LYNCHBURG, Va. (JMU Athletics) – James Madison scored the game’s opening goal, however, No. 17 Liberty produced a pair of goals in both the third and fourth quarters for a 4-1 victory in non-conference field hockey action in Lynchburg.
The Dukes (1-2) trailed in total shots (18-6), with the Lady Flames (2-0) outshooting JMU 9-1 in the second half.
Madelief Molier registered the Dukes’ lone goal – a deflection one. penalty corner with an assist from Brynna Hill. The score was Molier’s second of the season, while Hill’s helper was her third. Goalkeeper Molly Schreiner made seven stops, facing two penalty corners.
Josefina Tomasi led Liberty’s attack with one goal and two assists for four points. Morena Giacosa, Luna Prieri and Tori Griffiths also found the back of the net, while Lou Combrinck and Dara Semmartin added assists. In goal for Liberty, Diane Saint Martin made four stops in the win, recording three in the first half for the victory.
How It Happened
• Roeper stole the ball in the circle and passed across to Narleski in front, but Saint Martin made a kick save to keep the game at 0-0 at the 13:10 mark of the first.
• After giving up eight shots in the first, JMU responded by limiting the Lady Flames to just one shot in the second period.
• The Dukes earned a penalty corner with 0:13 remaining in the half and saw a Liberty player leave the goal early, resulting in a redo with only three field players defending the goal. On the insertion, Roeper’s initial shot was saved, however, Hill chopped the rebound towards the net leading to a deflection by Molier with six seconds on the clock, giving the Dukes a 1-0 lead at the break.
• The lead did not last long, with the Lady Flames converting on their first penalty corner of the second half off a score from Giacosa and an assist from Semmartin.
• Halfway through the third, Liberty added insurance when Tomasi tipped a pass to Prieri, who shot around Schreiner on the left post to make it 2-1 at the 7:52 mark.
• On a restart, Combrinck found Tomasi at the top of the circle, who took a back-handed shot that went bar-down to build a 3-1 lead early in the final frame.
• A shot from Tomasi found the stick of Griffiths for a deflection goal to give the Lady Flames a 4-1 advantage with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation.
Game Notes
• James Madison held Liberty to just two penalty corners, the fewest for the Lady Flames since earning a pair at Villanova on Oct. 11, 2024.
• Hill has produced three assists in the first three games of her junior campaign after dishing out four total during her sophomore year.
• The loss marked JMU’s second loss in a row. The last time the Dukes won multiple games in a row was in 2023 when they lost four straight between Oct. 8 through Oct. 23.
• James Madison went 13-2 (.867) last year when scoring first.
Up Next
The Dukes will head to the capital of the Commonwealth for a matchup against Richmond on Friday. Game time is slated for 5 p.m.
— JMU Athletics —
