Lady Flames hockey falls short in WMCH final

The Lady Flames D1 hockey team took a trip to the Gateway City for the Women’s Midwest College Hockey tournament Feb. 24-25, looking for its fourth consecutive tournament sweep. 

For the past four years, the Lady Flames have dominated the WMCH, boasting an impressive 57-game winning streak for the majority of this season before it was broken in January. Just like the winning streak, all good things must come to an end, and the Flames fell 2-1 in this year’s WMCH championship game against Midland.

On the path to the championship, Liberty took on No. 5 Maryville, stomping out an impressive 6-1 win in the semifinals. They went 5-5 on the penalty kill and converted 2-3 power plays against the Saints, a showcase of the specialty teams units that have dominated all season long. 

After burying the Saints, the Flames had championship hockey on their minds. The ladies looked to repeat last year’s championship, where they swept the Midland Warriors 4-0. The Warriors, however, were out for revenge this time around, putting a puck in the net in the first and second periods while keeping the Flame’s score sheet dry and winning 2-1.

“It was a good game, a fast game and a really good hockey game,” Head Coach Chris Lowes said. “Definitely give Midland credit … we missed some opportunities and couldn’t find the equalizer.”

While the Lady Flames fell short at the WMCH tournament, they still earned the opportunity to fight for the title of ACHA National Champion in March, where they look to add to their collection of five championships. The Lady Flames first started collecting trophies in 2015, and they only missed out on championships in 2016, 2017 and 2020 (due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions). 

Despite the WMCH loss, Lowes is optimistic about his team being able to get five in a row in the ACHA tournament. 

“This is another challenge on our journey,” Lowes said, “We’ve got to find a way to right the ship and get back to work, still keeping our eyes on the prize. It is just a short stretch before we leave for nationals, and if we needed any more motivation, this weekend should provide it.”

The Flames have only a few short weeks before traveling to Boston as the best in the ACHA battle it out March 16-2.

Wilson is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion