Tuesday, August 29
Charlottesville, Va.
5:00 PM ET
Liberty University
at
Virginia
No. 14 Liberty to Face No. 6 Virginia in Road Test, Tuesday
8/28/2023 4:09:00 PM | Field Hockey
LYNCHBURG, Va. – No. 14 Liberty will face No. 6 Virginia in a road field hockey contest, Tuesday afternoon. Game time is 5 p.m. from Turf Field in Charlottesville, Va.
The Lady Flames bring a 2-0 mark into the game and will be playing their third match in five days to open the season. Liberty bested Kent State 2-0 last Friday, followed by a 2-1 overtime triumph against Indiana on Sunday. This will be the Lady Flames' first road game of the 2023 season.
Meanwhile, Virginia brings a 1-0 record into Tuesday. The Cavaliers earned a top-five win in their first game of the year, besting No. 5 Penn State by a 2-1 score, last Friday.
Lady Flames News and Notes
• Liberty returns three All-BIG EAST selections from a season ago, led by All-Americans Bethany Dykema (second team) and Azul Iritxity Irigoyen (second team, also a two-time All-American). Dykema was named this year's Preseason BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, while Iritxity Irigoyen is the Preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year. Fifth-year senior Jodie Conolly, a BIG EAST all-conference selection last season and Preseason All-BIG EAST team honoree this fall, also returns for Liberty. Senior Reagan Underwood was tabbed the BIG EAST Preseason Co-Midfielder of the Year.
• Liberty has won five straight road openers (2018-22). The last time the Lady Flames lost their first road match of the season was on Sept. 1, 2017, a 3-0 setback at No. 11 Michigan.
• The Lady Flames enter the 2023 campaign as the back-to-back BIG EAST champions and are picked to finish first in the conference in the 2023 BIG EAST Field Hockey Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Liberty is 1-7 all-time versus Virginia. The two teams met a season ago (Oct. 18, 2022), a 2-1 Cavaliers victory at the Liberty Field Hockey Field. The Lady Flames' lone win in the series was on Sept. 16, 2018, a 3-2 result in Lynchburg.
• Underwood has led the way offensively so far through two games, pacing the squad in goals (2) and points (5) and tying for the team lead in assists (1). Both of Underwood's goals proved to be game winners. On Sunday against Indiana, the senior midfielder scored on a penalty stroke in the opening minute of overtime to give host Liberty the 2-1 win.
• Fifth-year senior Bethany Dykema is currently tied for second in program history with 35 career assists. The program record is 38 assists, held by Serena Barr (2013-16). Dykema is currently in a second place tie with Bethany Barr (35 assists, 2013-16).
• The Lady Flames feature 10 newcomers this year: Milagros Arteta (F – Boston College transfer), Tuti Dell Anna (F), Olivia Kirkpatrick (D/M), Nicole Enslin (M/D), Danielle Hamm (D – Kent State transfer), Kiley Stoltzfus (D), Madie Baker (D/M), Ashlee Bucksar (F), Regan Worley (D) and Kaia Harding (F). Arteta scored her first goal in a Liberty uniform on Sunday versus Indiana. Both Arteta and Dell Anna have started each of the first two matches, while Enslin and Hamm have seen playing time.
• The Lady Flames are listed at No. 14 in the preseason Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll. Six of Liberty's remaining 15 regular season foes are listed among the top 20 teams in the nation in the preseason poll: No. 1 North Carolina (Oct. 8, away), No. 6 Virginia (Tuesday, away), No. 13 Harvard (Sept. 8, home), No. 15 Connecticut (Oct. 20, home), No. 18 Old Dominion (Sept. 15, home), and No. 20 Duke (Sept. 10, away).
The Lady Flames bring a 2-0 mark into the game and will be playing their third match in five days to open the season. Liberty bested Kent State 2-0 last Friday, followed by a 2-1 overtime triumph against Indiana on Sunday. This will be the Lady Flames' first road game of the 2023 season.
Meanwhile, Virginia brings a 1-0 record into Tuesday. The Cavaliers earned a top-five win in their first game of the year, besting No. 5 Penn State by a 2-1 score, last Friday.
Lady Flames News and Notes
• Liberty returns three All-BIG EAST selections from a season ago, led by All-Americans Bethany Dykema (second team) and Azul Iritxity Irigoyen (second team, also a two-time All-American). Dykema was named this year's Preseason BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, while Iritxity Irigoyen is the Preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year. Fifth-year senior Jodie Conolly, a BIG EAST all-conference selection last season and Preseason All-BIG EAST team honoree this fall, also returns for Liberty. Senior Reagan Underwood was tabbed the BIG EAST Preseason Co-Midfielder of the Year.
• Liberty has won five straight road openers (2018-22). The last time the Lady Flames lost their first road match of the season was on Sept. 1, 2017, a 3-0 setback at No. 11 Michigan.
• The Lady Flames enter the 2023 campaign as the back-to-back BIG EAST champions and are picked to finish first in the conference in the 2023 BIG EAST Field Hockey Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Liberty is 1-7 all-time versus Virginia. The two teams met a season ago (Oct. 18, 2022), a 2-1 Cavaliers victory at the Liberty Field Hockey Field. The Lady Flames' lone win in the series was on Sept. 16, 2018, a 3-2 result in Lynchburg.
• Underwood has led the way offensively so far through two games, pacing the squad in goals (2) and points (5) and tying for the team lead in assists (1). Both of Underwood's goals proved to be game winners. On Sunday against Indiana, the senior midfielder scored on a penalty stroke in the opening minute of overtime to give host Liberty the 2-1 win.
• Fifth-year senior Bethany Dykema is currently tied for second in program history with 35 career assists. The program record is 38 assists, held by Serena Barr (2013-16). Dykema is currently in a second place tie with Bethany Barr (35 assists, 2013-16).
• The Lady Flames feature 10 newcomers this year: Milagros Arteta (F – Boston College transfer), Tuti Dell Anna (F), Olivia Kirkpatrick (D/M), Nicole Enslin (M/D), Danielle Hamm (D – Kent State transfer), Kiley Stoltzfus (D), Madie Baker (D/M), Ashlee Bucksar (F), Regan Worley (D) and Kaia Harding (F). Arteta scored her first goal in a Liberty uniform on Sunday versus Indiana. Both Arteta and Dell Anna have started each of the first two matches, while Enslin and Hamm have seen playing time.
• The Lady Flames are listed at No. 14 in the preseason Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll. Six of Liberty's remaining 15 regular season foes are listed among the top 20 teams in the nation in the preseason poll: No. 1 North Carolina (Oct. 8, away), No. 6 Virginia (Tuesday, away), No. 13 Harvard (Sept. 8, home), No. 15 Connecticut (Oct. 20, home), No. 18 Old Dominion (Sept. 15, home), and No. 20 Duke (Sept. 10, away).
Players Mentioned
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