Relentless Attacking: How Liberty Field Hockey Sets Up

Liberty field hockey Head Coach Nikki Parsley-Blocker has assembled one of the most ferocious offenses in the country, which helped guide her team to its first Big East title in school history and a trip to the National Championship game.

The Lady Flames’ offense finished the year first in the country in goals per game (3.48), scoring average (3.38), assists per game (3.00) and points per game (9.96).

For the first time, Parsley-Blocker sat down to discuss how the team sets up and what her coaching philosophy is. 

Liberty has principles of play for its offense and defense. 

“Those are (principles) that are going to govern how Liberty field hockey plays irrespective of our opponent,” Parsley-Blocker said. “So, an example of that would be we want to play a very fast, forward style of play, meaning if we can go directly to the cage as soon as possible.”

Parsley-Blocker’s coaching philosophy relates back to herself – authentically relentless.

 “Being relentless, that’s who I am as a person, and I think in order to be a coach, you have to be authentic,” Parsley-Blocker said. “People are not going to buy into your mission or vision if it’s not something that you fully believe in your heart first … one of the roots of the program is relentless, which just means we are going to outwork and attack at all times.”

She also said her coaching style was influenced by two mentors — former Liberty Head Coach and program founder Jodi Murphy (2011-2016) and Northwestern Head Coach Tracey Fuchs. 

“Tracey influenced the attacking style that we play, but from a mentality standpoint, Jodi and I thought very similarly,” Parsley-Blocker said. “I got to learn a lot from her in a short time, like only six or nine months or so.”

As for how the team specifically sets up on the field, Liberty runs a 4-2-2-2 on offense. When the team is coming back on defense, they switch to a 3-4-3 with a diamond in midfield. 

The team tries to move players forward to get a numerical advantage in the attacking half of the field. Creating overloads gives the team a chance to get extra players in lethal positions, something that certainly contributed to the team’s electric offense. 

Not many NCAA teams run an offense with four defenders. Parsley-Blocker credited Assistant Coach Alan Good for helping the team make the change. Good has been with the team since 2020, and Parsley-Blocker praised him for helping transform the team tactically.

The team is currently in the midst of its spring season, where it scrimmages other teams in preparation for the fall. 

Learning a new offense for newcomers is not an easy task. However, the team is returning most of its starters, and new players are working their way into the system. 

“(The team veterans) have a very good understanding of what the expectations are after being here, you know, for four years,” Parsley-Blocker said. 

With the team coming off its best season in program history, the national championship game doesn’t feel like the end for this squad, but rather the beginning of a new Big East dynasty. 

Hisaw is a sports reporter. Follow him on Twitter

Randle is the sports editor. Follow him on Twitter