Lady Flames open WMCH Tournament by overwhelming Minnesota, 11-0

Thursday, February 19

Fremont, NE

TBD

Liberty University Club Sports

WMCH Conference Tournament

Isobel Pettem-Shand Liberty DI women's hockey

Liberty graduate forward Isobel Pettem-Shand netted a hat trick against Minnesota in Thursday night's WMCH quarterfinal at Midland (Neb.) University.

Lady Flames open WMCH Tournament by overwhelming Minnesota, 11-0

2/20/2026 10:41:00 AM | Women's D1 Hockey

Liberty posted its ACHA-leading 17th shutout of the season and advanced to Friday’s semifinal showdown with Minot State, a 10-2 winner over Maryville.

Playing in the quarterfinal round of the WMCH Tournament, Liberty University's No. 1-ranked ACHA Division I women's hockey team showed little mercy against No. 8-seeded Minnesota in an 11-0 thrashing Thursday night at Midland (Neb.) University's Sidner Ice Arena.

The Lady Flames (31-0-1) opened a 7-0 lead after outshooting the Gophers 35-2 in the first period before adding three goals in the second period and one in the third. They held a 61-4 shot advantage for the contest.

Liberty, which now has 10 players with 20 points or more, got a hat trick from graduate forward Isobel Pettem-Shand, two goals from senior defenseman Victoria Khou, and single scores from junior defenseman Sophia Adamek, graduate defenseman Sammy Peebles, senior defenseman Emerson Oakes, senior forward and alternate captain Haley Battles, junior forward Ellie Sarauer, and graduate forward and head captain Brielle Fussy.

Freshman goalie Emma McDonald made four saves for her fourth shutout of the season. It was the ACHA DI-leading 17th shutout of the season for Liberty, which has allowed only 30 goals in 32 games (0.934 per game) while scoring 174 (5.4 per game).

The seven-time ACHA DI national champion Lady Flames, winners of the past two WMCH Tournament titles and five of the six since the conference was formed, will face Minot State University (16-5-8) in Friday's 6 p.m. semifinal.

On Thursday, the Beavers erupted for six goals in the third period to turn a two-goal lead into a 10-2 triumph over Maryville, last season's ACHA DI National Championships runner-up.

Friday's semifinal game will be a rematch of last season's tournament final, won by Liberty, 2-1. Minot State eliminated the Lady Flames by the same score in double overtime in the semifinals of the 2024 ACHA DI National Championships, ending their ACHA-record streak of five consecutive crowns.

This season, Liberty swept its series at Minot State by back-to-back 3-0 scores to stretch its winning streak to 30 games before being upset at Jamestown (N.D.) University, 4-3 in overtime, in the last game of the fall semester.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer