Lady Flames overcome Warriors to reach ACHA DI women’s hockey national final in St. Louis

Gallery: (3-20-2025) DI women's hockey vs. Midland

In Thursday's ACHA Division I Women's Hockey National Championships semifinal, Liberty University's No. 1-ranked ACHA Division I women's hockey team erased a 1-0 deficit after the first period and endured a frightening injury midway through the third to pull away for a 5-2 triumph over No. 4 Midland (Neb.) University at the Centene Community Ice Center's USA Arena in Maryland Heights, Mo.

Midland (27-8-1) struck first 3:32 into the first period when Taylor Bell tapped a loose puck into an open net after Lady Flames junior goalie Alex Keith (24 saves) blocked but couldn't cover Grace Page's shot from the slot.

Liberty (25-3), which outshot the Warriors 28-26 for the game, couldn't capitalize on the only two power plays of the first period and trailed 1-0 going into the intermission.

The second period was a different story, however, as the Lady Flames netted four goals to turn the tables on the Warriors and seize a 4-2 advantage.

"It was funny because (Head) Coach (Chris) Lowes, during the first intermission, said, 'I want four goals next period,' and the girls went out and put four up," Liberty Assistant Coach Mike Morrison said. "The girls responded. We didn't get down and we tried to keep battling through."

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Liberty cashed in on its third power play opportunity 3:20 into the period when sophomore forward Ellie Sarauer one-timed an entry pass into the slot from sophomore defenseman Sophia Adamek for the equalizer before freshman forward Hayley Lee netted her fourth and fifth goals of the season for the go-ahead and game-winning scores.

At the 14:18 mark, Lee finished Adamek's feed from the top of the right circle with a quick wrist shot from the high slot inside the right post past Midland goalie Meghan Stewart on the first.

"Sophia's got some of the best vision on the team," Morrison said of Adamek. "She's able to be deceptive, create good passes, create space, so that's why she's the quarterback of our No. 1 power play. She's a special player."

"I've had some history with Adamek," Lee added. "We played against each other for a while back in the CSSHL (Canadian Sport School Hockey League) so it's kind of nice (being on the same team). These girls have been such a huge inspiration, and we just know where we are (on the ice), so I'm just glad that we connected. It was a beautiful pass, a slide across, and I just saw the goalie sliding, so I took a cross-crease shot, and it went in. It was an amazing moment. I've got to thank my teammates because, honestly, they're one-in-a-million girls. I can trust them with everything."

Then, 6:08 later, with the teams skating four-on-four, Lee stole the puck from the Warriors near the red line before skating toward the right circle and sending a pass toward fellow freshman forward Tristan Craig skating down the slot. The puck was poke-checked by a Midland defenseman right back to Lee who cut across the crease and put away the rebound of her own blocked shot for a 3-1 advantage.

"My dad's always on me about my rebounds, so I was like, 'I got to get it,' and I hear my mom and my dad (shouting), 'Get the rebound,'" Lee said. "I was so happy to get that. I wasn't expecting that. I kind of closed my eyes on that one and it was a little bit of a whack-a-mole, but I was happy to get it in."

"I was hoping she'd get the hat trick, but two goals are still great in the national tournament semifinals," Morrison added. "We were waiting for a couple of (freshmen) to pop off because they've been due, and they've been working hard, and they've been in the right spots."

Midland trimmed the deficit to 3-2 by capitalizing on a power play at the 4:26 mark, when Makara Magbanua made a diving finish of a putback in the right of the goal mouth. But the Lady Flames struck back when senior forward and head captain Brielle Fussy cleared the puck out of the defensive zone following a faceoff before receiving a short feed from senior forward and alternate captain Zosia Adamek out of the left circle. She controlled the puck in the slot before pinpointing her shot past Stewart inside the right post.

"She's our leader and she's carried this team the whole year, so to see her get a crucial goal in playoffs is massive," Morrison said of Fussy. "(Junior defenseman and alternate captain) Emerson (Oakes got the puck) up high and passed it low to Zosia who saw (Fussy) in the slot for a great low-glove shot, right above the pad."

After a scoreless opening 10 minutes of the third period, a violent collision that resulted in an injury to freshman forward Presley Ellis silenced the arena for nearly 30 minutes, with the two teams sent back to their respective locker rooms.

"That's always tough," Morrison said. "You never want to see a player get hurt or go down, and it always is tough getting (the team) off the ice, too."

Club Sports Associate Athletic Director for Sports Medicine Angie Witt and DI women's hockey Athletic Trainer Kira Turner attended to Presley as they awaited an ambulance to take her to an area hospital after being taken off the ice by stretcher.

"It was a little scary," Lee said. "I kind of saw it going into the boards and then I turned around and still see her on the ice. My linemate Tristan (Craig) and I decided we've just got to give this to God and just pray that she'll be all good for (Friday)."

Still trailing by two goals, Midland pulled Stewart with more than three and a half minutes remaining in regulation for the extra skater. The move backfired when Zosia Adamek controlled the puck and skated across her own blue line before unleashing a 100-foot shot into the empty net for the final score.

"They pulled their goalie, and Brielle (Fussy) was yelling 'Sauce' from the bench, and Zosia just sauced it right into the net," Morrison said. "That's a huge win, battling back from being one (goal) down and then overcoming a major adversity of a player going to the hospital. That deflates the tires on both teams, and for our girls to respond and play hard after that is a big deal."

"Honestly, we always can rely on our captains, no matter what," Lee added. "They're just so smart, and they just know where to be. That's why they're the leaders of the team. This is a special group. We're pushing each other, and that's what makes us so good. I'm really glad to have come here because you can't find anywhere else like this. It is a beautiful Christian school, and we've got the morals, the values, and this is such a close-knit group. I wouldn't trade it for the world."

The victory advances the Lady Flames to Friday's 1 p.m. EST championship game against No. 2 Maryville (24-9-5), a 5-3 winner over No. 3 defending national champion Adrian (Mich.) College in Thursday's first semifinal. The Saints are the only team to defeat Liberty this semester, in a single game at the Maryville University Hockey Center on Jan. 30.

"Maryville is a great team," Morrison said. "Their coach (Tom Lange) is awesome. We have a lot of respect for him and them, so we're excited to play them. It's going to be a great national championship battle."

The Lady Flames will be playing for their seventh national title in program history, after having their ACHA-record five consecutive championships run snapped by Minot State in double overtime in last year's semifinals near St. Louis.

"I think we're all good," Lee added. "We're ready for tomorrow. We're ready to take them down."

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer

Lady Flames overcome Warriors to reach ACHA DI women’s hockey national final in St. Louis

Players Mentioned

Sophia Adamek

Zosia Adamek

Tristan Craig

Presley Ellis

Brielle Fussy

Hayley Lee

Ellie Sarauer

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