The Olentangy Liberty hockey team proved its toughness in a hard-fought victory over New Albany, overcoming an early deficit to keep its championship goals alive. 

“We learned that we have a resilient group,” Assistant Coach Ryan Welsh said. “We let in two goals early and we never gave up. We knew we needed one goal by the end of the first period, and we kept attacking. We were fortunate enough that Evan Bachus was able to finish a rebound off in front.”

Now, the Patriots shift their focus to a showdown with No. 1-ranked Upper Arlington on Sunday, a game that promises to be both physically and emotionally intense.

“UA has the best goalie in the state (Herndon) in my opinion,” Welsh said. “Mack Larkin and Tommy Morgan are both the second-best goalies in the state too. We’re preparing to watch his films and see if he has any weakness. That, and a very fast-paced practice this week.”

With a state championship in their sights, Liberty will rely on its experience in high-stakes matchups to rise to the occasion.

“I always tell the guys iron sharpens iron, and it’s best on best in practice. And Sunday, it’s No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the state,” Welsh said. “A lot of us have been here before—2022 state run, LAX, football playoffs—so we know what it takes. Our goal is the state championship, and we’ll leave everything on the ice hoping to play for another one next week.”