Lady Flames blank Bulldogs in opener for 15th shutout of season

Friday, February 13

Lynchburg, VA

7:30 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Adrian College

Graduate defenseman Allison Shaw (left) joins the fray as senior defenseman Emerson Oakes celebrates her game winner with Ellie Sarauer (8) and Sophia Adamek (right) early in the third period. (Photos by Ethan Smith and Emily Cuthrell)

Lady Flames blank Bulldogs in opener for 15th shutout of season

2/14/2026 12:05:00 AM | Women's D1 Hockey

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Freshman goalie Emma McDonald made 21 saves, stopping a breakaway in the first period and 2-on-0 in the second, before Liberty scored twice in the third.

Gallery: (2-13-2026) DI women vs. Adrian College Game 1

Liberty University's top-ranked, seven-time ACHA Division I national champion women's hockey team broke open a scoreless tie with No. 7 Adrian (Mich.) College early in the third period and added an insurance goal three minutes later to clinch a 2-0 triumph, Friday night at the LaHaye Ice Center.

It was the ninth win in a row for the Lady Flames (29-0-1) since having their 30-game winning streak snapped by Jamestown in the last game of the fall semester. The Bulldogs (18-9-4) are the only team (in 2024) other than the Lady Flames to claim a national title since 2017.

"It was a tight game (against Adrian), a really tough battle against one of our long-time rivals," Liberty Head Coach Chris Lowes said. "They're a nationals team. They're going to be one of the top two teams in their (CCWHA) conference. It's a good win, we're happy to get it, against a really good team. We need to come out stronger tomorrow, when we'll get a good pushback from them."

"They're always a good team for us to play," added graduate defenseman Sammy Peebles, who netted the insurance goal. "They always battle hard, so it's a good matchup for us."

Liberty held a 41-21 shot advantage and freshman goalie Emma McDonald made 21 saves to secure her third shutout and lower her goals-against average to 1.01, slightly higher than senior Alex Keith (0.93, 9 shutouts) and sophomore Brooklyn Adams (0.80, 3 SO).

McDonald blocked a 2-on-0 breakaway with 5:20 remaining in the second period, preserving the scoreless tie.

"Emma played a great game," Peebles said. "She played gutsy and really kept us in that game. She was phenomenal."

"We made some mistakes … and Emma McDonald played really well in net," Lowes added. "She stopped a breakaway in the first period and stopped a 2-on-0 in the second. Those are big mistakes, but if she doesn't hold down the fort, this might be a different story."

Given the reprieve, the Lady Flames finally cashed in on their second power play of the third period with 15:16 remaining in regulation when senior defenseman Emerson Oakes crashed the cage and lifted a putback of junior forward Ellie Sarauer's shot into the upper netting from point-blank range. Junior defenseman Sophia Adamek provided the initial assist.

"We really needed that power play in the third," Lowes said. "That broke the goose egg in the defensive battle."

"Our first two periods weren't great, but we started figuring things out in the third," Peebles added.

Then, at the 12:05 mark, Peebles — who netted the game winner with seven seconds left in overtime to complete last weekend's national championship rematch series sweep at Maryville — doubled the advantage by rocketing a shot from the right point off assists from junior defenseman Victoria Khou and Sarauer.

"It was a nice high shot in the top right corner," Peebles said. "That's my spot, recently. That's where I got the last one (at Maryville)."

For Saturday's 1 p.m. Senior Day rematch, the Lady Flames will recognize graduate transfers Allison Shaw, who transferred from Adrian College this school year; Isobel Pettem-Shand, a graduate transfer from Indiana Tech; three senior alternate captains in goalie Alex Keith, defenseman Emerson Oakes, and Haley Battles; and fellow senior forward Brookelyn Beauchamp.

"Tomorrow is a big (day) for our seniors," said Peebles, a fifth-year School of Nursing student who is completing her practicum. "It's our last home game, so we want to make sure to play hard for them. We need to have a similar mentality as we had in the third period, digging deep, doing the little things, and relying on each other."

"We've had a great year, and it's a really important game for us to finish the regular season on a high note — to put a bow on our last regular-season weekend and hopefully get a sweep," Lowes added. "We've got to be ready to go and hopefully get a little quicker start."

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer