand, Ohio forward Drake Albers skated past the Flames’ defense, taking back the lead.

With seven seconds left, Ohio forward Luc Reeve found forward Hollander Thompson open for the Bobcats’ third goal of the night. Once tied 1-1 with minutes left in the second period, Ohio entered the third with a commanding 3-1 lead. 

Facing defeat, Liberty fought back in the final minutes. After an early goal from freshman center Hayden DeMars, the Flames tied the game with 11:24 remaining on a shot from senior defenseman Reid Bogenholm. 

“These guys battle up till the final whistle,” Handy said postgame. “It’s easy for us when they score that third goal and they’re up 3-1 to mail it in, but that doesn’t teach us anything. We have to push.”

However, the Bobcats prevailed. With six minutes to play, forward Graham Broadfoot connected on the game-winning goal and secured a 4-3 win for the Ohio Bobcats.

The following night played out in much the same way, as the Bobcats took care of business in a similar fashion. 

Ohio opened the scoring in the first period on a putback shot from forward Jack Glen. Six minutes later at the 8:07 mark, forward Noah Holt capitalized on the Bobcat power play to extend the lead to 2-0.

A fight after the Ohio goal gifted Liberty a prime scoring opportunity to close the period. With 7:06 remaining, junior defenseman Laz Kaebel connected on a deep shot and made it a 1-point game for the Flames. 

Both teams netted a goal in the second period. Bobcat forward Mathieu Ovaert brought the game to 3-1 after scoring five minutes into the period. Freshman left-winger Liam Cox-Smith matched the Ohio goal on a backhand shot at the 7:23 mark.

Heading into the final period, the Flames trailed the Bobcats 3-2. However, the game’s momentum quickly shifted in favor of the visitors. 

Reeve scored his first goal of the series 30 seconds into the final period, making it a 4-2 game. Five minutes later, forward Laker Aldridge connected on a deep shot to push their lead further.

The Flames, though down 5-2, never quit. After several close chances in the remaining minutes, senior forward Jacob Kalandyk connected on a late goal with only 12 seconds to spare. Kalandyk’s goal put the finishing touches on the series, as the Bobcats secured the sweep with a 5-3 win. 

The series sweep extended the Flames’ losing streak to four games. However, Handy viewed this period as a learning point for the team. 

“There’s a lot of lessons to learn, and we’re going to learn them,” Handy said. “We have the willingness to learn, and to me, we’re still in a great spot. We’re going to be in a great spot at the end of the year; we just have to heal up and mentally reset.”

The Flames have an opportunity to get back in the win column next week as they head to St. Louis, Missouri, for the Maryville Showcase. Liberty will face off against Maryville Thursday, Nov. 21 and close out the road trip with Minot State Friday, Nov. 22 and Arizona State Saturday, Nov. 23.   

Garrett is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.