Flames field hockey clinches top seeking in Big East conference with win over UConn, 3-0

Another day, another win for the Lady Flames field hockey team. As golden hour shone on the Mountain Friday evening, the team put up another golden performance, crushing the UConn Huskies 3-0 and sending a message to its Big East Conference competition heading into the postseason.

Liberty found its first goal within the opening minutes of the game, closing with two more goals in the fourth quarter.

Senior defender Jodie Conolly bagged the first hat trick of her career, scoring all three goals in the chilly affair, while graduate midfielder Bethany Dykema and senior midfielder Lexi Hosler racked up three assists each.

This win secures the No. 1 seed in the Big East championship for Liberty, clinches a share of the Big East regular season title and improves its regular season record to 15-1.

In addition, the Lady Flames have now won 10 straight on the season.

“I think this last stretch for us, these last five games, getting through this final push of the regular season is tough,” Head Coach Nikki Parsley-Blocker said. “It’s tough every year. I remember the year we went to the National Championship. Just constantly getting pushed by teams. Everybody’s coming here, they want to beat us. (I’m) really proud of the kids for coming out here and being resilient. It’s hard to be good and keep winning, so I am really proud of them.”

As fans piled into the bleachers before the game you could feel the confidence in the air, as every time the Lady Flames took the field Liberty fans knew they were in for a treat. 

Within the first minute and a half of the game the Flames forced a foul within the penalty circle. The penalty corner shot was deflected wide by UConn over the backline, giving the Flames another opportunity to score via corner.

The second corner would not be denied. Like a well-oiled machine, Hosler sent a strong pass in to hitter Conolly whose flick was too hot to handle for the UConn goalkeeper.

Liberty took the lead, flexing its muscles within the first few minutes of the game. 

The Flames did not slow down, increasing the pressure and dominating possession. The Huskies were unable to get a shot off the entire first half.

As the second quarter began, the Huskies fought for a foothold, pushing forward a bit more than the previous period and getting closer to clear chances in the penalty circle.

However, Liberty’s defense held strong despite conceding a corner toward the end of the quarter.

As halftime passed, the last bit of light slipped behind the mountain and a light rain began to fall.

Despite the Flames’ dominance, the game was still up for grabs at 1-0, with plenty of time left to play. 

The third quarter produced several penalty corners for the Flames that were sent wide or blocked by UConn. The Huskies fired a few shots of their own, with senior goalkeeper Azul Iritxity Irigoyen being called into action on a few occasions. 

Her save within the first few seconds of the fourth quarter proved most significant. Irigoyen kicked aside a low shot to relieve the pressure that had been mounting against the Flames. With precise passing Liberty worked it up the field and won a penalty corner on the other end.

Seconds later, a well-designed corner play ended in Conolly firing home her second of the night. The pass was crisp and the shot problematic, taking a wicked deflection into the net.

“It took a bit of energy and a bit of work obviously, and (it took) a bit of tenacity,” Conolly said concerning the second goal. “But one of our roots is to be relentless, and I think you can see that from a lot of girls, to keep going especially when it doesn’t fall, and in the end we managed to find a way.”

With a 2-0 lead, the Flames were in cruise control. But they were not finished.

Their third goal came around the three-minute mark, after an obstruction call against UConn warranted another penalty corner. The shot was sent low into the right corner of the goal with speed that made the crowd ooh and ah.

For Jodie Conolly, this game was made even more special, being her last time donning the Flames jersey in front of the home crowd. 

“It was honestly just really fun,” Conolly said. “It’s my last game on this turf. I spent a lot of hours on this one. But just to celebrate with the team like that … Obviously, scoring’s fun, but everyone else plays a role in that and it was really fun to feel that connection today.”

The Lady Flames will travel to take on Georgetown in their last regular season game of the year Oct. 27 at 1 p.m.

Moore is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion