Warriors Season Concludes in ACHA National Semifinals

MINOT, N.D. – A historic season for No. 3 Midland University women’s hockey came to an end in the ACHA Division I National Tournament Semifinals in a 2-1 loss to defending national champions No. 1 Liberty University. This season marked the program’s first national tournament win and set the standard high for future teams as the Warriors reached the Frozen Four round. Midland finishes the year with an overall record of 17-10-0-2.
Liberty jumped out to an early 1-0 lead under one minute into play. Before the Warriors could regroup, the Flames added another to double the lead and force a Midland timeout. Midland managed to get out of a shorthanded situation and flipped roles by going on the power play. The Warriors rattled off a pair of shots, but Liberty was back to even strength before Midland could cut into the deficit. The lead stood at the horn sounded to end the first period with shots favoring Liberty 14-6.
Liberty nearly found its third goal of the evening early in the second period, but a sprawling effort from Midland’s Hannah Stone knocked the shot left of goal to keep things at 2-0. Both teams had power-play opportunities throughout the period, but nothing was cooking as the two-goal advantage maintained throughout. Shots were 21-10 in favor of the Flames heading into the final 20 minutes of semifinal action.
The teams played even in the third with Midland’s defense holding the Flames scoreless despite two power-play opportunities. With time winding down on Midland’s season, Kayla Flanigan cut the lead in half when she caught a cross-ice pass from Mackenzie Bertolas and beat the goalie laterally to sink the shot. The goal brought renewed energy to Midland’s players and fans, but time was too short for the Warriors to find the equalizer as the team fell 2-1 in the national semifinals. Final shots were 37-19 in favor of Liberty and Midland’s Hannah Stone recorded 35 saves in the loss.
The 2020-21 season was a testament to perseverance and mental fortitude as teams across the country faced adversity throughout the ongoing pandemic. The Midland University women’s hockey team battled through a long, trying season to reach new heights for head coach Jason White’s program. The success of this year’s team sets a new standard for Midland Warrior teams to come.