Friday, November 8
Providence, R.I.
1:00 PM ET
Liberty University
vs
Connecticut
No. 4 Seed Liberty Set For 2024 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship
11/6/2024 11:51:00 AM | Field Hockey
LYNCHBURG, Va. – No. 4 seed Liberty will head to the 2024 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship in Providence, R.I., which begins on Friday.
The No. 18-ranked Lady Flames (10-7, 4-3 BIG EAST) will begin their quest for a third BIG EAST Championship title in the last four years when they face No. 1 seed and 10th-ranked Connecticut (15-3, 6-1 BIG EAST), the BIG EAST regular season champion, on Friday. Liberty and UConn will play in the first semifinal at 1 p.m. at Providence's Lennon Family Field.
The winner of Friday's first semifinal match will move to face No. 2 seed Temple (10-7, 5-2 BIG EAST) or No. 3 seed and defending champion Old Dominion (11-6, 5-2 BIG EAST). The Owls and Monarchs square off in the second semifinal, Friday at 4 p.m.
The tournament champion will earn the conference's automatic berth into the 2024 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship. This year's NCAA Tournament features 18 teams, with 10 conference champions and eight at-large selections included in the field. The 2024 NCAA Field Hockey Selection Show will be held Sunday evening at 10 p.m. on ncaa.com.
This is the first time Liberty has ever been the No. 4 seed at the BIG EAST Tournament. The Lady Flames have qualified for the event in each of their first nine seasons in the league. Liberty is in search of its third BIG EAST crown in the last four seasons and fifth conference title overall. Liberty's four total conference tournament titles include two BIG EAST crowns (fall 2021, 2022) and two NorPac titles (2013 and 2024).
Liberty finished 4-3 in BIG EAST regular season play to qualify for the championship. The Lady Flames are 55-13 all-time in BIG EAST regular season matches (nine years), including a 50-11 mark under current head coach Nikki Parsley-Blocker. Liberty holds an 8-6 all-time record at the BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship.
All three BIG EAST Championship games will be carried live on the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by FloSports.
BIG EAST Championship Schedule
Friday (Semifinals)
1 p.m. – No. 1 seed Connecticut (15-3) vs. No. 4 seed Liberty (10-7)
4 p.m. – No. 2 seed Temple (10-7) vs. No. 3 seed Old Dominion (11-6)
Sunday (Championship Game)
1 p.m. – Winners of semifinals
*All three BIG EAST Championship games will air live on the BIG EAST Digital Network on FloSports.
Liberty and Connecticut by the Numbers
2023, 2022 and 2021 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship Rewind
2023
No. 1 seed Liberty bested No. 4 seed Villanova 3-2 in the semifinals to reach the BIG EAST title game for a third straight year. Milagros Arteta scored two goals in the match, and Jodie Conolly scored the other goal.
The Lady Flames fell to No. 2 seed Old Dominion 3-1 in the final, seeing a 12-game winning streak snapped. Liberty dropped to 17-2 on the year with the loss but later that night would earn its first-ever at-large bid into the NCAA Field Hockey Championship. Conolly, Arteta and Bethany Dykema earned BIG EAST All-Tournament team distinction. Dykema scored Liberty's only goal in the title match.
2022
The second-seeded Lady Flames bested No. 1 seed and tournament host Old Dominion 3-1 in the 2022 BIG EAST title match in Norfolk, Va. Bethany Dykema scored the go-ahead goal in the 54th minute, and Martu Cian scored an insurance goal with 19 seconds left in the game. Azul Iritxity Irigoyen, who was named BIG EAST Championship Most Outstanding Player, made four saves in the game and 13 saves in two tournament games.
Iritxity Irigoyen, Dykema, Cian and Jodie Conolly were named to the BIG EAST All-Tournament team. Liberty's title was its second straight BIG EAST crown and fourth overall conference title.
Liberty topped the Connecticut Huskies 2-1 in the semifinal round. Cian and Conolly scored the goals for the Lady Flames, with Conolly scoring the game winner in the 47th minute.
2021
Top-seeded Liberty topped No. 2 seed UConn 1-0 in the 2021 BIG EAST title game in Storrs, Conn. Jill Bolton, who went on to be named BIG EAST Championship MVP, scored the lone goal of the match late in the third quarter at the 41:08 mark. Bolton, along with Charlotte Vaanhold, Bethany Dykema and Daniella Rhodes, were named to the BIG EAST All-Tournament team.
Liberty's title was its first conference crown since 2014 (NorPac) and first while a member of the BIG EAST (sixth season at the time).
The Lady Flames bested the Temple Owls 4-2 in the semifinals. Rhodes (two goals), Vaanhold (one goal) and Bolton (one goal) did the scoring for Liberty.
Lady Flames News and Notes
The No. 18-ranked Lady Flames (10-7, 4-3 BIG EAST) will begin their quest for a third BIG EAST Championship title in the last four years when they face No. 1 seed and 10th-ranked Connecticut (15-3, 6-1 BIG EAST), the BIG EAST regular season champion, on Friday. Liberty and UConn will play in the first semifinal at 1 p.m. at Providence's Lennon Family Field.
The winner of Friday's first semifinal match will move to face No. 2 seed Temple (10-7, 5-2 BIG EAST) or No. 3 seed and defending champion Old Dominion (11-6, 5-2 BIG EAST). The Owls and Monarchs square off in the second semifinal, Friday at 4 p.m.
The tournament champion will earn the conference's automatic berth into the 2024 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship. This year's NCAA Tournament features 18 teams, with 10 conference champions and eight at-large selections included in the field. The 2024 NCAA Field Hockey Selection Show will be held Sunday evening at 10 p.m. on ncaa.com.
This is the first time Liberty has ever been the No. 4 seed at the BIG EAST Tournament. The Lady Flames have qualified for the event in each of their first nine seasons in the league. Liberty is in search of its third BIG EAST crown in the last four seasons and fifth conference title overall. Liberty's four total conference tournament titles include two BIG EAST crowns (fall 2021, 2022) and two NorPac titles (2013 and 2024).
Liberty finished 4-3 in BIG EAST regular season play to qualify for the championship. The Lady Flames are 55-13 all-time in BIG EAST regular season matches (nine years), including a 50-11 mark under current head coach Nikki Parsley-Blocker. Liberty holds an 8-6 all-time record at the BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship.
All three BIG EAST Championship games will be carried live on the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by FloSports.
BIG EAST Championship Schedule
Friday (Semifinals)
1 p.m. – No. 1 seed Connecticut (15-3) vs. No. 4 seed Liberty (10-7)
4 p.m. – No. 2 seed Temple (10-7) vs. No. 3 seed Old Dominion (11-6)
Sunday (Championship Game)
1 p.m. – Winners of semifinals
*All three BIG EAST Championship games will air live on the BIG EAST Digital Network on FloSports.
Liberty and Connecticut by the Numbers
- Regular Season Matchup: UConn edged Liberty 2-1 in overtime on Oct. 25 at the George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex in Storrs, Conn.
- Top performers: Tori Griffiths 1 g, 2 pts | Lou Combrinck 1 a, 1 pt | Michaela Skinner four saves | Ellie Livingston 3 shots on goal
- All-time series: UConn leads Liberty 9-6
- All-time series in the BIG EAST Championship: This will be the sixth all-time meeting between the two teams at the BIG EAST Tournament. Liberty is 2-3 all-time against UConn at the event. The Lady Flames have won the last two BIG EAST Championship games against the Huskies, coming during the fall 2021 season (title game) and 2022 campaign (semifinals).
2023, 2022 and 2021 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship Rewind
2023
No. 1 seed Liberty bested No. 4 seed Villanova 3-2 in the semifinals to reach the BIG EAST title game for a third straight year. Milagros Arteta scored two goals in the match, and Jodie Conolly scored the other goal.
The Lady Flames fell to No. 2 seed Old Dominion 3-1 in the final, seeing a 12-game winning streak snapped. Liberty dropped to 17-2 on the year with the loss but later that night would earn its first-ever at-large bid into the NCAA Field Hockey Championship. Conolly, Arteta and Bethany Dykema earned BIG EAST All-Tournament team distinction. Dykema scored Liberty's only goal in the title match.
2022
The second-seeded Lady Flames bested No. 1 seed and tournament host Old Dominion 3-1 in the 2022 BIG EAST title match in Norfolk, Va. Bethany Dykema scored the go-ahead goal in the 54th minute, and Martu Cian scored an insurance goal with 19 seconds left in the game. Azul Iritxity Irigoyen, who was named BIG EAST Championship Most Outstanding Player, made four saves in the game and 13 saves in two tournament games.
Iritxity Irigoyen, Dykema, Cian and Jodie Conolly were named to the BIG EAST All-Tournament team. Liberty's title was its second straight BIG EAST crown and fourth overall conference title.
Liberty topped the Connecticut Huskies 2-1 in the semifinal round. Cian and Conolly scored the goals for the Lady Flames, with Conolly scoring the game winner in the 47th minute.
2021
Top-seeded Liberty topped No. 2 seed UConn 1-0 in the 2021 BIG EAST title game in Storrs, Conn. Jill Bolton, who went on to be named BIG EAST Championship MVP, scored the lone goal of the match late in the third quarter at the 41:08 mark. Bolton, along with Charlotte Vaanhold, Bethany Dykema and Daniella Rhodes, were named to the BIG EAST All-Tournament team.
Liberty's title was its first conference crown since 2014 (NorPac) and first while a member of the BIG EAST (sixth season at the time).
The Lady Flames bested the Temple Owls 4-2 in the semifinals. Rhodes (two goals), Vaanhold (one goal) and Bolton (one goal) did the scoring for Liberty.
Lady Flames News and Notes
- Liberty featured four All-BIG EAST honorees, led by All-BIG EAST first team selection Reagan Underwood (fifth-year senior). Junior Lou Combrinck, senior Tuti Dell Anna and freshman Dara Semmartin each collected All-BIG EAST second team recognition.
- Underwood has been named to the All-BIG EAST first team in back-to-back years. Combrinck, Dell Anna and Semmartin each earn their first all-conference nods.
- The Lady Flames are ranked No. 18 in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll and No. 20 in the NCAA Field Hockey RPI listing. Liberty has been ranked in every week of this year's national poll, reaching as high as No. 11 on two occasions (Aug. 27 and Sept. 17).
- The Lady Flames received 15 BIG EAST weekly awards and one national honor in 10 weeks of regular season competition.
- Semmartin leads the team with 11 assists, the most ever for a Liberty freshman in a single season. She ranks third in the BIG EAST and 13th nationally in assists per game (0.65).
- Dell Anna, the team leader in goals with 10, ranks fifth in the BIG EAST and No. 36 in the country in goals per game (0.59).
- Freshman Josefina Tomasi ranks second in the league and 19th in the nation in defensive saves (3).
- As a team, Liberty is in the top 20 nationally in goals per game (No. 16, 2.71), scoring average (No. 16, 2.66), points per game (No. 16, 7.47), shutouts per game (No. 16, 0.35) and defensive saves (No. 18, 5).
- If Liberty were to reach Sunday's championship match, it would face either No. 2 seed Temple or No. 3 seed Old Dominion. The Owls topped the Lady Flames 5-1 on Oct. 4. ODU edged Liberty 3-2 in the BIG EAST opener, Sept. 20.
- Liberty is 13-2 all-time against Temple, including a 12-1 mark since joining the BIG EAST. The Lady Flames are 10-9 all-time against ODU.
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/ Field HockeyLiberty Defeats JMU 4-1
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Wednesday, September 03
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Reagan Underwood: Running a New Race
Tuesday, April 15