Liberty men’s hockey defeats Syracuse in weekend series

Friday night saw the Liberty hockey team take the ice to celebrate with returning alumni of 35 years of Liberty hockey, bringing an extra edge of excitement to the matchup against Syracuse.  

From the moment the puck hit the ice, the game was on. Through a rough start and brutal 60 minutes of play, the Flames ultimately claimed a 4-2 victory, led by senior forward Jordan Bochinski’s hat trick.  

“We want to refine every game,” Head Coach Kirk Handy said. “I think this shows we can take a rough 10-minute start and turn it into something good.  This game was a test for all of us, coaches and players, but we stuck with it.”

With Syracuse a tough in-conference opponent, the game developed into a tense, physical battle, with the Flames failing to score throughout the first period. 

Bochinski landed a penalty within the first few minutes of the second period, but when he reentered the ice, the game’s momentum shifted. Bochinski flew out of the box, took the puck and netted it right in between the goalie’s legs.  

“It’s easy when Quinn (Ryan) sets you up for some good shots,” Bochinski said.  “Syracuse is a good team, and I think we just need to continue getting
in our zone.”

Liberty claimed 64% of the faceoffs throughout the game, giving the Flames an edge as they moved into the third period. Forward Josh Hamilton took a shot that connected with the back of the net to double Liberty’s lead, assisted by Bochinski. Following with a power play goal, Bochinski added Liberty’s third to make the game 3-0, but the night was far from over. 

Syracuse pulled two goals back, but with 20 seconds left, Bochinski would take the puck from one side of the rink to the other before sealing the win with his third of the night for a hat trick and the win. 

“It’s different playing at home,” Bochinski said. “We feel more at home, and we showed tonight that we can outshoot them and outplay them.”

The Flames defeated Syracuse a second time Saturday, Oct. 19, this time holding the Orange to one goal for a final score of 4-1.

The Flames will continue on home ice Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. for the anticipated game against Adrian University, hoping to prove how much they have grown so far this season.   

“Even when the guys battle cross bars and calls that are made, they work hard, and the goal is always to get better for tomorrow,” Handy said.