The No. 5 Liberty University Field Hockey team took a 1-0 win over the University of Connecticut Sept. 26 at the Liberty Field Hockey Field.
Sophomore defender Dara Semmartin scored the game’s single goal in the fourth quarter to lift the Lady Flames in their Big East Conference home opener.
After this victory, Liberty remains undefeated at home and extends its home winning streak to eight games. The win also moves the Lady Flames to 6-1 overall, with a 4-0 home record.
Liberty entered the match ranked No. 5 in the nation, its second-highest mark in the program. The Lady Flames are also ranked No. 2 in the NCAA RPI standings.
Both teams struggled to generate scoring opportunities in the first half. Liberty held the edge in possessions, outshooting UConn 3-1 through the first two quarters, but neither side managed to find the back of the cage.
The Lady Huskies defense remained compact while Liberty’s backline matched them with a composed performance, led by senior midfielder Lou Combrinck and Semmartin.
The stalemate continued deep into the second half as both defenses stood strong. Liberty freshman goalkeeper Diane Saint Martin made a huge save in the third to keep the game from getting out of reach.
“We work very hard on our defense, and it’s not perfect by any means, but we are just trying to be 1% better with it, really gritty and doing whatever it takes to keep the ball out of the cage,” Head Coach Nikki Parsley-Blocker said.
The breakthrough came in the 54th minute when the ball fell to Semmartin, who cashed in her third goal of the season. Combrinck and junior midfielder Maite Altamirano assisted on the goal.
Even as a sophomore, Semmartin has quickly become a scoring leader for the Lady Flames with three goals. Freshman defender Morena Giacosa and sophomore forward Josefina Tomasi have also clinched three goals this season, sharing the top spot with Semmartin.
“I love to have that pressure. … I feel confidence that I have one season in in my play. … Through me, the girls can see that — just playing field hockey and having fun, putting in the extra work and getting better 1% every day,” Semmartin said.
Along with Semmartin’s third goal of the season, Combrinck notched her seventh assist, adding another team high, to give the Lady Flames the lead.
“I love to score goals, and I need to do my job as a defenseman, and I’m glad that I can score and help my team play defense to not let them score,” Semmartin said.
Semmartin’s goal capped off a dominant performance for the Lady Flames, who consistently pushed the pace against UConn. Liberty’s team effort helped the Lady Flames seal the win.
“I get the blessing to score the goal, and it’s my name on the screen, but without my team I can’t do that. … We have been working on the corners (for) so long, and I am glad that came here and that we can execute it,” Semmartin said.
Once the Lady Flames were in front, Liberty tightened up defensively and denied UConn any scoring opportunities. The Lady Flames closed the final six minutes without allowing a shot on goal.
Martin recorded her third shutout of the season, with five saves in the game to keep Liberty afloat versus UConn. The Lady Flames’ chemistry and late-game heroics showed in the fourth quarter.
“We knew we had to come out here and give it our best and take our chances, and I’m excited we were able to come away with it,” Parsley-Blocker said.
The Lady Flames defense held its ground on the home turf, not allowing any goals in. Despite the strong offense put up by UConn, Liberty walked away with the sole goal of the game.
“We just really need to keep focusing on the things that we need to be better at, … and we are just going to keep chipping away on being able to start really fast on Sunday,” Parsley-Blocker said.
The Lady Flames traveled to William & Mary Sept. 28 where they walked away with a 4-0 win. Next up, Liberty returns to its home turf to host Old Dominion University Oct. 3 at 3 p.m. Stream on ESPN+.
Shepard is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.