A closer look at the D1 Men's Hockey Rookies – The Liberty Champion

Photo by Anna Wheat | @annawheatfotografie

Hayden Demars – 21 | 63 | Center | Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

DeMars has been playing hockey since he was five. He cherishes memories of skating on outdoor ponds when his father was growing up. As a government major with related national security and intelligence agencies, he hopes to one day get a job with an agency like the FBI or the Drug Enforcement Administration. He enjoys spending time outdoors and looking at Yellowstone. Despite his tough appearance, at the age of 63, he is described by his teammates as a big teddy bear.

Mac Ratzlaff – 21 | 510 | Forward | Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

Despite putting on a pair of skates since he was six, Ratzlaff is more than just scoring goals. He cherishes the time he spends off the ice building a community with the boys. He studies business administration and data analysis and has a background in real estate. He plans to use his degree after graduation to go into commercial real estate, investing or brokerage. Aside from giving him significant minutes in the box, his strength is also an asset off the ice, as he claims to have never lost an arm wrestling match against Hayden DeMars.

Michael Debrito – 21 | 510 | Forward | Fergus Falls, Minnesota.

Debrito is very familiar with the ice and has been playing hockey since he was four. He is a government major with a kinship in national security and intelligence, but is unsure of his plans after graduation. The athlete even practices the sport in his spare time when he watches the hockey TV series Shoresy. A true team player when asked for a fun fact about himself, all he said was: I love Hayden DeMars.

Tucker Shields – 21 | 62 | Center | OttAwa, Ontario, Canada

Shields' nationality extends across the (ice)pond, as he is both a British citizen and a Canadian resident. He has been playing hockey since he was four. He studies business administration and data analysis and has a background in economics. The student-athlete also minored in law and plans to attend law school after completing his bachelor's degree. Although he doesn't watch much TV, he does enjoy bingeing episodes of Modern Family.

Joe Feamster – 21 | 60 | Defender | City, Colo.

Feamster will be hitting the ice with his older brother Sam this year and has been playing hockey since he was three. He studies sports management and hopes to become a sports agent after graduation. In his spare time he enjoys tasty steak dinners and visits to the arcade. The Colorado native's athletic prowess extends well beyond the rink, as he has climbed three 14,000-foot cliffs in his home state.

Kal Essenmacher – 20 | 61 | Forward | Brentwood, Tenn.

Although he has been playing hockey since he was five, Essenmacher is not your stereotypical jock. As a connoisseur of music and literature, he has been playing viola in orchestra for seven years. I don't really watch much TV, Essenmacher said. I like to read a good book. The Tennessee boy has fond memories of playing high school hockey with his brother and winning two state championships together.

Michael Adamek – 20 | 57 | Defender | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Adamek has played hockey since he was young and enjoys the outdoors and fishing with his teammates back home in Canada. The hockey player gives new meaning to fire and ice and wants to become a firefighter after graduation. He is currently studying interdisciplinary studies. Besides spending time at the rink, he enjoys catching up on the latest episodes of Dancing with the Stars or binging Trailer Park Boys.

Brad Barker – 20 | 62 | Left | Goodwood, Ontario, Canada

Barker, who grew up on the ice, has been playing hockey with his brothers since he was 4 on the backyard rink his father built. The self-proclaimed academic weapon recently changed his major from strength and conditioning to business administration and data analytics with a sales management and professional sales cognate. Because of his energetic nature and his love for people, he hopes to go into sales after graduation. This D1 hockey player is an all-rounder, as he played on the U18 National Team for fast-pitch softball and represented Canada in 2023.

Konrad Kausch – 22 | 63 | Goalkeeper | Duluth, Minn.

This second-year rookie has been playing hockey since he was four. One of his favorite memories is playing in the Minnesota State High School League Hockey Tournament. He is majoring in sports management and plans to use his degree to give back to the Lynchburg community after graduation. He combines his passions of faith and sports and plans to work with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and coaching. He claims to be the best juggler on the team, a claim that seems to be undisputed.

Liam Cox-Smith – 21 | 57 | Left | Minot, N.D

Cox-Smith has been skating for about as long as he has been walking since he started playing hockey when he was two. He is majoring in sports management and hopes to use his degree in a way that helps others. His ideal plan is to open a hockey company that works with younger kids in the sport to train and inspire the next generation of athletes. His guilty pleasure TV show is Gossip Girl, and he's not ashamed of it: I'm a nice guy, I like to have fun.