field hockey has eyes on another championship appearance
After a historic season for all of Liberty Athletics, the Lady Flames field hockey team still has a lot to prove. The Lady Flames’ trip to the national championship last season was the first by any team in the history of Liberty sports. Field hockey also claimed its first ever Big East title last season and is now ranked No. 6 in the preseason AP Top 25, the highest-ever ranking for the field hockey team since it was ranked No. 4 in 2021.
With all the historic accomplishments Coach Nikki Parsley-Blocker and company achieved last season, expectations have soared for the group. When the team traveled to Kent State to open its season against the Golden Flashes Aug. 27, the suspense and interest to see how the team would fare was palpable.
What happened next was the Lady Flames simply picking up where they left off, as the team shut out Kent State with a final score of 9-0. The team then traveled to Indiana the next day to battle the Hoosiers, whom the Lady Flames also defeated with a final score of 2-0.
Among the five ladies that scored in the Kent State game was Preseason Big East Offensive Player of the Year Daniella Rhodes, who scored two goals, as well as scoring both goals in the 2-0 win over Indiana.
Another notable was junior goalkeeper Azul Iritxity Irigoyen, whose two shutouts propelled the team to victory.
Despite the initial success of winning both games by a combined score of 11-0, Parsley-Blocker is not concerned with dwelling on past achievements.
“We’re not focused on the past,” Parsley-Blocker said. “If we are, we’re doing something wrong.”
The Lady Flames went on to suffer their first loss of the season Sept. 4 to William & Mary, falling short in overtime 1-0. They will head to Northwestern Sept. 9 for a rematch against the team that defeated them in the national championship in 2021.
Palermo is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion. Follow him on Twitter
Field hockey photos by Brent Tyrrell. Follow him on Instagram @brenttyrrell
