Liberty Falls in Home Opener

The Lady Flames field hockey team came up short in their 2014 home opener, Friday afternoon, falling to the VCU Rams, 2-1.

With the loss, Liberty moves to 1-2 on the season while the Rams improve to 1-1.

The Lady Flames applied the early pressure in the game with the first four shots of the contest before the Rams were able to put a shot on frame. The VCU defense held strong as they were able to turn away seven first half shots by the Lady Flames.

The contest remained scoreless until the 23rd minute, when the Rams' Nicola Breeman found the back of the cage for her first goal on the season. Breeman was able to capitalize on a Liberty turnover inside the circle, where she corralled the ball and flicked it into the left side of the cage.

The Rams added their second goal in the 53rd minute, when Alexis Albright gathered the second rebound of the penalty corner and put the ball in the right corner of the cage for the 2-0 lead.

The Lady Flames were down but not out, as senior forward Nicole Simms was able to bring Liberty to within one with six minutes left in regulation. The initial shot came from the stick of Bethany Barr, when VCU goalie Kendall Clifton padded the ball in Simms's direction. Simms quickly gathered composure and buried the shot into the bottom left corner.

Following a timeout with 2:58 left, Liberty pulled Mallory Cuccio, opting for a kicking back, giving the team a man up advantage. However, the Rams' defense held strong, denying the chance for the equalizer.

The Lady Flames outshot VCU, 23-11, including 13-9 on goal. Liberty also earned eight attacking penalty corners, compared to six from VCU.

Liberty will square off against the No. 9 Old Dominion Lady Monarchs, Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Liberty Field Hockey Field. Sunday's matchup will mark the first-ever meeting between the two squads.

Schedule

Next Event

Team Stats

Nicole Simms

Serena Barr

Bethany Barr

Ashlee Krulock