Liberty Field Hockey falls to UNC Tar Heels 7-0

In their 11th all-time meeting, the No. 11-ranked Liberty University Lady Flames fell 7-0 to the No. 2-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels Sunday afternoon, dropping the Flames’ overall record to 4-3.

The Lady Flames’ defense, anchored by redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Michaela Skinner, held strong against several early attempts in the first quarter from the Tar Heels, including a potential goal from junior forward Ryleigh Heck that was overturned after a review. Both teams continued to battle on in the Lynchburg heat for control of the field, but the first quarter ended without a score from either team.

The Tar Heels kept the pressure on as Liberty struggled to find its rhythm in the second quarter. At the 17:51 mark, Skinner faced her first penalty corner of the game but was unable to stop it as Tar Heels sophomore forward Charly Bruder ripped a shot into the bottom left corner of the net. The goal was reviewed but stood, giving UNC a 1-0 lead.

Moments later, UNC got another penalty corner, but this time Skinner denied the Tar Heels another goal as she made two big saves back-to-back. Despite the fight Liberty’s defense put up, UNC struck again at the 23:31 mark with a goal from junior midfielder Sietske Brüning. The momentum remained in favor of the Tar Heels as Heck hit the post with 4:23 left but quickly followed up to net one past Skinner, extending the lead 3-0. 

Just a minute later, UNC added another goal to its tally, pushing its lead to 4-0. The half ended with a missed penalty corner chance for UNC as the shot went wide. Liberty’s offense struggled to generate significant opportunities throughout both quarters, with senior forward Martu Cian recording the only shot in the half for the Lady Flames. 

The deficit for the Flames extended to 5-0 as Heck recorded her second goal of the game. Liberty held the Tar Heels off for the rest of the quarter, with Skinner making yet another save with 2:43 left, denying redshirt freshman Hope Haynes a goal.

In the fourth quarter, Skinner continued to showcase her skills, making a diving save on Heck as she looked to score her third goal of the afternoon. However, UNC capitalized on the rebound, finding the back of the net for its sixth goal. The Tar Heels sneaked one last goal past Skinner to secure their victory over the Flames. 

Despite the 7-0 final score, Skinner made a career-high of seven saves. Skinner has been solid in net for the Flames, recently earning the titles of NFHCA Division I Defensive Player of the Week and BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week. 

“I think her impact has been great,” Head Coach Nikki Parsley-Blocker said. “One of the things I was really excited about for her is I don’t think that her level of communication dropped. When you concede seven goals, it’s really easy to feel sorry for yourself, and we did not see that response from her.”   

Following the game, Parsley-Blocker emphasized the importance of resilience.

“I think a big growing point for a very young group is learning how to show up irrespective of who we’re playing and bringing the same intangibles, execution of the game plan, all of that stuff,” Parsley-Blocker said.

Parsley-Blocker said future games will show how the team responds to the loss.   

“I think it’s going to tell us a lot about how we’re able to move forward into this new phase of the season,” Parsley-Blocker said.    

The Flames will look for redemption as they face another BIG EAST opponent, Providence University, on the road Friday, Sept. 27. They will be back in action at home Oct. 4 as they take on Temple University.   

Pais is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.