The No. 7 Liberty University Field Hockey team successfully defended its home turf this week, adding two more wins Oct. 17 and 19 to extend their undefeated streak on Liberty Mountain to 7-0 and overall record to 12-2.
On Friday’s competition, the Lady Flames punched their ticket to the program’s 10th consecutive Big East Championship appearance after a 2-0 win over Providence College. Liberty took this momentum into Sunday’s contest, earning a 2-1 victory over Saint Joseph’s University.
Providence started quickly as Lady Friar junior midfielder Charlotte Lorden tested Lady Flame freshman goalkeeper Diane Saint Martin, who redirected the shot. Providence prevented the Lady Flames from taking a shot during the entire first quarter.
Late in the second quarter, Liberty turned up the heat as sophomore defender Dara Semmartin’s shot was just barely swatted away by Lady Friar freshman goalkeeper Ava Porter. The Lady Flames continued to apply pressure, forcing four penalty corner chances; however, they were unable to capitalize on the opportunities.
With just over five minutes left in the game, the Lady Flames ignited their spark. Liberty forced its seventh penalty corner, which proved to be effective for the Lady Flames. Freshman defender Julieta Tornati received a pass from Semmartin at the top of the circle, firing the ball toward the right side of the cage, where redshirt junior forward Tori Griffiths tapped in her second goal of the season.
“We know our corners (are) good. We have confidence in them. … It was a great execution all around,” Griffiths said.
The Lady Flames attribute much of their success this season to their aggressive playing style and successful penalty corners.
“We are one of the best teams with APCs (Attacking Penalty Corners), so we know at those moments we have to score and do whatever it takes to get the ball in the cage,” Tornati said.
Liberty senior midfielder Lou Combrinck raced past the Lady Friars defense, where she unleashed a shot off of Porter’s pads. Combrinck snatched up the deflection, sending it to the back of the cage. The goal was Combrinck’s sixth of the season and brought the final score to 2-0.
Griffiths reflected on the teamwork displayed as the Lady Flames worked toward their victory.
“We came together as a team and focused on what we needed to change in the second half,” Griffiths said. “Every girl that was out there that stepped on the field just elevated the game in whatever way they could.”
The win clinched a spot for Liberty to appear in the 2025 Big East Championship, where the winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
“I’m just humbled and grateful for what the Lord is doing here,” Head Coach Nikki Parsley-Blocker said. “I love my players and my coaching staff and my support staff and Kristie Beitz and Ian McCaw and all these people that just make all this possible.”
The Lady Flames remained hot, winning 2-1 against Saint Joseph’s Sunday. The scoring started late in the second quarter on a Liberty penalty corner where Semmartin would once again find Tornati at the top of the circle, allowing her to fire the ball past the defense into the left corner of the cage for her third goal on the season.
Liberty kept pressure on the Lady Hawks as they drew another penalty corner opportunity. This time, Semmartin sent the ball toward the right side of the shooting circle, where sophomore forward Josefina Tomasi redirected the ball and pushed it past Saint Joseph graduate student goalkeeper Paige Kieft for her fourth goal of the season. This move put the Lady Flames up two at the half.
“We have to take advantage of those opportunities, and I think we were doing a great job,” Tomasi said.
The second goal was crucial as Saint Joseph graduate student forward Ava Smith was able to place a rebound past Saint Martin to put the Lady Hawks within one score at the beginning of the fourth quarter. However, the Lady Flames defense held their ground, preventing the Lady Hawks from scoring again and securing a 2-1 victory.
Parsley-Blocker praised the team’s effective penalty corners.
“That’s where we scored our two goals. … It’s rewarding because this doesn’t happen by accident. We’ve been working on a lot of small details,” Parsley-Blocker said.
After this weekend, Liberty Field Hockey retained the No. 7 spot on the National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll and rests at No. 6 on the NCAA Field Hockey RPI rankings.
The Lady Flames look to continue their win streak as they travel to Philadelphia to face Temple University Oct. 24 at 3:00 p.m. Stream on ESPN+.
Szepanski is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.