From Liberty Club Sports
By Ted Allen
No. 8 in this week’s ACHA DI rankings, Liberty rides a seven-game winning streak into the series against the Orange, not counting the three that it won in Finland.
A seven-game winning streak to end the fall semester helped Liberty University’s ACHA Division I men’s hockey team rise one spot to No. 8 in this week’s ACHA DI national rankings.
Fresh off a 12-day sports outreach trip to Finland, the Flames hope to carry the momentum into the spring semester when they host former ESCHL rival Syracuse on Friday night and Saturday, the third and final Midnight Mayhem matchup of the season.
“A great part about our trip is we were on the ice every single day,” Flames senior forward Jackson Vercellono said, noting that they went 3-0 on Olympic-sized ice in Hämeenlinna. “So we got to get the rust off (from the Christmas Break) while we were in Finland, and we had a great practice (Tuesday). We aren’t gradually easing back into things. We’re back right where we left off last month. We were proud of the way we ended last semester, and we want to carry on and continue getting better every weekend leading into (ACHA DI) nationals,” set for March 7-12 in St. Louis.
“It will be great to get back in the rhythm, routine,” added senior forward Kris Bladen, who returned to the lineup for a semester-ending sweep of ESCHL-leading Pittsburgh on Dec. 1-2 after being sidelined most of the semester by injury. “(The spring semester is) going to fly by.”
Fellow senior forward and head captain Matt Bartel believes the Flames’ second trip to Finland in four years developed stronger bonds both on and off the ice, as it did for he and his teammates before the Spring 2020 semester.
“It was an awesome trip, and it was nice to be able to get on the ice over there to practice and play some games to get our legs back,” he said. “We were with each other every day and getting to experience everything we did together strengthened us as a group and brought us together. I am excited about this next semester. Everybody’s bought in and we’ve gotten a lot tighter, which will help us on the ice.”
He is especially looking forward to the early Sunday morning rematch with the Orange.
“I am definitely excited for that,” Bartel said. “That will be my last (Midnight Mayhem game), so I’ve got to enjoy it, and soak in that atmosphere.”
Vercellono said though Syracuse is not ranked and is coming off being swept by visiting ESCHL rival Rhode Island last weekend, Liberty cannot afford to overlook the Orange.
“All I know is we can’t take anyone lightly,” he said. “We have to treat it like it’s a do-or-die game. We’ve only got 10 games left for the rankings. We’ve got to worry more about us than anyone else, and how we come to show up.”
Scouting Preview for Games 19-20: Syracuse (10-8-1) at No. 8 Liberty (12-5-1), Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 11:59 p.m. at the LaHaye Ice Center. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
All-Time Series: The Flames lead Syracuse, 8-3, with all of their previous matchups after the Orange joined the ESCHL in 2017 and before Liberty went independent again in 2021.
Liberty Scouting Report: The Flames feature 10 players with 10 or more points this season, paced by junior forward Jacob Kalandyk (11 goals, 12 assists), graduate forward Jackson Vercellono (4G, 12A), senior forwards Jason Foltz (9G, 6A) and Matt Bartel (8G, 7A), and junior defenseman Kevin Bite (4G, 11A) with 15 points or more.
Special teams continues to be one of Liberty’s strengths, with its power-play unit converting 26.56 percent of its chances (17 of 64) and its penalty kill unit successful in shutting down opponents for 84.29 percent of the time (64 of 76). The Flames have outscored opponents by a 73-54 total.
In goal, the Flames return graduate Hunter Virostek (7-4-1, 2.55 goals-against average, 92.6 save percentage, 1 shutout), who returned from injury in late November, to anchor a solid defense made even deeper by the return of sophomore Lazarus Kaebel.
Syracuse Scouting Report: The Orange have outscored opponents by a 75-73 margin, sparked by four players with 15 points or more — forwards Sam Hutchinson (14G, 13A), Jack Alecia (11G, 11A), Brett Edgren (7G, 9A), and Brock Alvers (4G, 12A).
Between the pipes, AJ Finta (6-4-1, 3.12 GAA, 89.9 SP 2 SO) has platooned primarily with Christopher Spano (3-2, 4.50 GAA, 86.7 SP).
Coaches: Kirk Handy is in his 24th season at the helm of the Flames, having guided them to seven consecutive ACHA DI National Championship appearances and posted a career record of 528-217-33. Chris Timmons is in his third season at the helm at Syracuse, where he has posted a 25-24-2 record.
(Originally published at https://libertyclubsports.com/news/2024/1/17/mens-d1-hockey-flames-back-from-finland-host-former-eschl-rival-syracuse-on-friday-before-final-midnight-mayhem-matchup-saturday)
