Rhodes Tabbed BIG EAST Offensive POW in First Set of Weekly Awards
8/30/2022 12:09:47 PM | Field Hockey
Liberty field hockey forward Daniella Rhodes has been named the BIG EAST Conference Offensive Player of the Week.
Rhodes, this year’s Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week, collected the honor after a strong opening weekend against Kent State and Indiana. This is the senior forward’s sixth career BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week award.
Additionally, senior defender Bethany Dykema was tabbed to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for her performance on opening weekend. This is Dykema’s second career appearance on the honor roll (first: Oct. 20, 2021).
Rhodes scored four goals and added an assist for nine points in No. 6 Liberty’s pair of victories over Kent State and Indiana at the Hoosier Invitational, held at the IU Field Hockey Complex in Bloomington, Ind. The senior tallied two goals, one assist and five points in the Lady Flames’ 9-0 triumph over Kent State on Saturday afternoon. Rhodes was one of four players on the squad with multiple goals in the contest, and Liberty was the only team in the NCAA to score more than seven goals in a game during the first weekend of competition.
On Sunday versus host Indiana in the final game of the Hoosier Invitational, Rhodes accounted for all of the scoring in a 2-0 Liberty win. The Durban, South Africa native’s goals came at the 17:00 and 39:11 marks of the contest, with her highlight-reel goal providing a two-goal cushion in the third quarter.
Rhodes is up to 49 career goals, which is tied for fourth most in program history. With one more goal, she will become the fourth player in school history to reach 50 career goals.
Dykema and the Liberty defense earned two shutout victories over the weekend versus the Golden Flashes and Hoosiers while limiting their opponents to seven total shots (two on goal) in 120 minutes of action. In the season opener versus Kent State, the senior back scored a goal and added two assists for four points.
Dykema and the defensive unit limited the Golden Flashes to five total shots (two on cage) in the match. Dykema, a Newport News, Va. native, helped keep Indiana off the scoreboard, as the Hoosiers attempted only two total shots (zero on goal) in the game.
Rhodes, Dykema and No. 6 Liberty (2-0) will host William & Mary (2-0), Sunday in their home opener. Match time is 1 p.m. and will be the first game on the brand-new turf at the Liberty Field Hockey Field. The game can also be seen on ESPN+.
