Friday, October 20
Lynchburg, Va.
6:00 PM ET
Liberty University
(15-1, 6-0BIG EAST)
3
vs
0
Connecticut
(5-10, 2-4BIG EAST)
1st half1
2nd half2
3rd half3
4th half4
FinalF
UConn
0
0
0
0
0
Liberty
1
0
0
2
3
Conolly’s Hat Trick Propels No. 6 Liberty to 3-0 Home Win Over UConn
10/20/2023 9:07:00 PM | Field Hockey
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Jodie Conolly notched her first three-goal game as a Lady Flame, propelling No. 6 Liberty to a 3-0 home win over Connecticut, Friday evening at the Liberty Field Hockey Field.
The win gives the Lady Flames at least a share of the BIG EAST regular season title for the third straight year. Additionally, Liberty has officially clinched the No. 1 seed for the upcoming BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship.
The Lady Flames improve to 15-1 overall on the year and 6-0 in the BIG EAST and close out a perfect 9-0 home regular season. Liberty has won its last 10 games overall. Meanwhile, UConn falls to 5-11 on the season and 2-4 in league play. The Lady Flames have won six straight games against the Huskies.
Conolly entered the night on the heels of a two-goal performance against James Madison last Sunday and now has five goals in her last two matches. The fifth-year senior defender came into the night with three career two-goal games before breaking through for her first hat trick. Conolly leads the team with nine goals in 2023 and paces the squad in points (28) and assists (10, tied).
Lexi Hosler and Bethany Dykema both notched three assists on the night, new career highs for each player.
Liberty continues its best start in school history with 15 wins in its first 16 games.
Scoring Summary
2' – LIBERTY – Jodie Conolly (Lexi Hosler and Bethany Dykema) | Penalty Corner
47' – LIBERTY – Jodie Conolly (Lexi Hosler and Bethany Dykema) | Penalty Corner
58' – LIBERTY – Jodie Conolly (Lexi Hosler and Bethany Dykema) | Penalty Corner
Goalkeepers
W: Azul Iritxity Irigoyen 15-1, four saves
L: Natalie McKenna 5-11, two saves
Turning Point
Liberty set the tone early by earning two penalty corners right out of the gate. On the Lady Flames' second attempt in the second minute, Conolly found the back of the cage on a shot into the right side, assisted by Lexi Hosler and Bethany Dykema.
The hosts maintained a 1-0 lead into the half and held a 7-0 edge in shots and 5-1 advantage in penalty corners in the opening 30 minutes. Early in the fourth quarter, it was Conolly who struck again with her second goal of the night on a shot that hit off a defender and trickled into the goal at the 46:28 mark for a 2-0 Liberty lead.
On the Lady Flames' ninth and final penalty corner of the match in the 58th minute, Conolly buried another shot into the right side, once again assisted by Hosler and Dykema.
Key Stats & Notes
The Lady Flames will close out the regular season against Georgetown (1-15, 0-6 BIG EAST), next Friday afternoon at Towson. Game time is 1 p.m.
Liberty has won all nine meetings in the all-time series and is 6-0 against Georgetown in BIG EAST play. Last season, the Lady Flames bested the Hoyas 10-0 in Lynchburg.
The win gives the Lady Flames at least a share of the BIG EAST regular season title for the third straight year. Additionally, Liberty has officially clinched the No. 1 seed for the upcoming BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship.
The Lady Flames improve to 15-1 overall on the year and 6-0 in the BIG EAST and close out a perfect 9-0 home regular season. Liberty has won its last 10 games overall. Meanwhile, UConn falls to 5-11 on the season and 2-4 in league play. The Lady Flames have won six straight games against the Huskies.
Conolly entered the night on the heels of a two-goal performance against James Madison last Sunday and now has five goals in her last two matches. The fifth-year senior defender came into the night with three career two-goal games before breaking through for her first hat trick. Conolly leads the team with nine goals in 2023 and paces the squad in points (28) and assists (10, tied).
Lexi Hosler and Bethany Dykema both notched three assists on the night, new career highs for each player.
Liberty continues its best start in school history with 15 wins in its first 16 games.
Scoring Summary
2' – LIBERTY – Jodie Conolly (Lexi Hosler and Bethany Dykema) | Penalty Corner
47' – LIBERTY – Jodie Conolly (Lexi Hosler and Bethany Dykema) | Penalty Corner
58' – LIBERTY – Jodie Conolly (Lexi Hosler and Bethany Dykema) | Penalty Corner
Goalkeepers
W: Azul Iritxity Irigoyen 15-1, four saves
L: Natalie McKenna 5-11, two saves
Turning Point
Liberty set the tone early by earning two penalty corners right out of the gate. On the Lady Flames' second attempt in the second minute, Conolly found the back of the cage on a shot into the right side, assisted by Lexi Hosler and Bethany Dykema.
The hosts maintained a 1-0 lead into the half and held a 7-0 edge in shots and 5-1 advantage in penalty corners in the opening 30 minutes. Early in the fourth quarter, it was Conolly who struck again with her second goal of the night on a shot that hit off a defender and trickled into the goal at the 46:28 mark for a 2-0 Liberty lead.
On the Lady Flames' ninth and final penalty corner of the match in the 58th minute, Conolly buried another shot into the right side, once again assisted by Hosler and Dykema.
Key Stats & Notes
- Conolly's goals were her seventh, eighth and ninth of the year. The defender has scored 26 career goals.
- Conolly's three-goal effort is the second of her career but first in a Liberty uniform. In 2019, she scored three goals against Holy Cross while playing for Boston University.
- Conolly is the first Liberty player to score three or more goals in a game since Martu Cian scored four times last year against Queens (Sept. 11, 2022).
- Dykema's three assists give her 10 for the season and 44 in her career. The fifth-year senior from Newport News, Va. now has three seasons of 10 or more assists.
- Hosler has five assists in her last two contests and six assists on the season.
- The Lady Flames outshot the Huskies 14-4 and held a 9-2 edge in penalty corners.
- Liberty picks up its seventh shutout win of 2023.
- Senior goalkeeper Azul Iritxity Irigoyen made four saves in recording her sixth shutout of the year and 23rd of her career. She is 15-1 on the year with 0.73 goals-against-average, a .815 save percentage and 53 saves.
The Lady Flames will close out the regular season against Georgetown (1-15, 0-6 BIG EAST), next Friday afternoon at Towson. Game time is 1 p.m.
Liberty has won all nine meetings in the all-time series and is 6-0 against Georgetown in BIG EAST play. Last season, the Lady Flames bested the Hoyas 10-0 in Lynchburg.
Team Stats
UCONN
LIBERTY
Goals
0
3
Shots
4
14
Shots on Goal
4
5
Saves
2
4
Corners
2
9
Offsides
0
0
Fouls
0
0
Scoring Plays
CONOLLY, Jodie (7)
Assisted By: HOSLER, Lexi , DYKEMA, Bethany
Scored on penalty corner into right side
1:39
CONOLLY, Jodie (8)
Assisted By: HOSLER, Lexi , DYKEMA, Bethany
Scored on corner, hit off defender
46:28
CONOLLY, Jodie (9)
Assisted By: HOSLER, Lexi , DYKEMA, Bethany
Scored on penalty corner into right side
57:07
Game Leaders
Shots
7
SOG
3
Goals
3
Assists
0
Shots
0
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
3
Shots
0
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
3
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Field Hockey
D
/ Field Hockey
D
/ Field Hockey
D/M
/ Field Hockey
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