Friday, November 6
Philadelphia, Pa.
4:00 PM ET
Liberty University
vs
Old Dominion
10/30/2026 3:07:00 PM | Field Hockey
COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – No. 12-ranked Liberty scored two second half goals to upend Villanova 2-1 in its regular season finale on Friday afternoon at Ursinus College's Snell Field Hockey Field.
The Lady Flames trailed 1-0 at the break before Josefina Tomasi (third quarter) and Julieta Tornati (fourth quarter) scored goals in the final 30 minutes to help Liberty to the victory. Liberty finishes the regular season with a 12-5 overall record and 5-1 BIG EAST mark. The Lady Flames have clinched the No. 2 seed for next weekend's 2026 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship, which will be contested at Temple's Howarth Field. Liberty will face No. 3 seed Old Dominion (13-4, 3-3 BIG EAST) in the semifinal round, Friday at 4 p.m.
Villanova drops to 10-7 on the year and 3-3 in BIG EAST play. The Wildcats will be the No. 4 seed for the BIG EAST Championship and face No. 1 seed Connecticut (13-1, 6-0 BIG EAST) in the other semifinal on Friday at 1 p.m.
Liberty stays unbeaten against Villanova, improving to 15-0 all-time versus the Wildcats. The Lady Flames are 14-0 against the Wildcats since joining the BIG EAST in 2016.
.
Scoring Summary
13' – VILLANOVA – Ava Borkowski (Erin Mitchell)
34' – LIBERTY – Josefina Tomasi (Alexia Guedouar)
53' – LIBERTY – Julieta Tornati | Penalty Stroke
Goalkeepers
W: Diane Saint Martin 12-5, four saves
L: Maddi Sears 10-7, three saves
Turning Point
A strong first quarter saw the Wildcats outshoot the Lady Flames 5-0 and earn both penalty corners in the frame. Villanova took a 1-0 lead at the 12:23 mark, as Erin Mitchell assisted on Ava Borkowski's 12th goal of the season. That goal could have put the home side ahead 2-0, but Liberty sophomore goalkeeper Diane Saint Martin saved a penalty stroke chance by Adie Minnella earlier on in the fourth minute.
The Lady Flames trailed 1-0 at the half but evened the game at 1-all early in the third quarter. Freshman Alexia Guedouar sent a pass to an open Josefina Tomasi on the edge of the circle. Tomasi turned and pivoted to her right, ripping a reverse shot into the top left side of the cage at the 33:45 mark for her ninth goal of the year.
Midway through the fourth quarter (52:44 mark), Liberty earned a penalty stroke chance of its own on a scrum in front of the cage, with Avery Pollock winning the chance. Julieta Tornati buried the go-ahead goal into the right side, her ninth tally of the season.
Key Stats & Notes
Liberty will be the No. 2 seed for the upcoming 2026 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship. The Lady Flames will face No. 3 seed Old Dominion (13-4, 3-3 BIG EAST) in the semifinal round, Friday at 4 p.m.
Liberty earned a 2-0 shutout win over ODU in the regular season matchup, Oct. 2 in Lynchburg.
The Lady Flames trailed 1-0 at the break before Josefina Tomasi (third quarter) and Julieta Tornati (fourth quarter) scored goals in the final 30 minutes to help Liberty to the victory. Liberty finishes the regular season with a 12-5 overall record and 5-1 BIG EAST mark. The Lady Flames have clinched the No. 2 seed for next weekend's 2026 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship, which will be contested at Temple's Howarth Field. Liberty will face No. 3 seed Old Dominion (13-4, 3-3 BIG EAST) in the semifinal round, Friday at 4 p.m.
Villanova drops to 10-7 on the year and 3-3 in BIG EAST play. The Wildcats will be the No. 4 seed for the BIG EAST Championship and face No. 1 seed Connecticut (13-1, 6-0 BIG EAST) in the other semifinal on Friday at 1 p.m.
Liberty stays unbeaten against Villanova, improving to 15-0 all-time versus the Wildcats. The Lady Flames are 14-0 against the Wildcats since joining the BIG EAST in 2016.
.
Scoring Summary
13' – VILLANOVA – Ava Borkowski (Erin Mitchell)
34' – LIBERTY – Josefina Tomasi (Alexia Guedouar)
53' – LIBERTY – Julieta Tornati | Penalty Stroke
34' | What a ?? by Jose to tie it! No. 12 Liberty 1 | Villanova 1 ?? https://t.co/nWy5NkP5rz #SCTop10 https://t.co/wE9Y0ur0Fy
— Liberty Field Hockey (@LibertyFH) October 30, 2026
Goalkeepers
W: Diane Saint Martin 12-5, four saves
L: Maddi Sears 10-7, three saves
4' | What a save by D on Villanova's penalty stroke attempt!?? No. 12 Liberty 0 | Villanova 0 ?? https://t.co/nWy5NkPDh7 https://t.co/CcKQhAvk1d
— Liberty Field Hockey (@LibertyFH) October 30, 2026
Turning Point
A strong first quarter saw the Wildcats outshoot the Lady Flames 5-0 and earn both penalty corners in the frame. Villanova took a 1-0 lead at the 12:23 mark, as Erin Mitchell assisted on Ava Borkowski's 12th goal of the season. That goal could have put the home side ahead 2-0, but Liberty sophomore goalkeeper Diane Saint Martin saved a penalty stroke chance by Adie Minnella earlier on in the fourth minute.
The Lady Flames trailed 1-0 at the half but evened the game at 1-all early in the third quarter. Freshman Alexia Guedouar sent a pass to an open Josefina Tomasi on the edge of the circle. Tomasi turned and pivoted to her right, ripping a reverse shot into the top left side of the cage at the 33:45 mark for her ninth goal of the year.
Midway through the fourth quarter (52:44 mark), Liberty earned a penalty stroke chance of its own on a scrum in front of the cage, with Avery Pollock winning the chance. Julieta Tornati buried the go-ahead goal into the right side, her ninth tally of the season.
Key Stats & Notes
- Julieta Tornati and Josefina Tomasi are tied for second on the squad with nine goals apiece.
- Tornati's game winner was her first of the season. The sophomore midfielder is a perfect 3-of-3 on penalty stroke attempts this year.
- Midfielder Alexia Guedouar notched her first career assist today. The freshman has three goals, one assist and seven points in 17 appearances.
- Liberty outshot Villanova 14-9 in the match, including a 14-4 advantage over the final three periods. Both teams recorded five shots on cage. The Lady Flames edged the Wildcats in earned penalty corners, 4-3.
- Liberty will be the No. 2 seed at the BIG EAST Championship for the sixth time in 11 years but first since the 2022 season. That year, the Lady Flames won their second straight BIG EAST Tournament crowd, defeating top-seeded Old Dominion 3-1 in the final.
Liberty will be the No. 2 seed for the upcoming 2026 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship. The Lady Flames will face No. 3 seed Old Dominion (13-4, 3-3 BIG EAST) in the semifinal round, Friday at 4 p.m.
Liberty earned a 2-0 shutout win over ODU in the regular season matchup, Oct. 2 in Lynchburg.
Players Mentioned
M/F
/ Field Hockey
F
/ Field Hockey
GK
/ Field Hockey
F
/ Field Hockey
D
/ Field HockeySaturday, October 03
Monday, September 21
Thursday, April 16
Tuesday, November 11