DII women's hockey players and Head Coach Rena Leone show their lighthearted sides during media day on Sept. 3, 2026. (Photos by Matt Reynolds)
DII Lady Flames set sights on fourth straight nationals appearance, first Final Four bid
9/25/2026 9:18:00 AM | Women's D2 Hockey
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Liberty returns its top four scorers from last season including reigning ACHA Division II Player of the Year Cora Williams as head captain.
After reaching the ACHA National Championship tournament for the third consecutive season, Liberty University's Division II women's hockey team enters the 2026-27 season looking to build on its best season in program history.
The Lady Flames finished the 2025-26 season 23-3 and won the Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference tournament title for the first time with a 7-1 rout of the Naval Academy to earn the No. 1 seed in their pool at the national tournament near St. Louis. Liberty defeated Jamestown and Northeastern but missed advancing out of its pool to the Final Four for the first time with its 3-0 loss to St. Thomas.
The Lady Flames return to the LaHaye Ice Center for Friday's 10 p.m. season opener against High Point with a mix of experience and new faces. The 2026-27 roster includes 13 returning players and nine newcomers. Among the returning players is senior forward and head captain Cora Williams, who is coming off a historic season in which she scored 37 goals and distributed 13 assists for a total of 50 points, earning ACHA Division II Women's Player of the Year honors. Alternate captains Kate Walhof (from left) and Abby Rogers, head captain Cora Williams, and disciple makers Calissa Klein and Abigale Nakamura form the leadership corps for the Lady Flames this season.
For Williams, leadership extends beyond the scoreboard. Her role will include helping establish the standard for a team that emphasizes high-intensity practices and preparing the way it wants to play.
"Practices (have been) high intensity," she said. "A lot of our girls, especially the rookies, are pushing the intensity a lot this year, which I love. I love practicing hard, (to) practice how you play, so definitely just making sure that everyone's locked in."
Aside from disciplined practices and in-game execution, speed is another strength of the Lady Flames this season, which they anticipate will translate into a high-octane and volatile attack.
"The speed and the compete have been higher than I've ever seen before with this team," Head Coach Rena Leone said. "Our speed is fantastic. People are going to have to keep up with us. I'm hoping we're able to keep that speed the whole year because one thing in women's (Division II) that separates teams, if you have one or two good lines, you're going to be good. If you're four lines deep, you're going to be dangerous."
Williams is complemented by the return of a trio of Lady Flames forwards that finished tied for second in scoring with 23 points apiece — junior forward Calissa Klein (17 goals, 6 assists) and sophomores Pimsiri Wilhelmy (13G, 10A) and Sabrina Honeycutt (9G, 14A).
"Our depth is a strength," third-year Assistant Coach Justin Forth said. "We're stronger on defense and we're stronger at forward. The biggest question will be in net. We are super excited to have (freshman goalie) Nicole (Danae) Duenas Abin, sister of former Lady Flame Dominique Duenos ('25). It's a good time for (senior goalie Abigale) Nakamura to step up. They're both going to get an opportunity this weekend, and we're truly excited to get going."
While Leone is hopeful that the team's intensity in practice will translate into games, she is confident that the Lady Flames' strong emphasis on relationships off the ice will carry over onto it. Team bonding, both on and off the ice, including a trip to the Outer Banks last weekend, has helped create a unique culture within the program.
Sophomore Emma Bardwell, who has shifted from forward to defenseman this season, described the positive team vibe as something players feel from the moment they join the program.
"It's just like a unique culture," she said. "You're not going to get it anywhere else. It's just a special place, and I think anybody that comes and visits anybody that is playing on the team will tell you the exact same thing because everyone feels it."
The team's identity also extends beyond the rink. Spiritual growth remains an important part of the program, with players emphasizing the importance of becoming more spiritually prepared for life beyond hockey.
The team incorporated faith into its national tournament experience, including praying together at center ice last year, win or lose. Junior forward and alternate captain Abigail Rogers, graduate defenseman and alternate captain Katrina Walhof, Nakamura, and Klein will serve as Disciple Makers this season, helping to provide spiritual leadership to their teammates.
"As much as we can do off the ice to build the chemistry so on the ice they thrive, it's great to see as a coach," Leone said.
The Lady Flames' 2026-27 schedule will involve plenty of travel, especially this fall. After hosting High Point and St. James (Va,) U16 (Saturday at 2:15 p.m.) and U19 (Sunday at 10 a.m.) teams coached by former Liberty Division I forward Vanessa DeMerchant, the Lady Flames will play 10 consecutive games on the road — at West Virginia (Oct. 15 in Morgantown, W.Va.), against Robert Morris (Oct. 16), Niagara (Oct. 17), and Pittsburgh (Oct. 18 at Mercyhurst Showcase in Erie, Pa.), at Lebanon Valley College (Oct. 23 in Hershey, Pa.), Villanova (Oct. 24) and Pennsylvania (Oct. 25 in Philadelphia) and at the Crabpot Tournament against Rowan (Oct. 30 in Annapolis, Md.), host Navy (Oct. 31), and Bowling Green (Nov. 1). Liberty will conclude the semester by sandwiching home series against Delaware (Nov. 7-8) and WVU (Dec. 5-6) around another trip to Pennsylvania to play in a DVCHC Showcase in Aston, Pa. against Villanova (Nov. 20), Navy (Nov. 21), and Rowan (Nov. 22).
After opening the spring semester with two games against West Point in Fayetteville, N.C., on Jan. 16-17, the team will conclude the regular season with a five-game homestand against Maryland (Jan. 30-31), Rutgers (Feb. 7), and Adrian College (Feb. 13-14) before attempting to defend its DVCHC title.
Amory Doyle/ Student Writer; Video edited by Kylee Wright/Club Sports Video & Media Staff
