Bulldogs win the fight: Liberty upended by No. 2 Adrian in quarterfinal matchup, 4-2

There hasn’t been a pair of teams more evenly matched the past couple of seasons than the Adrian Bulldogs and Liberty Flames. The last eight times the two units met, they’ve gone 4-4, setting the stage for a quarterfinal grudge match at the ACHA National Tournament March 10.   

But when it mattered most, the Bulldogs proved to have the edge, bringing a vigor to the postseason ice that Liberty couldn’t tame as they ended the Flames’ season with a 4-2 heartbreaker.  

“It’s tough, right? We certainly battled back and fought back hard, but, you know, I don’t think we had a great start,” Liberty Head Coach Kirk Handy said. “Both teams are good teams. We were right there, right till the very end, and I’m super proud of our guys.” 

Since the Flames and Bulldogs last met in Lynchburg, Adrian’s road to the national tournament was atypical for the No. 2 team in the nation. Bulldogs Head Coach Gary Astalos’ group went on to split a series with Grand Valley before falling short in the GLCHL Conference Title game to Purdue Northwest. Regardless, the team that fell just shy in last season’s ACHA National Championship returned to the tournament hungry, with an evident urgency from the moment they touched ice.  

Adrian took control of the game immediately, smothering Liberty’s offensive chances and clearing pucks to make the Flames work for any offensive zone time. The Bulldogs are a team distinguished by their physicality, and their gritty nature was on display in the first 20 as they peppered graduate Liberty goaltender Hunter Virostek with shots and forced the Flames into defensive breakdowns.  

Just over halfway into the period, Adrian finally hammered one home, as Bulldogs forward Caleb Minns brought Virostek to the right side of the crease before leaving the puck for his linemate Cameron Armstrong to fire into the back of the net.  

Adrian left the first period on top 1-0, giving the Flames a list of adjustments to make in the second frame.  

“I think they just came out really hard and really structured,” graduate forward Captain Matt Bartel said. “They kind of knew the right plays to make, and they were chipping pucks out, and I think we just were kind of on our heels for the first half (of the game).” 

As the second period commenced, not much changed in the Bulldogs’ tenacity on defense. They held Liberty to a mere nine shots in the period, denying any offensive rhythm the Flames attempted to generate.  

“What they did in their game plan is what they’ve always done against us,” senior forward Jackson Vercellono said. “They like to chip pucks behind us and make us skate, and so it’s hard to sustain pressure in the zone when all they do is just chip it out … It just kind of kills the flow of the game.” 

While Liberty lacked a flow, Adrian used its momentum to pounce on a slashing penalty from Flames junior defenseman Kevin Bite. Just 15 seconds into the power play, Bulldog Dylan Gajewski passed the puck off to Sebastian Smith behind Virostek’s net, sending it home before Virostek could seal off the other side. Now, with a 2-0 lead, Liberty became desperate in its search for offensive life.  

“Coming into this nationals, we felt like this was the year. And so we were down, but we always had belief,” Vercellono said. “And when your life is on the line, you just find another level. That’s what we tried to do.” 

Heading into the third, a glimpse of breathing room would come. Adrian’s Matteo DiGulio got served a holding penalty with 6:22 remaining, and sophomore forward Sam Feamster managed to deflect the shot of Liberty’s leading scorer, junior forward Jacob Kalandyk, past Adrian goaltender Noah DeCottignes to trim the deficit to 2-1.  

The Bulldogs, however, responded on the man advantage just minutes later, with Gavin Watt firing a laser that rattled the back of the cage and returned the Flames to the two-score hole they had just dug out of.  

Feamster struck again with 2:57 remaining in regulation, receiving another pass from Kalandyk to make it a 3-2 game.  

“Sam’s a leader. He just works hard,” Handy said. “He doesn’t even say, ‘Watch me.’ People watch his actions. His actions speak loud.” 

With the Flames scrambling to find one more to even the contest, Adrian’s endurance was on full display. The Bulldogs fought for every puck, winning battles and showcasing a speed that simply overtook that of Liberty’s.  

Gajewski cemented his team’s spot in the Final Four with an empty netter just moments after, wringing any hopes of a Liberty comeback. The horn sounded with a 4-2 final, and as the Bulldogs gathered to celebrate, the Flames embraced one another one the ice, emotions on display.   

“I just think there was a no-quit attitude,” Handy said. “I think you saw that right at the end, the way we played and the way we battled, and those attributes are going to help them out in life. They’re going to learn those things. You don’t want to quit.” 

The Bulldogs left the ice holding a 41-33 advantage in shots, but the three goals that crept by Virostek do no justice to the miraculous saves the Alberta native made in 60 minutes. The Flames’ incomparable goaltender left the ice in a Liberty sweater for the final time Sunday night, along with Liberty’s eight other graduating seniors.  

This year’s senior class is a deep one, and a group the program and current team members won’t forget any time soon. 

“I hope to be like (the seniors) were next year for everyone coming. I mean, we were so tight-knit,” Vercellono said. “We were all so different, but we all just meshed so well together, so we’re gonna miss those guys.” 

But while the season found its end earlier than the team would have liked, nothing is stolen from the path the 2024 Flames took. And as Bartel led his team for one final game with the “C” on his sweater, the centerman could only reflect on the honor it’s been to guide this group.  

“It’s been awesome. It’s been a blast. It’s been really fun to step into that leadership role and just see the guys grow and see so many guys come to Christ,” Bartel said. “I think that was a super special part of our Finland trip, and it’s just been a pleasure to battle with these guys.”

Cory is the sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X