Liberty and Old Dominion to Battle for Top Spot in BIG EAST Over Weekend
3/5/2021 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Live Video: Liberty vs. Old Dominion (Saturday)
Live Stats: Liberty vs. Old Dominion (Saturday)
Live Video: Liberty vs. Old Dominion (Sunday)
Live Stats: Liberty vs. Old Dominion (Sunday)
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First place in the BIG EAST will be on the line when Liberty and Old Dominion battle at the Liberty Field Hockey Field, Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday's contest will commence at noon, while Sunday's game will begin at 1 p.m.
The Lady Flames enter the weekend with a 5-0 overall record and 4-0 mark in the BIG EAST. The Monarchs bring a 4-1 mark and 4-0 record in the BIG EAST, sharing first place with Liberty.
Liberty earned a pair of 2-0 victories at Temple, last weekend in its most recent games. Old Dominion picked up two home wins (4-1 and 7-0) over Villanova, last Friday and Saturday.
The two teams have split eight all-time meetings. ODU topped Liberty in both meetings in 2019, with the second victory (3-1 final) eliminating Liberty from the BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship semifinals. The Lady Flames are 3-3 against the Monarchs since joining the league in 2016. Liberty knocked ODU out of the BIG EAST Tournament in 2017 by a 3-1 score.
Attendance
Due to COVID-19 and state regulations, capacity at all Liberty Athletics events is under a limited capacity based on social distancing protocols. No public tickets are available for the Liberty Field Hockey Field, and attendance will be limited to a player pass list only.
On game day, the pass list table will open 60 minutes before game time. There will be a tent at the center of the Campus East Fields where team guests can check in.
Masks and social distancing of six feet or more from anyone not in a family or party are required at all times. More game day information and policies can be found at LibertyFlames.com/gameday.
For media outlets interested in covering the game, please contact Assistant Athletics Communications Director Bill Smith (wsmith51@liberty.edu) in advance so your needs can be accommodated.
Lady Flames News and Notes
• Liberty freshman Azul Iritxity Irigoyen earned her first career BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week honor on Monday. The first-year goalkeeper recorded her first career shutout in last Saturday's 2-0 triumph at Temple. She made six saves in the contest.
• The Lady Flames have also featured a pair of BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and NFHCA Division I Offensive Player of the Week recipients in Daniella Rhodes and Jill Bolton in previous weeks. Rhodes paces the squad in goals (8) and points (19), while Bolton leads the team in assists (5) and is second in points (13) and tied for second in goals (4).
• Liberty goalkeepers Iritxity Irigoyen and Santia McLaughlin have both seen exactly 150 minutes each in cage this spring. Iritxity Irigoyen is 3-0 with a 0.80 goals-against-average, .818 save percentage, nine saves and one shutout. McLaughlin is 2-0 with a 0.40 goals-against-average, .750 save percentage, three saves and one shutout.
• Liberty currently ranks No. 2 in the nation in assists per game (3.60) and points per game (12.00) and No. 3 in the country in scoring average (4.20), goals per game (4.20) and scoring margin (3.60). The Lady Flames are also seventh in the country in goals-against-average (0.60) and penalty corners per game (7.80).
• Rhodes is third in the country in goals per game (1.60) and points per game (3.80). Bolton is fifth in the nation in assists per game (1.00).
• The last time the two teams met at the Liberty Field Hockey Field was on Oct. 11, 2019. ODU edged Liberty 3-2 in that game, scoring its three goals on only five total shots in the game. The Lady Flames outshot the Monarchs 16-5 in that contest.
• Liberty has outscored its opponents 21-3 on the year and outshot its counterparts 94-38. The Lady Flames have drawn 39 penalty corners on the season, compared to 17 for their opposition.
