Gaillard and Semmartin Earn BIG EAST FH Major Weekly Awards
10/7/2025 2:03:00 PM | Field Hockey
LYNCHBURG, Va. – After a record-setting performance on Sunday at No. 17 Appalachian State, Liberty field hockey forward Zoé Gaillard has been named the BIG EAST Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week. Additionally, sophomore Dara Semmartin has earned her fourth BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week award.
Gaillard and Semmartin help Liberty sweep the three major BIG EAST weekly honors. Gaillard is the first BIG EAST player this season to collect two different major honors, and the Lady Flames are the second team to sweep the three major awards during a given week this fall, joining Temple (Sept. 23).
Gaillard is the second Liberty player this year to be selected BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week (Josefina Tomasi, Sept. 9) and also the second BIG EAST Freshman of the Week (Diane Saint Martin, Sept. 16). Through six weeks of the season, the Lady Flames have earned 13 total weekly awards – four defensive player of the week awards, three offensive player of the week honors, two freshman of the week accolades and four weekly honor roll selections.
Gaillard, a freshman forward, had a record-breaking day this past Sunday, scoring a program single-game record five goals in Liberty's 7-1 road triumph at No. 17 App State. The freshman broke the previous school record of four goals, held by four others. Gaillard is one of only five players in the nation to score five or more goals in a game this season, and she is the only player in the country to score five or more goals in a match against a ranked team this year.
Gaillard scored her first goal at the 8:01 mark on a feed from fellow freshman Caroline Richard (first career assist) and added goals in the 19th, 39th and 41st minutes before closing it out with the record-breaking goal at the 50:11 mark on a redirect following a Luna Prieri ball toward the cage. The Paris, France native scored her five goals on only six shots, and every shot she put on cage went in.
Gaillard entered the match with one goal on the year and is now the team leader with six goals. Gaillard and the Lady Flames' six-goal margin of victory over the Mountaineers is the largest in program history over a ranked team. In Friday's 1-0 shutout of Old Dominion in Lynchburg, Gaillard came off the bench and notched a pair of shots, one of which was on frame.
Semmartin is the first four-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week in a single season since both Azul Iritxity Irigoyen and Jodie Conolly received four honors apiece during the 2023 campaign. The sophomore from Buenos Aires, Argentina scored a goal and notched two assists for four points in No. 6 Liberty's victories over ODU and No. 17 App State over the weekend. In Friday's 1-0 win over the Monarchs, Semmartin had a beautiful assist on Julieta Tornati's goal at the 28:55 mark, which proved to be the game winner.
In Sunday's road victory over the Mountaineers, Semmartin tallied a goal and an assist in the dominant 7-1 result. She scored on a penalty corner drag flick in the 20th minute to put Liberty ahead 3-0 at the time. The defender notched her eighth assist of 2025 on the Lady Flames' final goal of the afternoon, a penalty corner tally from Lou Combrinck. Over the two games, Semmartin and the Liberty defensive unity limited ODU and App State to six total shots (two on goal) in 120 minutes of action. ODU managed only three total shots, and Liberty notched its fourth straight shutout and fifth of the season. The Mountaineers managed only three total shots (one on goal) against Semmartin and the Liberty defense. Semmartin and Liberty rank third nationally and first in the BIG EAST in shutouts per game (0.50).
In 10 games, all starts, Semmartin has five goals (tied for No. 2 on team), eight assists (No. 2 on team) and 18 points (No. 2 on team). She ranks No. 12 in the country in assists per game (0.80) and No. 31 in points per game (1.80). Semmartin ranks second in the BIG EAST in those two categories.
Gaillard, Semmartin and No. 7 Liberty (9-1, 3-0 BIG EAST) will square off with Georgetown (3-8, 0-3 BIG EAST) in a road BIG EAST matchup on Friday afternoon. Game time is 1 p.m. from Kehoe Field in Washington, D.C.
Gaillard and Semmartin help Liberty sweep the three major BIG EAST weekly honors. Gaillard is the first BIG EAST player this season to collect two different major honors, and the Lady Flames are the second team to sweep the three major awards during a given week this fall, joining Temple (Sept. 23).
Gaillard is the second Liberty player this year to be selected BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week (Josefina Tomasi, Sept. 9) and also the second BIG EAST Freshman of the Week (Diane Saint Martin, Sept. 16). Through six weeks of the season, the Lady Flames have earned 13 total weekly awards – four defensive player of the week awards, three offensive player of the week honors, two freshman of the week accolades and four weekly honor roll selections.
Gaillard, a freshman forward, had a record-breaking day this past Sunday, scoring a program single-game record five goals in Liberty's 7-1 road triumph at No. 17 App State. The freshman broke the previous school record of four goals, held by four others. Gaillard is one of only five players in the nation to score five or more goals in a game this season, and she is the only player in the country to score five or more goals in a match against a ranked team this year.
Gaillard scored her first goal at the 8:01 mark on a feed from fellow freshman Caroline Richard (first career assist) and added goals in the 19th, 39th and 41st minutes before closing it out with the record-breaking goal at the 50:11 mark on a redirect following a Luna Prieri ball toward the cage. The Paris, France native scored her five goals on only six shots, and every shot she put on cage went in.
Gaillard entered the match with one goal on the year and is now the team leader with six goals. Gaillard and the Lady Flames' six-goal margin of victory over the Mountaineers is the largest in program history over a ranked team. In Friday's 1-0 shutout of Old Dominion in Lynchburg, Gaillard came off the bench and notched a pair of shots, one of which was on frame.
Semmartin is the first four-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week in a single season since both Azul Iritxity Irigoyen and Jodie Conolly received four honors apiece during the 2023 campaign. The sophomore from Buenos Aires, Argentina scored a goal and notched two assists for four points in No. 6 Liberty's victories over ODU and No. 17 App State over the weekend. In Friday's 1-0 win over the Monarchs, Semmartin had a beautiful assist on Julieta Tornati's goal at the 28:55 mark, which proved to be the game winner.
In Sunday's road victory over the Mountaineers, Semmartin tallied a goal and an assist in the dominant 7-1 result. She scored on a penalty corner drag flick in the 20th minute to put Liberty ahead 3-0 at the time. The defender notched her eighth assist of 2025 on the Lady Flames' final goal of the afternoon, a penalty corner tally from Lou Combrinck. Over the two games, Semmartin and the Liberty defensive unity limited ODU and App State to six total shots (two on goal) in 120 minutes of action. ODU managed only three total shots, and Liberty notched its fourth straight shutout and fifth of the season. The Mountaineers managed only three total shots (one on goal) against Semmartin and the Liberty defense. Semmartin and Liberty rank third nationally and first in the BIG EAST in shutouts per game (0.50).
In 10 games, all starts, Semmartin has five goals (tied for No. 2 on team), eight assists (No. 2 on team) and 18 points (No. 2 on team). She ranks No. 12 in the country in assists per game (0.80) and No. 31 in points per game (1.80). Semmartin ranks second in the BIG EAST in those two categories.
Gaillard, Semmartin and No. 7 Liberty (9-1, 3-0 BIG EAST) will square off with Georgetown (3-8, 0-3 BIG EAST) in a road BIG EAST matchup on Friday afternoon. Game time is 1 p.m. from Kehoe Field in Washington, D.C.
It's a ?????? of the @BIGEAST Weekly Major Awards!
— Liberty Field Hockey (@LibertyFH) October 7, 2025
Zoé is the 1st player in the league this season to win 2 awards in a week, and Dara is a 4-time DPOW!
??: https://t.co/DA4x4p2Y8M#EyesFixed #RiseWithUs pic.twitter.com/EpMAmeim8e
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