Lady Flames back on prowl with 9-0 rout of Wolverines

Saturday, January 17

Lynchburg, VA

7:30 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

University of Michigan

Graduate defenseman Sammy Peebles skates the puck past a Michigan player in Saturday night's spring semester opener at the LaHaye Ice Center. (Photos by Simon Barbre)

Lady Flames back on prowl with 9-0 rout of Wolverines

1/17/2026 11:59:00 PM | Women's D1 Hockey

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Liberty’s ACHA Division I women’s hockey team started a new winning streak by getting goals from eight different scorers and an eighth shutout from senior goalie Alex Keith.

Gallery: (1-17-2026) DI women's hockey vs. Michigan

Fifty-five days after having its 30-game run of success snapped in a fall semester finale at Jamestown (N.D.) University, Liberty University's seven-time ACHA Division I national championship women's hockey team started another winning streak with a convincing 9-0 triumph over the University of Michigan, Saturday night at the LaHaye Ice Center.

"It's been a while, so it was good to get back into a game situation, and the girls responded well," Lady Flames Assistant Coach Frank Keating said. "It was a great team effort. The ladies did some work while they were away, and we had a great week of practice this week, so we had good positive energy going into tonight's game."

Liberty didn't waste any time capitalizing on their first power-play opportunity of the night. Isobel Pettem-Shand, stationed in the left crease, one-timed head captain and fellow graduate forward Brielle Fussy's perfectly placed assist from the top of the right circle off a secondary assist from Sammy Peebles at the 16:51 mark.

Then, just over two minutes later, sophomore forward Presley Ellis put away a putback of graduate defenseman Allison Shaw's shot from the high slot for a quick 2-0 advantage with 14:47 to play in the period.

Junior forward Tristan Craig stretched Liberty's lead to 3-0, finishing a feed from sophomore forward Hayley Lee by sneaking a wrist shot between Michigan goalie Avery Schiff and the left post as she drove through the left circle at the 8:40 mark.

Then, in the final 16.5 seconds of the period, Zosia Adamek recovered a puck off the stick of fellow graduate forward and alternate captain Hayley Battles that glanced off the skate of sophomore defenseman Jules Lefaive. Adamek adeptly capped the first-period scoring by threading a low shot through traffic from the slot for a 4-0 lead.

Liberty converted its second power-play chance into another goal and a 5-0 advantage at the 11:54 mark of the second period when Pettem-Shand punched in the rebound of Peebles' shot from the point past Schiff. Junior defenseman Sophia Adamek extended the lead to 6-0 with a seeing-eye shot from the high slot past multiple screens in front of the net with 9:06 left in the second. Then, sophomore forward Brooklyn Voortman stretched it to 7-0 by swooping in from the right wing for an unassisted score at the 7:19 mark.

The Lady Flames were held scoreless for the next 22 minutes, 41 seconds before junior forward Ellie Sarauer scored off a right-circle faceoff with 4:38 remaining in the third. Just 52 seconds later, Battles put away Craig's cross from the right crease inside the left post for the final score, making her the eighth Liberty player to net a goal on the night.

Liberty outshot the Wolverines by a 35-25 margin, and senior goalie Alex Keith made 25 saves to record her eighth shutout of the season.

"Keith came up big when she needed to," Keating said. "There were a couple times where we had bobbles back in our zone that she had to make that big save for us. Her teammates supported her well."

The Lady Flames expect a tougher test when they host the Wolverines in Sunday's 1:30 p.m. rematch back at the LIC.

"There's a couple things we want to improve on, with a few of the passes we had; we've got to make quicker decisions," Keating said. "Other than that, we're happy with what they did tonight."

"We're going to come back and try to have that same energy," he added. "Michigan will be a different team. They'll come out harder. That second day is always different. We'll work hard and hopefully be successful again."

Next up, Liberty will venture to the St. Louis area for a preview of the Feb. 19-21 WMCH Tournament at Midland (Neb.) University and the March 18-20 ACHA DI National Championships in Maryland Heights, Mo.

"We'll have three days (after Sunday's rematch) to get rewired and ready to go to St. Louis for three tough games," Keating said. "We're two months away from (nationals). We're looking forward to getting back (on a winning streak)."

The Lady Flames will play McKendree University in its home Metro Rec Plex O'Fallon, Ill., on Thursday before visiting the Maryville (Mo.) University Hockey Center to face Midland on Friday and Minot State on Saturday, leading into the WMCH All-Star Game on Sunday.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer