Weekend Preview: Hokies and Flames Renew Rivialry to Begin Season

After six long months of waiting, the cool, crisp fall air amongst the Blue Ridge Mountains can only mean one thing: the return of Virginia Tech Hockey. On Friday night, the Hokies will begin their 2025-26 campaign by welcoming back an old foe to The Lot in what should shape up to be another historic year for the program.

A new season means a fresh start, especially for this program, which is looking to avenge its Southeast Regionals exit last February. That said, the task at hand is not easy, as the Hokies face off against the Liberty Flames, who last season were ranked number two in the Southeast and earned an automatic bye to Nationals in St. Louis. This is nothing new, however, as a big season opener is exactly how Tech began its 2024-25 campaign, where they lost at home to NC State 3-2 before going on a historic 13-game win streak.

What makes this matchup significant, other than the potential implications it could have in February, is that these two teams will be igniting a rivalry that dates back 40 years, to Tech's inaugural season as a program. It has been nearly seven years (2018-19 season) since the Flames and Hokies last faced off against one another, which saw Liberty sweep Tech in three games. Overall, the series has heavily favored the Flames, as they have won 16 in a row (19, including the M1 Liberty squad). The last time the Hokies defeated Liberty was on October 18, 2013, in a 5-3 victory at home. Saying this team is due for a win this weekend would be a huge understatement.

So what about this newly formed Virginia Tech squad? The roster returns a significant portion of its players from last season, including captain Gavin Peduzzi and Kameron Khazai, who were first and fifth, respectively, in the nation in points. 2025 ACCHL Defensive Player of the Year JH Lages also returns for his second season on the back line, along with all three goaltenders, Ian Kee, Tucker Forest, and Shane Cook, coming back for another stint. On the flip side, the Hokies welcome 11 new rookies to the team, including forward Gavin Nau, who, in four years at Hopewell Valley High School, recorded 131 points (56 in his senior season). Head Coach Joey Mullen, who returns in his 14th season at Tech, quoted this as his deepest team yet, with high anticipation of what this squad can achieve.

Unlike Tech, Liberty already kick-started their season last weekend as they were swept at home by new ACCHL Premier League member High Point. The Flames were outscored 7-3, though outshot the Panthers in both games, promoting their offensive style of play, of getting pucks to the net. One new change to note for Liberty is the head coaching position, as in the offseason, the Flames lost former coach Ben Hughes to the M1 squad (promotion). As a result, former assistant Christian Garland got the call-up and has now taken over this M2 team with high expectations after reaching nationals last season.

The key, as it has been for the last few seasons for the Hokies, this weekend in a home-and-home against the Flames, is to not get over their head and play as a collective unit. A main component of their success last season was their composure and chemistry with one another. There is no doubt this weekend will reignite this 40-year-old rivalry, as the two will play each other another pair of times in October.

Tune in this weekend to both games starting Friday night as the Hokies welcome the Flames to the Lancerlot Sports Complex for their season opener starting at 7:30 p.m. on the Virginia Tech Hockey Network. Fans can catch Saturday's game in Lynchburg at the LaHaye Ice Center with puck drop set for 1:00 p.m. EST on the Liberty Flames Sports Network.