Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies
SPORTS

Women’s hockey sweeps No. 2 Liberty

By Jordan Rinard, Senior Staff Writer

Ice is cold, skates are sharp and the Miami University women's hockey team is No. 1.

These seem to be constants, as the RedHawks (14-0-1) downed No. 2 Liberty University at home this weekend 3-2 and 2-1. The games included terrific goalie play, scrappy action and late game heroics.

"They're a really good team," head coach Scott Hicks said. "They've made life difficult for us and battled us, but we played our best hockey of the season in the third period [Saturday] and we battled back. [Goalie] Emalee [Wills] was fantastic for us and came up big when we needed her the most. She was a big reason why we won. We were definitely challenged this weekend and showed some heart and showed why we're the best team in the country."

Sophomore right wing Kaley Mooney drew first blood for Miami Friday with a goal off a feed from sophomore center Katie Augustine with 3:02 left in the first period. The second period featured the rest of the scoring for both teams, as the Flames got an equalizer quickly in the period. RedHawk freshman forward Sarah Landkowski punched in an unassisted goal at the 6:33 mark to give Miami a 2-1 lead. Liberty drew even once more with about seven minutes to go, but sophomore right wing Rachael Booth put the 'Hawks ahead for good with a power play goal with two seconds remaining in the period.

Sophomore goaltender Emalee Wills had her best performance on the season Friday, as registered 26 saves on 28 opportunities. It was the first time this season in which Miami did not have the shots on goal advantage (28-23). However, the RedHawks stayed out of the penalty box as they only committed two infractions on the night, while Liberty committed four.

The second contest was a chippy affair throughout, as nine penalties were assessed during the game, with Miami committing three of those. Junior center Haley Williams struck first for the Red and White at 3:01 in the first period, but the Flames drew even with a power play goal over nine minutes later. Both teams had scoring opportunities, but none were cashed in until Mooney scored on a 5-on-3 power play with four seconds left in regulation to win the game.

Miami returned to its ways, as it had a 45-16 shot advantage. The RedHawks also went 1 for 5 on the power play and 1 for 2 on the penalty kill.

"Before this week, we were kind of nervous about playing them, but we prepared well," Mooney said. "We fought against a quality team and showed our toughness. Prior to the [game-winning] goal, we were 0 for 3 on the power play and we were able to move it around well and tap it in, even though you'd like to get it in before a few seconds to go. We're definitely motivated by the weekend and look to keep up our pace. After break, we'll come back strong and are excited to play again."

The RedHawks continue their homestand Dec. 5 and 6, when they host Robert Morris University Illinois at 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m., respectively.

Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter

Read More

Noreen, the new face of the hockey program, speaks with conviction about his goals for Miami at a press conference

Noreen is ready to bring the Miami hockey program back to life through an emphasis on player development and culture

By Jeffrey Middleton | 7 hours ago

Anthony Noreen was introduced as the seventh head coach of the Miami University hockey program. In an impassioned speech and throughout extended answers to questions, he spoke with conviction about the return of Miami to the upper echelon of the college hockey landscape through player development, along with an emphasis on culture and discipline.

Trending