Liberty Flames lacrosse continues win streak with 12-7 win over UCONN Huskies

The men’s lacrosse team extended its winning streak against the University of Connecticut March 2, confidently winning 12-7 after blasting in six unanswered goals in a one-sided second quarter. 

Coming into the contest, Liberty (4-0) had fallen to the Huskies (1-2) in both their previous meetings, but a promising early start by Connecticut faded as the Flames grew into the game. Outscoring Connecticut 10-3 in the last three quarters, the Flames ultimately left the field as comfortable victors, with midfielders C.J. Nichols and Carter Elliott both scoring hat tricks. 

Head Coach Kyle McQuillan believed imposing Liberty’s playing style was key to reversing the Flames losing trend. 

“I think both games in the past were situations where we just didn’t play our game,” McQuillan said. “We didn’t play our style. We didn’t play our brand of lacrosse. So, we didn’t need to reinvent the wheel here — I think we just needed to come out and play our game. I think in the past two previous meetings with UConn we just came out flat — we didn’t respond when we needed to.” 

When Connecticut went up 3-1 within the first eight minutes, history seemed to be repeating itself. Liberty conceded four penalties throughout the first quarter, and Connecticut’s confidence in possession left the Flames often trying to force poor shooting opportunities. 

Though Nichols and attackman Sam Gregory each tallied in the first quarter, Liberty regularly seemed off the pace throughout the period as Connecticut came roaring out of the gates, determined to respond to their 8-7 overtime loss to Virginia Tech Friday night. The quarter ended with the Huskies leading 4-2, with the Flames in search of an offensive spark.

That offensive spark came in the form of attackman Caleb Britton, who unleashed a rocket into the top corner to cap a fast-paced counterattack with just over four minutes gone in the second quarter. Britton’s goal ignited a 6-0 run for the Flames, with four different players scoring for the Flames throughout the period. 

“Every single game this year, we’ve just had a large variety of guys on the stats sheet,” McQuillan said. “For opposing teams trying to take a look and see who they have to cover, it basically communicates that you have to cover us all — there’s not just one guy that’s going to have success.” 

Freshman faceoff specialist Cole Jankowsky dominated throughout the period, winning five of his seven faceoffs in a performance that laid a foundation for the Flames to run rampant. 

Nichols emphasized Jankowsky’s importance to the team’s success. 

“Cole is an animal,” Nichols said. “We feel like we have a very lethal offense, and if we can get the ball, we can score some goals, and Cole’s intensity and quick hands today were impressive.” 

Attackman Thomas Poucher-Pinel, Nichols and Britton all tallied, and with 5.7 seconds left in the half, Elliott added his second of the day, slamming a shot beneath the goalie to cement an 8-4 lead going into halftime. 

After holding a two-goal lead in the first period, Connecticut trailed by four as they marched back onto the field for the second half, needing an early goal to gain some momentum. Within 51 seconds, midfielder Matt Crowe obliged, pulling one back for the Huskies and cutting Liberty’s lead to three. 

Liberty’s physicality, however, regularly forced turnovers, with Connecticut often vulnerable to rapid counterattacks. When midfielder Chase Wright burst through the defense to restore Liberty’s four-goal cushion, Connecticut’s momentum deflated, and Elliott’s hat trick goal 2 minutes later cemented Liberty’s control of the game. 

Stepping onto the field in his first game since December after an injury, Elliott reveled in the moment. 

“Honestly just going in and running around was incredible — it was so much fun, whether or not I scored,” Elliott said. “I made some mistakes, but it’s ok — it was fun just to play with the guys again and encourage the guys both on and off the field.”

As the quarter progressed, Connecticut’s energy waned, and Liberty held an 11-6 lead going into the final period. 

With the pace of the game gradually dying down, the game’s last two goals sealed both Nichols’s and Connecticut attackman Matthew Blois’s hat tricks, leaving the score at 12-7 with 9:30 remaining in the game. 

Though Connecticut continued to probe for another goal, they rarely threatened Liberty goalie Brayden Harriman as Liberty wound down the clock. When the buzzer finally brought an end to the game, the Flames trotted off the field comfortable winners, having never looked truly troubled after the opening 15 minutes. 

The Flames next face West Virginia University away in the first of three games during a busy spring break on the road for the team.

As Liberty’s season progresses, Elliott believes greater cohesion will be the key to success this season.

“The biggest thing we need to work on is just chemistry with the guys, defense working with defense, offense working with offense,” Elliott said. “Once we get into a groove, I don’t think there’s going to be any stopping us from there.”