Liberty Hockey’s Journey from Inception to Five Competitive ACHA Teams

From playing at an ice rink an hour’s drive from Liberty University to holding home games on campus in a packed-out arena, the Liberty hockey program has grown to great heights.

Hockey has become one of the standout sports at Liberty. There are five Liberty hockey teams, and they all play in the same arena called the LaHaye Ice Center. The LaHaye ice rink at Liberty currently hosts home games for hockey teams, free skates for the public, club sports teams and intramural sports. 

Liberty’s first hockey team was created by a group of college students who wanted to put together an official men’s hockey team for the school. Most of the students who helped had skating experience and wanted to represent their school by playing the sport they loved. In 1984, the first Liberty team formed, but they only played pickup games with other colleges. 

A year later, Liberty found its first hockey head coach and current Rawlings School of Divinity professor Dr. Gary Habermas. Habermas was crucial for the hockey team’s early success.

With Habermas, the hockey team began playing official games against other colleges, and the team got off to a roaring start with 18 wins and only two losses in its inaugural season (1985/86). When asked how the team did so well in its first season, Habermas was quick to credit the players.

“The guys really wanted to play hockey, and the biggest reason [that they won] was the guys we had volunteer and our captains.” 

Since there was no ice rink on Liberty’s campus, the team traveled to Roanoke, Virginia, to practice and played its home games at multiple ice rinks throughout the city. Much of this was done late at night when the rinks were available. Students were given special permission to be out past curfew to attend the games. 

Dr. Habermas coached the team for nine years and led the Flames to three national tournaments in his last three years. Some standout players during his tenure include Nick Reichenbach, Darren Richards and Craig Deliessio. Reichenbach, who was Liberty’s first captain, said his favorite memories while on the team were spending time with his teammates, traveling to games and seeing classmates and supporters in the stands. 

The hockey team grew in popularity and in 2005, Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr. announced that a new ice center would be built on campus. Donations, primarily from Drs. Tim and Beverly LaHaye, gave Liberty the funds to complete the LaHaye Ice Center on the north side of campus. 

Head Coach Kirk Handy was very touched when he found out Liberty would have an on-campus arena.

“We received the call that we are going to build an ice rink on campus in 2005, and for us, I think that was the moment where I really felt like there is something really special that’s going on here  with our program,” Handy said. 

When the arena opened, Handy transitioned the team from ACHA Division II to DI for the 06-07 season.

In 2014, the LaHaye Ice Center was expanded to accommodate multiple sports on ice. New locker rooms for hockey and figure skating teams were added, seating capacity was increased and offices for coaches were built. Current men’s DII Head Coach Ben Hughes, who played for the DI team at the time of renovations, remembered seeing the upgrades for the first time and being amazed by the transformation. 

“Just having the extended seating, to where it’s more like a sea of people, I remember that was kind of the first thought I had of the new rink,” Hughes said.

The LaHaye Ice Center currently serves as a headquarters for several club sports with educational and medical amenities. 

Liberty’s hockey programs have gained national recognition for many years. Today, Liberty has three divisions for men’s hockey and two for women’s hockey. The men’s DI team has captured 13 conference championship titles (though they became an independent program this summer), and the women’s DI hockey team has won three national championships in a row (not including the 2020 playoffs which were canceled due to COVID-19).

Current coach of the DI Lady Flames Chris Lowes said that the time he spent at Liberty as a player helped him as a coach. The impact that the program had on Lowes helped him have a passion for Liberty hockey, which he seeks to pass on to his players.

Liberty’s men’s DI team is currently 4-0. Because of its strong performances, including a trip to the Frozen Four last season, it continues to attract highly skilled players and coaches. After graduating from Liberty, some players have played in the East Coast Hockey League, and one of Liberty’s current coaches, Dan Berthiaume, played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with Wayne Gretsky. 

Hockey has been a hit at Liberty University, and it is going to be around for a long, long time.

Satterthwaite is a sports reporter.