Field Hockey Extends Win Streak to Five with Triumph Over Duke

The No. 12 Lady Flames field hockey team defeated ACC opponent No. 20 Duke Oct. 3 at home, winning 5-2 to extend Liberty’s win streak to five games on the season.

The Lady Flames got a gift early on when a shot rebounded to Daniella Rhodes, who scored the easiest goal of her career to put the Flames up 1-0. The Lady Flames followed up quickly with another goal in the first period when senior defender Maddie Hosler dove in on the penalty corner, getting just enough on the shot to get the score.

With the Lady Flames up 2-0 heading into the second period, the Blue Devils answered with a goal of their own by Lexi Davidson on a penalty stroke at the 17:41 mark, making the game 2-1. The rest of the period was a defensive battle as both teams only mustered two shots on goal.

Liberty would extend its lead 3-1 midway through the third period with a goal scored by freshman midfielder/defender Martu Cian, who scored from in front of the corner. She was assisted by junior forward Daniella Rhodes. 

The Lady Flames held a comfortable 3-1 lead heading into the final period of play. The Blue Devils, however, would make it a one-score game with an unassisted rebound goal by Logan Clouser at the 51:45 mark to make it a 3-2 game. 

Still, the Lady Flames would rally to close out the game comfortably. Their fourth goal was scored from the right post by Cian, who took the pass from fifth-year senior forward Jill Bolton. Charlotte Vannhold scored the fifth and final goal on a reverse toward the left side of the goal, with sixth-year senior midfielder Kendra Jones netting the assist. 

The Lady Flames outshot Duke 17-12 during the game with the Lady Flames’ offense netting 10 shots on goal compared to Duke’s seven. 

The victory marked the Lady Flames’ second straight win over the Blue Devils after they captured a double-overtime win over Duke in the spring season. The win was also the team’s third victory against top-25 ranked opponents this season. 

After a convincing win, Liberty’s players were enthusiastic and satisfied with the result. 

“I think overall today was just awesome. We came in [with] 26 strong people on the sidelines,” Jones said.  “Their energy was just insane, and I know I personally couldn’t do it without their encouragement on the sidelines. We were just a unit today.”

“I think it’s a statement piece to the rest of the NCAA, five goals and only two against, like they had six shots on goal,” Hosler added. “I think we’re all just really proud and we want to … send a message to the rest of the field hockey community.”

Head Coach Nikki Parsley-Blocker shared her players’ excitement for the dominant win against such a high-profile opponent.

“I was so excited about the consistency that they showed. I think that is a mark of a mature team, to stay consistent,” Parsley-Blocker said. “They’re [Duke] such a storied program, you know, we’ve beat them one time in program history…. and that’s really been one of the keys to every single game.”

The Lady Flames will return to the field when they compete at home against conference rivals Villanova Friday, Oct. 8 at 3 p.m.

Hisaw is a sports reporter. Follow him on Twitter at @jdhisaw.