Field Hockey: No. 6 Cavaliers upset by No. 14 Liberty, 3-1

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Posted on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023, 7:00 pm

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Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Photo: UVA Athletics

The No. 6 Virginia field hockey team suffered a 3-1 defeat against No. 14 Liberty on Tuesday at Turf Field. Liberty scored all three goals off penalty corners. Sophomore midfielder Daniela Mendez-Trendler scored the lone goal for the Cavaliers.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Liberty’s Bethany Dykema scored the first goal of the game with 45 seconds remaining in the first quarter, capitalizing on Liberty’s second corner of the game. Dykema scored off another corner 3:41 into the second quarter to put the Flames up 2-0. Lexi Hosler made it 3-0 Liberty with a goal off a corner 7:37 into the second half. Her goal was assisted by Dykema.

Mendez-Trendler scored UVA’s goal 2:18 into the fourth quarter. After inserting on a corner, she positioned herself at the corner of the cage. After an initial save on a shot, she picked up the rebound. Her initial two attempts were saved, but she scored on her third try.

Virginia (1-1) took eight shots in the fourth quarter after only taking five in the previous three quarters combined, but the Liberty defense held on for the victory.

NOTES

  • Virginia held a 13-9 edge in shots, but Liberty held a 9-5 advantage through the first three periods
  • Liberty (3-0) had eight penalty corners, scoring on three
  • Freshman goalkeeper Nilou Lempers made her collegiate debut coming in at the start of the fourth quarter. She logged her first collegiate save
  • Virginia grad student striker Laura Janssen was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week, in honors announced Tuesday. Janssen had a hand in both of UVA’s goals in its 2-1 victory against No. 5 Penn State last Friday. She scored the game-tying goal early in the third period and then set up Minnie Pollock’s game-winning goal in the fourth quarter.

FROM HEAD COACH MICHELE MADISON

“We played our game in the fourth quarter, so we should be able to play for four quarters. That’s what we know. That’s what we can take to the bank. We just have to build on finding four quarters. At the start of the fourth, I told him we can do hard. It’s not nice to be down three goals, but the game’s not over.”

UP NEXT

Virginia travels to play at No. 11 Saint Joseph’s on Friday and at Temple on Sunday.