Lady Flames complete sweep of McKendree in more convincing fashion

Saturday, October 7

Lynchburg, Va.

1:30 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

McKendree University

Lady Flames senior defenseman Peyton Carle launches a shot from the perimeter in Saturday's rematch with McKendree at the LaHaye Ice Center. (Photos by Jessie Jordan)

Lady Flames complete sweep of McKendree in more convincing fashion

10/7/2023 6:15:00 PM | Women's D1 Hockey

Liberty got two goals apiece by Brielle Fussy and Madison Glynn and netted four goals on the power play while sophomore keeper Alexis Keith posted the shutout.

A day after rallying from behind twice to squeak past WMCH rival McKendree (Ill.), Liberty University's ACHA Division I women's hockey team mauled the Bearcats in Saturday afternoon's rematch, winning 7-0 at the LaHaye Ice Center.

"Our power play was really good today, scoring four goals out of six or seven opportunities," Lady Flames Assistant Coach Josh Graham said. "The girls were super disciplined today. We only took five penalties all weekend and, on our penalty kill, we were perfect all weekend, so I'm super pleased with that. We got production from all three lines, so that was special to get those contributions."

Liberty started the scoring on the power play when junior forward Haley Battles took a return pass from freshman defenseman Sophia Adamek in the point and skated the puck into the top of the right circle before unleashing a powerful slapshot into the top-right corner for a 1-0 score with 8:34 left in the first period.

"That was a bit of a broken play there and she got into some open ice and decided to let one rip," Graham said. "We could see there was a ton of traffic in front and she did a good job of putting the puck in open space."

Then, just over a minute later, junior forward Brielle Fussy received a pass across the slot from senior defenseman Peyton Carle and fired a shot past McKendree goalie Rachel Staresinic from deep in the left circle inside the near post to double the lead to 2-0 with 7:22 to play in the period.

The Lady Flames struck twice more in the opening 2:14 of the second and added two more by period's end. First, senior forward Brityn Fussy picked up a short outlet pass from sophomore defenseman Sammy Peebles along the right boards and slapped the puck past Bearcats defenseman Aria Groot before skating up the right wing and threading a shot through the five hole from close range to make it 3-0 with 18:43 to go. Less than a minute later, Adamek worked the puck in the offensive zone back out of the left circle to Peebles in the high slot, where she skated to her right before launching a missile of a shot into the top-right corner for a 4-0 advantage at the 17:46 mark.

Zosia-Sophia-Adamek — Forward Zosia Adamek (11) celebrates beside defenseman Sophia, her younger sister.

Adamek was later named by her teammates the Lady Flames' player of the game.

"I was just being super patient with the puck and just being elusive and taking my time, waiting to make the good pass," she said. "(On Friday) we had a lot of odd-man rushes. (Today) we wanted to slow the puck down and make crisp plays. One of my roles as one of the incoming defensemen is being offensive and really pushing the play and creating opportunities."

"Sophia, as a freshman, has been explosive and dynamic, super creative in the offensive zone and defensively she's really smooth," Graham added. "She's definitely got a really high hockey IQ. She made some mistakes this weekend, but she also made a lot of really good breakout passes, she was really smooth on the offensive blue line and set up either shots on point or made just really good puck decisions in the offensive zone that gave us good scoring chances."

With 7:38 remaining in the second, junior defenseman Madison Glynn padded the lead to 5-0 by capitalizing on a power play with a deadly accurate wrist shot from the high slot into the top-right corner of the cage.

Later in the period, the Lady Flames killed a 5-on-3 power play by the Bearcats (1-3).

"We stayed on our man, had good rotation in our triangle in our box and we were contained and disciplined, which allowed us to kill that penalty," Adamek said.

Liberty extended its advantage to 6-0 after freshman forward Ellie Sarauer gathered the rebound of her own blocked shot and sent a pass back to Brielle Fussy at the top of the left circle. From there, she slid a one-timed shot through the slot inside the right post 42 seconds before the second intermission.

"The forward were clicking really well and we're all just super talented and able to work with and communicate with each other really well," Adamek said.
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Then in the third period, Lady Flames graduate forward and alternate captain Yannick Truter was checked out of the game on an awkward collision along the boards that inflicted a lower-body injury. She was assisted off the ice and checked out by Club Sports Associate Athletic Director for Sports Medicine Angie Witt.

"She'll be fine," Graham said. "It scared her more than anything because she normally doesn't get drilled from behind like that. No reason to believe she won't be able to play next weekend (at Minot)."

Glynn capped the scoring by receiving a beautiful pass out of the left corner from Brielle Fussy and rifling a one-timed shot from the inside edge of the left circle through the five hole for the final score, matching the number on Truter's jersey.

Liberty outshot McKendree by a 37-17 count and sophomore goalie Alexis Keith made 17 saves to post the shutout in her season debut.

The Lady Flames will leave on Thursday for their first road trip of the season, driving to Raleigh, N.C., before flying to Minnesota and chartering another bus to Minot, N.D., in time for their showdowns with the Lady Beavers on Friday and Saturday at 4:45 p.m. EST.

Though Minot is off to an 0-3 start after being swept by Midland last weekend in Nebraska, the series will be a rematch of Liberty's ACHA DI national championship final, won by the Lady Flames, 3-2, on a hat trick by Glynn for their fifth consecutive crown.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer