Liberty’s Saint Martin Named BIG EAST Defensive Player of Week & Freshman of Week
10/28/2025 2:53:00 PM | Field Hockey
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty goalkeeper Diane Saint Martin has been named the BIG EAST Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week after an outstanding two games in cage, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday afternoon.
Saint Martin earns her second career BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honor (other: Sept. 16) and first career Defensive Player of the Week accolade. The Paris, France native has received a total of five weekly awards this fall. Saint Martin is the second Liberty player this fall to garner two major weekly awards in the same week, joining Zoé Gaillard. Gaillard earned BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week recognition on Oct. 7.
Meanwhile, fellow freshman Morena Giacosa has been tabbed to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for a second time this season. Saint Martin and Giacosa helped lead No. 7 Liberty to a pair of road wins at Temple and Longwood, last weekend.
Saint Martin was phenomenal in goal in the victories over the Owls and Lancers, compiling a 2-0 record, 1.44 goals-against average (GAA), 16 saves and an .842 save percentage. The Liberty freshman was at her best against the Owls, compiling a career-high 12 saves while fending off a steady dose of Temple attacking opportunities all day. In addition her 12 saves, she made three stops on four penalty chances from the Owls to help the Lady Flames secure the 3-2 (3-1 penalty shootout) victory and eliminate the hosts from BIG EAST Championship contention. Liberty secured at least a share of the BIG EAST regular season title for the fourth time in the last five seasons with the triumph.
Saint Martin's 12 saves are tied for the sixth most in a single game in program history. The rookie made nine of her 12 saves after halftime against a relentless Temple squad that saw the Owls outshoot the Lady Flames 16-0 between the third quarter, fourth quarter and first overtime.
In 45 minutes of action at Longwood on Sunday, Saint Martin yielded only one goal while making four saves in Liberty's 7-1 win. In 16 games this season, all starts, the freshman holds a 14-2 mark with a 0.87 GAA, 46 saves, a .767 save percentage and seven shutouts. She currently ranks first in the BIG EAST and sixth in the country in GAA (0.87) and is No. 21 nationally and third in the conference in save percentage (.767).
Giacosa was a steady presence for Liberty in the pair of wins, leading the squad with two goals. She was the only Lady Flame to score multiple goals over the weekend. The freshman defender scored both of her goals in the 7-1 triumph over Longwood on Sunday, tallying both on goals on penalty corners. Giacosa opened the scoring in the sixth minute, and she added another penalty corner tally in the 16th minute to push the guests' lead to 4-0. Giacosa's goals were her fourth and fifth of 2025.
The Rosario, Argentina native played all 140 possible minutes in the two matches, including all 80 minutes at Temple. In 16 games this year (all starts), she has five goals (tied for fourth most on team), four assists and 14 points (tied for No. 4 on squad).
Through nine weeks of the season, the Lady Flames have earned 22 total weekly awards (two national, 20 BIG EAST) – two NFHCA Division I Offensive Player of the Week honorable mention selections, five player of the week awards, three offensive player of the week honors, four freshman of the week accolades and seven weekly honor roll selections.
Saint Martin, Giacosa and No. 7 Liberty (14-2, 6-0 BIG EAST) will face Villanova (5-11, 3-3 BIG EAST) in the regular season finale, Friday at 3 p.m. at the Liberty Field Hockey Field. A win would give the Lady Flames the outright BIG EAST regular season title and a perfect conference regular season record. Liberty has already clinched at least a share of the BIG EAST regular season crown and the No. 1 seed for next weekend's 2025 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship.
Saint Martin earns her second career BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honor (other: Sept. 16) and first career Defensive Player of the Week accolade. The Paris, France native has received a total of five weekly awards this fall. Saint Martin is the second Liberty player this fall to garner two major weekly awards in the same week, joining Zoé Gaillard. Gaillard earned BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week recognition on Oct. 7.
Meanwhile, fellow freshman Morena Giacosa has been tabbed to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for a second time this season. Saint Martin and Giacosa helped lead No. 7 Liberty to a pair of road wins at Temple and Longwood, last weekend.
Saint Martin was phenomenal in goal in the victories over the Owls and Lancers, compiling a 2-0 record, 1.44 goals-against average (GAA), 16 saves and an .842 save percentage. The Liberty freshman was at her best against the Owls, compiling a career-high 12 saves while fending off a steady dose of Temple attacking opportunities all day. In addition her 12 saves, she made three stops on four penalty chances from the Owls to help the Lady Flames secure the 3-2 (3-1 penalty shootout) victory and eliminate the hosts from BIG EAST Championship contention. Liberty secured at least a share of the BIG EAST regular season title for the fourth time in the last five seasons with the triumph.
Saint Martin's 12 saves are tied for the sixth most in a single game in program history. The rookie made nine of her 12 saves after halftime against a relentless Temple squad that saw the Owls outshoot the Lady Flames 16-0 between the third quarter, fourth quarter and first overtime.
In 45 minutes of action at Longwood on Sunday, Saint Martin yielded only one goal while making four saves in Liberty's 7-1 win. In 16 games this season, all starts, the freshman holds a 14-2 mark with a 0.87 GAA, 46 saves, a .767 save percentage and seven shutouts. She currently ranks first in the BIG EAST and sixth in the country in GAA (0.87) and is No. 21 nationally and third in the conference in save percentage (.767).
Giacosa was a steady presence for Liberty in the pair of wins, leading the squad with two goals. She was the only Lady Flame to score multiple goals over the weekend. The freshman defender scored both of her goals in the 7-1 triumph over Longwood on Sunday, tallying both on goals on penalty corners. Giacosa opened the scoring in the sixth minute, and she added another penalty corner tally in the 16th minute to push the guests' lead to 4-0. Giacosa's goals were her fourth and fifth of 2025.
The Rosario, Argentina native played all 140 possible minutes in the two matches, including all 80 minutes at Temple. In 16 games this year (all starts), she has five goals (tied for fourth most on team), four assists and 14 points (tied for No. 4 on squad).
Through nine weeks of the season, the Lady Flames have earned 22 total weekly awards (two national, 20 BIG EAST) – two NFHCA Division I Offensive Player of the Week honorable mention selections, five player of the week awards, three offensive player of the week honors, four freshman of the week accolades and seven weekly honor roll selections.
Saint Martin, Giacosa and No. 7 Liberty (14-2, 6-0 BIG EAST) will face Villanova (5-11, 3-3 BIG EAST) in the regular season finale, Friday at 3 p.m. at the Liberty Field Hockey Field. A win would give the Lady Flames the outright BIG EAST regular season title and a perfect conference regular season record. Liberty has already clinched at least a share of the BIG EAST regular season crown and the No. 1 seed for next weekend's 2025 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship.
That's ?? major weekly awards for Diane this week and a recognition for More!??
— Liberty Field Hockey (@LibertyFH) October 28, 2025
??: https://t.co/SKSowbFKYm#EyesFixed #RiseWithUs pic.twitter.com/fkRTOcsnhH
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