Field Hockey Dominates Over Queens 11-0

Liberty field hockey bounced back from a pair of tough losses with an absolute showcase of offensive power Sept. 11, defeating the Queens Royals 11-0. 

Seven different Lady Flames scored a goal as they put on an offensive clinic, totaling a program record of 47 shots. 

Going into this matchup, the Lady Flames had lost their last two showings, moving them to 2-2 on the year. They looked to bounce back against Queens, a first-year D1 program, to get back on track. 

They did that in a big way, getting the shutout victory over the Royals.  

Of the 47 shots, 30 of them were on goal, and 11 of them found the net. 

Liberty’s goalies, in contrast, had a rather boring day at the office. Neither of them had to deal with many shots coming their way, save one late-game attempt by the Royals. Santia McLaughlin and Azul Iritxity Irigoyen, who both spent time in goal Sunday, were the beneficiaries of a Lady Flames offense that could do no wrong. 

The Lady Flames scored a barrage of goals, but their bread-and-butter was getting to take penalty corners. They ended with a total of 12 on the game, compared to Queens’ mere two. Those 12 corners were a season-high for the Lady Flames. 

Of the 11 goals scored by Liberty, four of them were the product of a career performance from sophomore forward Martu Cian. Cian, a native Argentinian, had yet to score a goal coming into this game, even though she was tied for first in shots.

 That scoring drought ended in a big way against Queens. Her four goals were not only a career-high for Cian, as she had never had more than two in a game before, but they were also enough to tie the program record for goals in a game. 

“We played with confidence,” Cian said. “We came with a mindset of not letting the outside control how we play. And for me personally, today, I came with a message. Just like playing for God and just playing free and (not) caring about anybody else outside and just focusing on what we know we can do. Just play and have fun.” 

Liberty’s 11 goals are the most scored in a contest for the program since 2012. The 3-2 Lady Flames will now set their sights on their first Big East Conference game of the season as they host Georgetown Sept. 16 at 3 p.m. The Lady Flames are 8-0 all-time against the Hoyas. 

Palsgrove is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion. Follow him on Twitter