Liberty Leads Commonwealth With 7 VaSID All-State Recipients

VaSID Release

The Liberty field hockey program matched a program record and led the Commonwealth with seven players listed on the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) University Division Field Hockey All-State teams and earned one major award as well.

Junior goalkeeper Azul Iritxity Iriogyen earned VaSID Defensive Player of the Year recognition for the second time in her career and was named a VaSID All-State first team selection as well.

The back-to-back BIG EAST champion Lady Flames led all teams in the Commonwealth with six VaSID All-State first team honorees. The rest of the teams in the state combined for six first team recipients. Iritxity Irigoyen, Bethany Dykema, Lizzie Hamlett, Charlotte Vaanhold, Jodie Conolly and Daniella Rhodes were all first team selections. Meanwhile, junior Emily Dykema earned second team all-state honors, her first distinction from VaSID.

Liberty has featured 29 VaSID All-State recipients in head coach Nikki Parsley-Blocker’s six seasons in charge of the program, including 20 over the past three years.

Azul Iritxity Irigoyen (VaSID Defensive Player of the Year, VaSID All-State first team)

Iritxity Irigoyen, a junior goalkeeper, is being tabbed the VaSID Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in three seasons. She received the same honor as a freshman during the spring 2021 campaign and is now a three-time VaSID All-State first team award winner as well. A 2022 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-America second team honoree, she also earned NFHCA All-South Region first team honors and was the BIG EAST Championship Most Outstanding Player. Additionally, she received NFHCA Division I Defensive Player of the Week recognition (Nov. 10) for the second time in her career and was an All-BIG EAST second team recipient. The netminder was also selected as the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 27 and garnered inclusion on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll twice (Oct. 18, Oct. 18).

Iritxity Irigoyen started all 20 games in goal for the Lady Flames, compiling a 12-8 record, 1.10 goals-against-average (GAA), eight shutouts, a .761 saver percentage and 70 saves. She made 13 saves in the BIG EAST Tournament against No. 14 Connecticut (No. 3 seed) and No. 13 Old Dominion (No. 1 seed) while surrendering only two goals in leading Liberty to its second straight BIG EAST crown. In seven BIG EAST regular season contests this past fall, Iritxity Irigoyen posted a 6-1 record and led the league in GAA (0.14), shutouts (6) and save percentage (.947).

She matched a career high with 12 saves in Liberty’s NCAA Championship Sweet 16 match at No. 2 Maryland. For the second straight NCAA Tournament, Iritxity Irigoyen made a save on a penalty stroke attempt, stopping a shot from Maryland’s Hope Rose late in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime. The junior became the program record holder for career shutouts (17) and wins (43) this season.

Bethany Dykema (VaSID All-State first team)

This is Dykema’s third career VaSID All-State award and second straight year being named to the first team. Dykema was a 2022 NFHCA All-America second team honoree, NFHCA All-South Region first team selection and All-BIG EAST first team recipient. A three-time BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll recipient as well, Dykema ended the year with a  team-best and career-high 12 assists. Her 12 assists are tied for the third most in a season in program history, and she finished the year ranked 18th in the country in assists per game (0.60). The senior back added eight goals and finished second on the squad with 28 points while starting all 20 games.

Dykema scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 54th minute of the BIG EAST Championship title match at No. 1 seed Old Dominion and went on to be picked to the BIG EAST All-Tournament team. Dykema and the Liberty defensive unit established a new school record with 10 shutouts this fall. The Newport News, Va. native is in the top 10 in program history for career assists (tied for third, 34) and points (10th, 76) and ranks 11th in school history with 21 goals.

Lizzie Hamlett (VaSID All-State first team)

Hamlett, a native of Fredericksburg, Va., receives her second straight VaSID All-State first team award. She earned numerous awards during the 2022 campaign, including: NFHCA All-South Region first team, All-BIG EAST first team, BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 4) and two-time BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (Sept. 20, Oct. 25). Hamlett started all 20 games during her fifth season with the Lady Flames and finished second on the team with a career-best 10 goals while adding 27 points (third on team) and seven assists (fifth on team).

Hamlett, a midfielder, had multiple goals in four games. In BIG EAST regular season play, Hamlett tallied 14 points (6 g, 2 a), tied for most in the league. The senior midfielder finished her Liberty career with 27 goals, ninth most in school history.

Charlotte Vaanhold (VaSID All-State first team)

Vaanhold has now been named to the VaSID All-State team three times, and this is her first time making the first team. A 2022 NFHCA All-South Region second team honoree, Vaanhold also earned All-BIG EAST first team recognition this past season. The senior midfielder/forward from Hollansche Rading, Netherlands started all 20 games during her fifth and final season, compiling nine goals (tied for third on team), two assists and 20 points (tied for fifth on squad).

Vaanhold scored multiple goals three times. In seven BIG EAST matches, she notched six goals, tied for second most in the league, and one assist for 13 points. She wrapped up her time at Liberty with 38 career goals, good for sixth most in school history. Vaanhold also had 88 career points, eighth most in program history.

Jodie Conolly (VaSID All-State first team)

This marks Conolly’s third career honor at the all-state level and her second time making the VaSID All-State first team. Conolly was a NFHCA All-South Region second team honoree and All-BIG EAST second team recipient this past fall, also earning BIG EAST All-Tournament team distinction. The senior back also made the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on two occasions.

Conolly, a native of Pietermartizburg, South Africa, appeared in and started 19 games for the Lady Flames, tallying seven goals, nine assists (third on team), 23 points (fourth on team) and one defensive save. Despite missing one league game, Conolly paced the BIG EAST with six assists in six conference games and added two goals for 12 points. In postseason play, she scored the game-winning goal in the fourth quarter of Liberty’s 2-1 triumph over UConn in the BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship semifinals. Conolly and the Lady Flames defense allowed only two goals on 89 penalty corner attempts during the season.

Daniella Rhodes (VaSID All-State first team)

Rhodes is being recognized on the VaSID All-State first team for a fourth straight year. The senior from Durban, South Africa was selected to the All-BIG EAST second team this past fall, her fourth All-BIG EAST honor. Rhodes earned NFHCA Division I Offensive Player of the Week honors (Sept. 28) and two-time BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week. The forward led the team in goals (11) and points (32) and was second in assists with 10.

Rhodes scored multiple goals in three games and tied for the team lead with three game-winning goals. She scored a goal in the BIG EAST Tournament title game versus No. 1 seed Old Dominion in helping the Lady Flames win their second straight BIG EAST crown. Rhodes finished her Liberty career second in both career goals (56) and points (144) and fifth in assists (32).

Emily Dykema (VaSID All-State second team)

This is Dykema’s first career all-state honor. The junior defender from Newport News, Va. enjoyed a career year offensively with five goals, one assist and 11 points. She appeared in 20 games, making nine starts, and was a member of a Liberty defensive unit which finished the year with a program-record 10 shutouts and ranked No. 2 nationally in shutouts per game (0.50) and No. 7 in goals-against-average (1.06).

VaSID Player of the Year

Annie McDonough, Virginia

VaSID Defensive Player of the Year

Azul Iritxity Irigoyen, Liberty

VaSID Rookie of the Year

Daniela Trendler-Mendez, Virginia

Coach of the Year

Michele Madison, Virginia

VaSID All-State First Team

F – Daniella Rhodes, Liberty

F – Laura Janssen, Virginia

F – Marlon de Bruijne, Old Dominion

M – Lizzie Hamlett, Liberty

M – Daniela Trendler-Mendez, Virginia

M – Lindsey Frank, Richmond

M – Charlotte Vaanhold, Liberty

D – Bethany Dykema, Liberty

D – Jodie Conolly, Liberty

D – Litiana Field, VCU

GK – Azul Iritxity Irigoyen, Liberty

VaSID All-State Second Team

F – Lauren Curran, William & Mary

F – Eveline Zwager, James Madison

F – Lonica McKinney, VCU

M – Delphine Le Jeune, Old Dominion

M – Diede Remijnse, James Madison

M – Adele Iacobucci, Virginia

D – Emily Dykema, Liberty

D – Tess Keppel, Richmond

D – Tabby Billingham, William & Mary

D – Kara McClure, James Madison

GK – Cam MacGillivray, Old Dominion