No. 6 UVA Field Hockey Suffers 3-1 Loss to No. 14 Liberty

The Flames scored two early goals and handed the Cavaliers their first loss of the season

In Virginia's big-time 2-1 win over No. 5 Penn State in the season opener on Friday, the Cavaliers fell behind early, but rallied to earn a statement victory. In their next game, the Hoos again dug themselves into an early hole, but this time there was no coming back. 

The No. 14-ranked Liberty Flames scored two goals in the first 20 minutes of play, building a lead as large as 3-0, and handed the No. 6 Virginia field hockey team its first loss of the season, a 3-1 decision on Tuesday evening at the UVA Turf Field in Charlottesville. 

Liberty had much greater success than Virginia in generating offensive pressure and scoring chances right from the jump. The Flames had three shots in the first quarter to zero for the Cavaliers. Two of those shots were saved by UVA goalkeeper Tyler Kennedy, but the third gave Liberty the lead. 

Liberty's second penalty corner of the game yielded the first goal, as Jodie Conolly made a great pass from the shooter's spot at the top of the circle down to the left post, where a wide open Bethany Dykema swept it easily into the back of the cage. 

Two more corners for the Flames early in the second period resulted in another goal and it was a nearly identical to the first goal, with Dykema unmarked on the left post and Conolly finding her again to make it 2-0. 

Virginia finally generated its first penalty corner midway through the second quarter and the Cavaliers got a couple of solid looks, but Liberty goalie Azul Iritxity Irigoyen made the saves both times. Liberty had five corners in the first half as compared to just one for Virginia. 

"Their one-on-one eliminations were very skillful and as soon as we adjusted to that, the first quarter, we were able to manage that a little bit better," said Virginia head coach Michele Madison. 

UVA got its best scoring opportunity of the match midway through the third quarter on a ball played hard to the front of the cage, but Lilly Hengerer's deflection went wide of the cage. 

An unlucky break resulted in the Cavaliers falling behind 3-0. A Liberty shot found its way inside the knee pads of Kennedy, resulting in Liberty's sixth penalty corner of the match. The Flames converted as Dykema sent in a shot that Lexi Hosler deflected into the back of the cage. 

On just their second penalty corner of the match, the Cavaliers finally broke through for their first and only goal, which was the result of several point-blank attempts. Irigoyen made three quick saves, but Daniela Mendez-Trendler eventually pushed it through on the fourth attempt to get the Hoos on the board. 

Virginia very nearly made it a one-goal game with less than three minutes to play as a lifted ball got through the Liberty defense and made its way to Laura Janssen, who made a pass ahead to Taryn Tkachuk with her back to the Liberty goalkeeper. Tkachuk got the ball past the keeper and seemed to be well on her way to an easy tap-in goal, but she was unable to get her stick on the ball before it hit the post and bounced out of bounds. 

Virginia generated three penalty corners in the fourth quarter alone and took eight shots in the period, but the turnaround in offensive pressure was too little, too late, as the Cavaliers went on to lose 3-1.

"We played our game in the fourth quarter, we could play it for four quarters," Madison said. "That's what we know, that's what we can take to the bank and we just have to build on playing four quarters."

The Hoos will have little time to lick their wounds as they face a third-consecutive ranked opponent in their first road match of the season. Virginia plays at No. 11 Saint Joseph's on Friday at 4pm in Philadelphia. 

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