Lynchburg Reporter

Liberty Offense Shines in 11-0 Win Over Queens, Sunday

Liberty’s offense shined on Sunday afternoon against Queens, with the Lady Flames prevailing 11-0 at the Liberty Field Hockey Field.

Sophomore forward Martu Cian matched a program record with four goals in the game. The No. 11-ranked Lady Flames set a new school record with 47 total shots in the contest, 30 of which were on goal. Liberty’s 11 goals are the second most in a game in program history.

Seven different Lady Flames scored, paced by the four goals from Cian and two goals from Bethany Dykema (tied for career high). Emily Dykema scored her first career goal in the contest. Daniella Rhodes, Mackinzie Thompson, Lizzie Hamlett and Charlotte Vaanhold each scored one goal as well.

Rhodes’ goal her team-best fifth of the season and 50th of her career. The senior forward from Durban, South Africa is the fourth player in school history to score 50 goals.

Liberty improves to 3-2 this year and snaps a two-game losing streak. Queens falls to 0-5.

The victory was Liberty’s first on its new pitch at the Liberty Field Hockey Field. Prior to today’s contest, the program honored its first inductee into the Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame, Natalie (Barr) Lyttle (2012-15). Lyttle was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Friday evening and was honored at halftime of last night’s Liberty-UAB football game at Williams Stadium.

Scoring Summary

4’ – LIBERTY – Daniella Rhodes (Bethany Dykema and Reagan Underwood) | Penalty Corner

5’ – LIBERTY – Bethany Dykema (Daniella Rhodes) | Penalty Corner

11’ – LIBERTY – Martu Cian (Lou Combrinck)

22’ – LIBERTY – Emily Dykema (unassisted)

25’ – LIBERTY – Mackinzie Thompson (Charlotte Vaanhold)

26’ – LIBERTY – Lizzie Hamlett (Martu Cian)

26’ – LIBERTY – Martu Cian (unassisted)

30’ – LIBERTY – Charlotte Vaanhold (Pima Iturraspe)

40’ – LIBERTY – Martu Cian (unassisted) | Penalty Corner

49’ – LIBERTY – Bethany Dykema (Jodie Conolly)

53’ – LIBERTY – Martu Cian (unassisted)

Goalkeepers

W: Azul Iritxity Irigoyen 3-2, zero saves

L: Marlee Geppert 0-5, nine saves

Turning Point

Liberty took control from the onset and led 8-0 at halftime. The Lady Flames outshot the Royals 27-1 in the opening half and fired 17 shots in the second period alone.

The Lady Flames’ second penalty corner of the afternoon resulted in the game’s first goal. Daniella Rhodes scored her team-leading fifth marker of the season at 3:34, finding the left side of the cage. Just over a minute later (4:53 mark), Bethany Dykema scored on a short corner, assisted by Rhodes. Cian tallied her first of four goals in the match at the 10:52 mark, knocking a shot through Queens goalkeeper Marlee Geppert’s legs for a 3-0 edge.

Key Stats & Notes

• Cian’s four goals tie a program record. Cian now shares the school record with Natalie Barr (vs. Appalachian State, Oct. 19, 2012), Hannah Doherty (vs. Appalachian State, Nov. 7, 2015) and Ashlee Krulock (vs. Davidson, Oct. 5, 2013).

• Cian also added an assist in the game and finished with nine points. Her nine-point effort is tied for the second most points in a game in program history.

• Liberty’s 11 goals are the second most in a contest in school history. The record is 12 goals, which came on Nov. 7, 2015 against Appalachian State (12-0 win).

• Liberty entered the day with 11 total goals in four games and scored that many goals in 60 minutes today.

• Liberty outshot Queens 47-2 on the day and held a 30-1 edge in shots on goal. Prior to today, the previous program record for shots in a game was 44, set against Appalachian State in 2015. Thirteen different Lady Flames attempted at least one shot, led by eight from Hamlett.

• Liberty earned a season-best 12 penalty corners today, compared to two for Queens.

• Today’s matchup between Liberty and Queens was the first-ever meeting between the two schools in field hockey. This is the Royals’ first season at the Division I level.

• All three of Liberty’s victories this year have been shutout fashion. In their three wins, the Lady Flames have outscored their competition 22-0.

Up Next

Liberty will be back at home on Friday to take on Georgetown (3-3) in its BIG EAST Conference opener. Game time is 3 p.m. at the Liberty Field Hockey Field.

The Lady Flames are 8-0 all-time versus the Hoyas, including 5-0 in BIG EAST play. Liberty downed Georgetown 5-1 during the fall 2021 campaign at Cooper Field in Washington, D.C, in what was the most recent matchup.

Original source can be found here