Field Hockey Starts Season with Three-Game Winning Streak in California

The No.10 Lady Flames headed to the West Coast Aug. 27-30 and grabbed victories against UC Davis, California and No. 25 Stanford. According to Head Coach Nikki Parsley-Blocker, however, the victories in California were not surprising.

“There were good teams out there, but my expectation was that we were coming back 3-0,” Parsley-Blocker said. “What happened out there is what needed to happen out there, and the rest we will take care of as it comes.”

Liberty came out firing against UC Davis and never looked back. Lizzie Hamlet started the scoring for the Flames with a goal off a penalty corner in the first 39 seconds of the game. The Lady Flames continued their offensive dominance, defeating UC Davis 7-1 and setting a program record with seven goals in a season opener. 

California would prove to be more of a challenge for the Lady Flames, but the team still managed to pull out a 3-0 win. Jill Bolton, Bethany Dykema and Daniella Rhodes all scored, but the defense shined bright in the competition. Goalkeeper Azul Iritxity Irigoyen had two saves to earn her fourth career shutout. 

Daniella Rhodes led the way against Stanford with two goals, including the first goal of the game on a penalty corner. The Lady Flames would later pull away and win the game 5-1. Sophomore Reagan Underwood, who started 16 games last season, scored her first career goal in the victory.

“It was really exciting. I was just pumped to get a ball in goal,” Underwood said. “We were tied at that point 1-1, so to help continue our momentum in that game was really exciting.”

Along with competing, the team was able to experience some more relaxing aspects of the West Coast. This included a tour of the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset as well as a trip to the beach.  

“We had a couple kids come up in tears and say, ‘This was the most special day I’ve had as a part of this program,’” Parsley-Blocker said. “It was a really neat trip and a lot of bonding happened.”

Jill Bolton said that her favorite moments from the trip were spending time with teammates and laughing with friends. 

“Seeing the Golden Gate Bridge on the cruise, and going to In-N-Out, I will remember that trip for the rest of my life,” Bolton said.

The Lady Flames also received honors from the BIG EAST conference. Iritxity Irigoyen was named Defensive Player of the Week after posting a 2-0 record with six saves and a 0.50 goals-against-average. Bolton was also named Offensive Player of the Week with four goals, two assists and 10 points.

Now the Lady Flames prepare for their home opener against a formidable opponent in No.4 Northwestern. The game is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 12:00 p.m. 

Harper is a sports reporter. Follow him on Twitter at @jharpmedia.