Friday, September 12
Lynchburg, Va.
7:00 PM ET
Liberty University
(4-0)
1
vs
0
UAlbany
(3-2)
1
2
3
4
F
UAlbany
0
0
0
0
0
Liberty
0
0
1
0
1
Photo by: Ryan Anderson
Tornati’s Tally Lifts No. 9 Liberty to 1-0 Shutout Win Over UAlbany on Senior Night
9/12/2025 9:46:00 PM | Field Hockey
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Freshman Julieta Tornati scored her first collegiate goal late in the third quarter, helping lift No. 9-ranked Liberty to a 1-0 shutout win over UAlbany on Senior Night, Friday at the Liberty Field Hockey Field.
Liberty stays unbeaten with a 4-0 record, including a 3-0 home mark. The Lady Flames are 4-0 on the season for the fifth time in program history and the second time in the last three years. UAlbany drops to 3-2 and has lost back-to-back games in shutout fashion. This was Liberty's first shutout of the 2025 season and first since a 6-0 shutout triumph over Georgetown to end the regular season last year (Nov. 1, 2024).
Prior to tonight's match, the program honored its two seniors – Lou Combrinck and Anna Miller.
Scoring Summary
43' – LIBERTY – Julieta Tornati (Morena Giacosa and Lou Combrinck) | Penalty Corner
Goalkeepers
W: Diane Saint Martin 4-0, one save
L: Emma Peeters 3-2, four saves
Turning Point
Liberty and UAlbany played to a scoreless draw in the first half, with only five total shots (four Liberty, one UAlbany) in the opening 30 minutes.
The Lady Flames applied pressure in the third quarter with nine of their 16 shots in the contest and scored the lone goal of the night on their fifth penalty corner of the period. Following a Lou Combrinck insert and Morena Giacosa stick stop, Julieta Tornati sent a shot past Great Danes goalkeeper Emma Peeters into the right side of the cage for the only goal of the match at the 42:48 mark.
In the fourth quarter, UAlbany pulled Peeters with 3:58 left for an extra field player with a chance to tie the game up. With a breakaway opportunity in the final minute, the Great Danes' Emma Staron was stopped by Diane Saint Martin at the 59:33 mark, but the guests earned a penalty corner in the process. UAlbany was unable to come up with a shot on the ensuing corner, and Liberty ran out the clock to secure the non-conference victory.
Key Stats & Notes
Liberty will hit the road for a matchup with No. 2 North Carolina (5-0) on Sunday afternoon. Game time is noon and can be seen on ACC Network Extra.
The Lady Flames and North Carolina Tar Heels will be playing each other for the 12th time. UNC holds a 9-2 edge in the all-time series. However, both Liberty wins have come on the road at Karen Shelton Stadium in the last four years. In 2023, Liberty defeated No. 1 North Carolina 2-1 in double overtime behind a Martu Cian game winner. To this day, Liberty is still the only team to ever win twice at Karen Shelton Stadium, a facility that opened in 2018. The Lady Flames also bested the Tar Heels 4-0 in Chapel Hill during the fall 2021 season, UNC's first-ever loss at Karen Shelton Stadium.
Liberty stays unbeaten with a 4-0 record, including a 3-0 home mark. The Lady Flames are 4-0 on the season for the fifth time in program history and the second time in the last three years. UAlbany drops to 3-2 and has lost back-to-back games in shutout fashion. This was Liberty's first shutout of the 2025 season and first since a 6-0 shutout triumph over Georgetown to end the regular season last year (Nov. 1, 2024).
Prior to tonight's match, the program honored its two seniors – Lou Combrinck and Anna Miller.
Scoring Summary
43' – LIBERTY – Julieta Tornati (Morena Giacosa and Lou Combrinck) | Penalty Corner
Goalkeepers
W: Diane Saint Martin 4-0, one save
L: Emma Peeters 3-2, four saves
Turning Point
Liberty and UAlbany played to a scoreless draw in the first half, with only five total shots (four Liberty, one UAlbany) in the opening 30 minutes.
The Lady Flames applied pressure in the third quarter with nine of their 16 shots in the contest and scored the lone goal of the night on their fifth penalty corner of the period. Following a Lou Combrinck insert and Morena Giacosa stick stop, Julieta Tornati sent a shot past Great Danes goalkeeper Emma Peeters into the right side of the cage for the only goal of the match at the 42:48 mark.
In the fourth quarter, UAlbany pulled Peeters with 3:58 left for an extra field player with a chance to tie the game up. With a breakaway opportunity in the final minute, the Great Danes' Emma Staron was stopped by Diane Saint Martin at the 59:33 mark, but the guests earned a penalty corner in the process. UAlbany was unable to come up with a shot on the ensuing corner, and Liberty ran out the clock to secure the non-conference victory.
Key Stats & Notes
- The Lady Flames outshot the Great Danes 16-2 on the night, including a 6-1 edge in shots on goal. Liberty earned eight of the game's nine penalty corners, with seven coming in the second half and five in the third quarter. The Lady Flames' eight penalty corners were a season high.
- Julieta Tornati, a defender, scored her first collegiate goal tonight. The goal was assisted by Morena Giacosa and Lou Combrinck. For Combrinck, it was her fifth assist of the season, tying a team best. Giacosa's assist was her second of the year.
- Liberty evens the season with UAlbany at 1-1. The two teams have squared off in back-to-back seasons. Last year, the Great Danes topped the Lady Flames 4-2 on their home turf.
- This is the first game Liberty has not scored exactly four goals in a match this year. The Lady Flames have outscored their counterparts 13-6 this season.
- Liberty goalkeeper Diane Saint Martin bolsters her record to 4-0 on the season after her first collegiate shutout. The freshman netminder has 1.50 goals-against-average and .647 save percentage.
Liberty will hit the road for a matchup with No. 2 North Carolina (5-0) on Sunday afternoon. Game time is noon and can be seen on ACC Network Extra.
The Lady Flames and North Carolina Tar Heels will be playing each other for the 12th time. UNC holds a 9-2 edge in the all-time series. However, both Liberty wins have come on the road at Karen Shelton Stadium in the last four years. In 2023, Liberty defeated No. 1 North Carolina 2-1 in double overtime behind a Martu Cian game winner. To this day, Liberty is still the only team to ever win twice at Karen Shelton Stadium, a facility that opened in 2018. The Lady Flames also bested the Tar Heels 4-0 in Chapel Hill during the fall 2021 season, UNC's first-ever loss at Karen Shelton Stadium.
Team Stats
UALBANY
LIBERTY
Goals
0
1
Shots
2
16
Shots on Goal
1
6
Saves
4
1
Corners
1
8
Offsides
0
0
Fouls
0
0
Scoring Plays
Julieta Tornati
Assisted By: Morena Giacosa , Lou Combrinck
Shot on corner into right side
42:48
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
0
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
0
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
5
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
F/M
/ Field HockeyM
/ Field HockeyD
/ Field Hockey
F
/ Field Hockey
GK
/ Field HockeyD
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