Lady Flames showcase new line combinations, Storey’s stellar net play in 3-1 home win over Maryville

Friday, November 17

Lynchburg, Va.

7:30 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Maryville University

Freshman defenseman Sophia Adamek makes an outlet pass as senior defenseman turned forward Priscilla Ziefle (10) skates up ice during Friday night's opener at the LaHaye Ice Center. (Photos by Ryan Anderson)

Lady Flames showcase new line combinations, Storey’s stellar net play in 3-1 home win over Maryville

11/17/2023 11:48:00 PM | Women's D1 Hockey

Liberty got goals early in the first and second periods and late in the third to pull away from the Saints, and will look to complete the sweep on Saturday at the LIC, with the puck dropping at 4:30 p.m.

Never one to let Liberty University's five-time defending ACHA DI National Championship women's hockey team get complacent, seventh-year Head Coach Chris Lowes shook up the line combinations for this weekend's final home series of the fall semester against Maryville University. The Lady Flames seemed to click pretty quickly, producing one goal in each period of Friday night's 3-1 opening triumph over the Saints at the LaHaye Ice Center (LIC).

"We were very excited and interested to see the new combos because all three lines had some scoring power and ability," Lowes said.

Sienna-McClinchey-DI-women — Freshman forward Sienna McClinchey made her Lady Flames debut after turning 18.

Senior forward Brityn Fussy, who will play the last home game of her career at the LIC in Saturday's rematch, started at center alongside junior Haley Battles and freshman Sienna McClinchey, who was playing in her first game as a Lady Flame after turning 18 this month. A second line featured juniors Zosia Adamak and Brielle Fussy along with sophomore Brookelyn Beauchamp and the third had senior Priscilla Ziefle, graduate head captain Rianna Spanier, and freshman Ellie Sarauer.

Liberty (10-1) struck quickly to seize a 1-0 lead on the Saints (10-8) when Spanier lifted a loose puck near the left post over the left shoulder of Maryville goalie Kaitlyn Cadrain with 17:31 to go in the first period.

"That was a good way to start the game, going to the tough areas, Spanier and her two linemates," Lowes said of Sarauer and Ziefle, who has moved up from defense to help fill in for injured graduate forward Yannick Truter. "(Freshman defenseman) Sophia Adamek was able to get a puck through most of the way and to see them go to work, win that battle, and get a stick on it was good."

The Lady Flames doubled their advantage to 2-0 just 50 seconds into the second period when Battles received feeds from Brielle Fussy and senior defenseman Sammy Peebles and skated the puck around the back of the cage before finishing a backhanded wraparound through the five hole.

Storey made some clutch cover saves to keep the shutout intact in the rest of the period.

"Maryville definitely came ready to play," Storey said. "They are good structurally and they battle really hard. They had some good chances against us."

Liberty outshot Maryville, 34-31, for the contest and Storey made 30 saves to improve to 6-0 on the season, lowering her goals-against average to 1.32 and raising her save percentage to 94.1.

Saints defenseman Shelby Ferbet hit a post with a shot from the top of the right circle before Storey blocked a shot deflected through the crease, shielding any potential rebound with her body and pads as she dove across the blue ice.

"There were some scary moments in front, but luckily, it was right there and I was able to cover it," Storey said.

With 3:24 remaining in regulation, Maryville forward Maude St. Louis cut the deficit in half when she skated the puck around the right corner and lifted a sharp-angled shot over the shoulder of Storey into the top-left corner of the cage.

Brityn-Fussy-Liberty-Maryville — Senior forward Brityn Fussy will play her last game at the LIC Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

However, the Lady Flames turned their offensive jets back on and maintained possession of the puck and pressure for much of the rest of the contest and Zosia Adamek all but iced the victory by lifting a wrist shot from the high slot into the top-right corner of the net for a 3-1 advantage with 1:13 to go.

"(Maryville's goal) was a wakeup call and to go out and respond pretty quickly … if we don't get that third one, who knows what happens with a goalie pull," Lowes said. "They had momentum and had battled hard to get that one and to have that answer from Zosia and to step up in that moment was big. It was a good start to the weekend and it will be important to come back ready to go and try to get that sweep (Saturday) and put ourselves in a good spot," Lowes said.

The Lady Flames, ranked No. 1 in ACHA Division after dipping to No. 2 last week, are not looking past the fifth-ranked Saints in Saturday's rematch, with the puck dropping at 4:30 p.m. back at the LIC. But they do have an intriguing showdown upcoming after Thanksgiving Break, when they will visit No. 2 Midland University — which ended Liberty's three-year run as WMCH Tournament champions in last season's final in St. Louis — on Nov. 30-Dec. 1 in Fremont, Neb.

"Both us and Midland are playing really well right now," Storey said. "It's definitely been fun to see the rankings fluctuate and it's making it even more exciting to meet up with them in Nebraska."

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media