DII Lady Flames overtake DVCHC lead with wins over Villanova, Navy in Annapolis

Thursday, October 31

Lynchburg, VA

9:30 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Georgia Southern University

Lady Flames senior forward and head captain Madison Gaddy (center) peers from the bench surrounded by peers. (Photos by Brooke McDuffee)

DII Lady Flames overtake DVCHC lead with wins over Villanova, Navy in Annapolis

11/4/2024 4:27:00 PM | Women's D2 Hockey

Liberty dominated Georgia Southern University in a sweep at the LaHaye Ice Center before traveling to face two of the top challengers in its conference.

For the second weekend in a row and third time this season, Liberty University's ACHA Division II women's hockey team won all four of its games this past Thursday through Sunday, improving its record to 15-1, including four exhibition wins.

The impressive feat started with a dominating 9-2 and 15-0 sweep of Georgia Southern University at the LaHaye Ice Center, and it concluded with convincing wins over Delaware Valley College Hockey Conference rivals Villanova (3-0) and the Naval Academy (5-2) in Annapolis, Md. Those two victories moved the Lady Flames into first place in the DVCHC regular-season standings.

Liberty was actually outshot by the Wildcats (6-5) by a 36-29 margin on Saturday at the Brigade Sports Complex, but junior goalie Abigail Hodsden made 36 saves to lower her goals-against average to 0.83 with her third shutout in six starts.

The Lady Flames got a power-play goal from junior forward Reanna Cruz, her second game-winner of the season, assisted by senior forward and head captain Madison Gaddy and senior defenseman and alternate captain Madison Natter with 2:46 to play in the first period. Then in the second, they added a shorthanded insurance goal from freshman forward and leading scorer Brooklyn Voortman just 37 seconds after the first faceoff, assisted by sophomore forward Cora Williams. Freshman forward Patricia Misiak capped the scoring five minutes later off assists from Cruz and freshman defenseman Monica Knapp.

On Sunday against the host Midshipwomen (4-1), Liberty opened a 2-0 lead in the first period before breaking open a 2-2 tie with three unanswered goals in the third period.

Williams started the scoring with 15:10 left in the first period off assists from Cruz and graduate forward and alternate captain Hunter DiGrazia before Voortman netted her 17th goal of the season unassisted at the 5:31 mark.

Navy answered with goals by Elle Perry late in the first period and Kayla Deletto early in the second against Lady Flames sophomore goalie Abby Manzewitsch to tie it at 2 going into the third. That's when Misiak netted the first game winner of her career, finishing a feed from Voortman at the 15:51 mark. Williams then scored her ninth goal of the season off an assist from senior defenseman and alternate captain Kate Walhof just over a minute later before Walhof capped the scoring unassisted a minute and a half after that.

The Lady Flames outshot Navy, 41-22, and Manzewitsch made 20 saves to improve to 5-0 and keep her goals-against average at 2.00.

Liberty has an off weekend before returning to the LIC to host an ACCHL Showcase next Friday through Sunday with games set for Nov. 15 at 11 a.m. against the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Nov. 16 at 9:30 a.m. against Georgetown and 7:30 p.m. against West Virginia. The top two teams through pool play will face off on Nov. 17 for a 2:45 p.m. championship game.