Liberty University Club Sports
Adrian College
Lady Flames erase 3-0 deficit, stay undefeated by sweeping host Adrian in OT
11/7/2021 7:55:00 PM | Women's D1 Hockey
Liberty University's ACHA Division I women's hockey team overcame a 3-0 deficit at the end of the first period to stage a dramatic 5-4 overtime victory and complete a sweep at previously undefeated Adrian College on Sunday afternoon at Arrington Ice Arena in Adrian, Mich.
The Lady Flames (10-0) won their 13th game in a row against the Bulldogs (8-2) and 25th straight contest overall, dating back to last season. The series was a rematch of Liberty's first of three ACHA Division I National Championship finals won under Head Coach Chris Lowes in 2018, after it won Friday's opener of the three-game road trip at Miami (Ohio), the team it defeated for its first title in 2015.
Lowes expects the Lady Flames and Adrian to debut at No. 1 and 2 when the first ACHA DI rankings are released this week.
"They're just a good team and they're certainly deserving," he said. "They're deep, tough, and physical, and as they showed today, they're a real talented team. They gave us everything we could handle. On their first three goals, all scored in the slot, they just outworked us."
The Lady Flames rallied back to within 4-3 early in the third period on a third goal by graduate defenseman Dana McLeod before eventually netting the game winner 22 seconds into a five-minute, sudden-death overtime, assisted and finished by sisters Brielle and Brityn Fussy, respectively.
"It was definitely a game of momentum," Lowes said. "There were a lot of times where we didn't have it, but I was proud of the girls. We don't get a lot of chances to show our ability to deal with adversity, but they did that well today, with determination."
"Down 3-0, our girls responded," he added. "There seemed to be a calm and a confidence in our locker room. I liked the energy and the refocus. They found a way, as they have done in a number of these close games lately."
With 13:13 left in the second period, McLeod got the Lady Flames on the scoreboard with five seconds remaining on a power play on a shot from the top of the right circle that zipped through traffic into the top right corner of the cage.
McLeod later capitalized in the first few seconds of a five-on-three power play with a shot from the high slot, bringing Liberty back within 3-2 at the 3:59 mark of the second. But Adrian answered a split second after killing off another penalty when Erika McDonald beat Lady Flames sophomore goalie Kylie Mebs for her second goal of the game on a breakaway, stretching the Bulldogs' advantage to 4-2 with 2:05 left in the second period.
Just 5:08 into the third, McLeod completed her hat trick off a faceoff won by senior forward Linzy Jedrejek back to her at the top of the right circle for a shot fired into the upper netting.
"It was a big weekend for Dana, who scored the game-winner (Saturday) and got the first three goals today," Lowes said of the reigning ACHA DI Player of the Year. "We know how much we rely on her to give us stability and calm back there on defense and she's an offensive threat as well and she made the most of her chances today."
With the Lady Flames back on the power play, they cashed in again by scoring the equalizer with 7:32 remaining in regulation. Freshman defenseman Peyton Carle launched a shot from the high slot that was blocked to freshman forward Haley Battles in the right crease where she sent a crossing pass to graduate forward Shannon Fehr for the one-timed finish, knotting the contest at 4-4.
Mebs made a game-saving stop of a point-blank, power-play shot by Adrian late in the third period before the Fussy sisters capitalized on a back-door fast-break finish on their first shift in overtime.
"They don't play a lot together, but three-on-three is built for them because they're all speed," Lowes said. "Overtimes are often odd-man rushes back and forth, and we made the most of our first one. Bri was able to make the first defender miss and it was great execution on that (breakout). She found a passing lane early enough for Brit to get a good, clean shot."
The Bulldogs outshot Liberty 31-29 for the game and Mebs made 27 saves to keep the Lady Flames undefeated.
In Saturday night's opener, Liberty got late goals from McLeod and graduate forward Vanessa DeMerchant to break open a 2-2 tie in a 4-2 triumph.
The Lady Flames started the scoring with 2:07 left in the first period on a shorthanded goal by freshman forward Zosia Adamek as Liberty's PK killed off the fourth of nine penalties on the night without allowing a power-play goal. Then, after the Bulldogs battled back to tie it up with 14 seconds to go in the first period and seize a 2-1 lead midway through the second, Lady Flames sophomore forward Carly Glover netted the equalizer on a power play with exactly 4:00 left in the second stanza.
Liberty held a 35-26 advantage in shots and sophomore goalie Amanda Storey made 24 saves.
The Lady Flames will hold the ring presentation for their fourth national championship earned last year against Lindenwood when they host UMass on Friday at 10:15 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the LaHaye Ice Center.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
