Liberty University
(10-6, 6-0BIG EAST)
Providence
(5-11, 2-4BIG EAST)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Providence | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
No. 16 Liberty Tops Providence 3-1 on Road, Stays Unbeaten in BIG EAST
10/21/2022 6:19:08 PM | Field Hockey
No. 16 Liberty topped Providence 3-1 in a road BIG EAST Conference game, Friday afternoon at Lennon Family Field.
With the win, the Lady Flames stay unbeaten and on top of the league standings with a perfect 6-0 mark. Liberty has clinched at least a share of the BIG EAST regular season title. No. 14 Old Dominion (5-1) and No. 11 Connecticut (5-1) are a game back in the standings. The Lady Flames will face ODU next Friday in the regular season finale with a chance to win the outright BIG EAST regular season crown for a second straight year.
Liberty has won 16 straight BIG EAST regular season contests. The Lady Flames improve to 10-6 on the year and have won 10 or more games in five straight years.
Lizzie Hamlett (two goals) and Charlotte Vaanhold (one goal) provided the scoring for the guests.
Providence slips to 5-11 on the year and 2-4 in the BIG EAST.
Scoring Summary
11’ – LIBERTY – Lizzie Hamlett (Jodie Conolly) | Penalty Corner
18’ – LIBERTY – Charlotte Vaanhold (unassisted)
52’ – PROVIDENCE – Ally DeCoste (Caroline Krebs)
55 – LIBERTY – Lizzie Hamlett (unassisted)
Goalkeepers
W: Azul Iritxity Irigoyen 10-6, two saves
L: Asia Porter 5-11, three saves
Turning Point
After Liberty jumped out to an early lead 2-0 through the first 17:14 of action following goals from Lizzie Hamlett and Charlotte Vaanhold, neither team scored for the next 33-plus minutes.
Providence’s Ally DeCoste tallied a goal in the 52nd minute, trimming the Liberty lead to 2-1. After the Lady Flames earned a penalty corner, Hamlett gathered a rebound off a blocked shot and sent a shot that trickled through Friars goalkeeper Asia Porter’s leg. Hamlett’s second goal of the match made it 3-1 Liberty at the 54:44 mark.
Key Stats & Notes
• Hamlett has 10 goals on the season, tied for most on the team. This is the first season of double digit goals in the midfielder’s five-year career. Hamlett has 10 goals, six assists (tied for fourth on squad) and 26 points in 16 games (all starts). She had nine goals during the 2021 campaign.
• Vaanhold’s goal was the ninth of her season. She has 38 career goals, good for sixth most in school history.
• Senior defender Jodie Conolly notched a defensive save in the contest (13th minute).
• Liberty held advantages in shots (13-6), shots on goal (6-4) and penalty corners (6-5).
• Liberty has won 10 or more games in five straight seasons (2018-22). The Lady Flames have a 66-26 combined mark during that span.
• The Lady Flames improve to 9-0 all-time against the Friars and 8-0 since joining the BIG EAST Conference. Liberty has outscored Providence 24-4 in those contests.
• This is the first time this season that Liberty won a game in which it did not record a shutout. Prior to today, all nine Lady Flames wins were by shutout.
• Liberty allowed its first goal in BIG EAST play today. The Lady Flames have outscored their conference counterparts a combined 28-1 in six matches.
Up Next
Liberty will meet No. 14 Old Dominion (12-2, 5-1 BIG EAST) in the BIG EAST regular season finale, next Friday. Game time is 1 p.m. at the L.R. Hill Sports Complex in Norfolk, Va. Next Friday’s game will help determine seeding for the BIG EAST Championship.
The Lady Flames are 8-6 all-time against the Monarchs. Liberty and ODU last met in the regular season finale at the Liberty Field Hockey Field a season ago. Lizzie Hamlett scored the game-winning goal with 39 seconds left, lifting Liberty to a 2-1 win and the BIG EAST regular season crown.
The Lady Flames have already secured a spot in this year’s BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship, which will be hosted by Old Dominion Nov. 4-6. Liberty has qualified for the BIG EAST Tournament in each of its first seven years in the conference.
Team Stats
HAMLETT, Lizzie (9)
Assisted By: CONOLLY, Jodie
Tipped in on corner
10:42
VAANHOLD, Charlotte (9)
Picked up blocked shot, lifted into cage
17:14
DECOSTE, Ally (5)
Assisted By: KREBS, Caroline
Received long pass, won vs. GK
51:02
HAMLETT, Lizzie (10)
Scored off rebound from blocked shot
54:44
