DIVISION I MEN’S HOCKEY TEAM JOINS EASTERN STATES CONFERENCE JAM ES H ANCO CK
ZAK HAYES
Liberty's ACHA Division I men's hockey team, which has been independent since moving up from the Division II level in 2006, will join
the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL) this fall. The Flames will join defending league champion Stony Brook and Delaware — two teams they faced four times each in recent seasons — as well as Rhode Island, Rutgers, and West Chester. Liberty will host 23 games next season in the LaHaye Ice Center, which underwent major renovations last summer, doubling the seating capacity. The team will play a 20-game league schedule (plus 18 non-league games) — with two home and two away contests
against ESCHL foes determining the regular-season champion and automatic ACHA DI National Championships bid. The ESCHL playoffs will take place in February. "It's a great opportunity for us to play for a conference championship," Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "The league playoffs will give us a nationals-type setting before nationals to get in that mindset. It's do-or-die. You win, you stay; you lose, you go home. So we're looking forward to that."
LADY FLAMES MAKE FOURTH STRAIGHT ACHA FINAL FOUR APPEARANCE Liberty’s DI women’s hockey team went unbeaten against ACHA competition during the regular season and maintained the No. 1 ranking for all four ACHA DI polls. In the semifinal rematch of last year's ACHA Division I Women's Hockey National Championship game, the top-seeded, defending champion Lady Flames (23-4-1) battled second-seeded, 2014 champion Miami of Ohio (24-5-1), March 12 in Kalamazoo, Mich. Liberty tied the game late in the third period on a goal by Nikki McCombe before the
RedHawks netted the game-winner in the final two minutes of overtime for a 3-2 upset. The Lady Flames were led by senior forwards and team captains Carrie Jickling (28 goals, 24 assists) and Catharine Burrell (20G, 27A). Liberty’s defense was anchored by senior Brittany Hymers and two goalies — freshman Kelly Hutton (11-1, 1.53 goalsagainst average, 92.6 save percentage) and sophomore Rosie Kelly (10-0, 1.50 GAA, 90.6 SP), who ranked among the ACHA’s best.
LAUREN MCDONALD
DIVISION II MEN REACH FIRST ACHA CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL IN 10 YEARS Liberty's ACHA Division II men’s hockey team made its third consecutive trip to the National Championships and its first Final Four showing since 2006. The team lost to Florida Gulf
Coast University, 4-1, in the March 22 championship game played in West Chester, Pa. The Flames (30-4, ranked No. 1 in the South Region) had won three of
four regular-season meetings with the second-ranked Eagles, who were appearing in their third straight championship final after losing the previous two.
MEN’S LACROSSE UPSETS VIRGINIA TECH FOR NORTHWEST REGION TITLE JESSIE ROGERS
BRETT BERNARDO
Senior midfielder Brett Bernardo netted five goals and senior attack Ryan Miller added four goals and three assists to lift Liberty’s men’s lacrosse team to a 15-7 regular-season-ending triumph over rival Virginia Tech on April 15. The Senior Night victory at the Liberty Lacrosse Field extended the Flames’ home winning streak to 23 games and clinched their second Northwest
Region championship in three seasons competing at the MCLA Division I level. The Flames (9-4, 4-0 in Northwest Region play) defeated South Carolina before being eliminated by secondranked Georgia Tech in the April 23 semifinals of the SELC Division I Championships near Atlanta, narrowly missing their first MCLA DI Championships bid.
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