LYNCHBURG, Va. – No. 17-ranked Liberty will face in-state foe James Madison in its dwelling opener on Wednesday afternoon. Match time is 2 p.m. on the Liberty Field Hockey Field.
Liberty enters the sport with a 1-0 document following a dramatic 4-3 street win at No. 5 Duke, final Friday within the season opener. JMU (1-1) cut up its pair of video games on opening weekend. The Dukes edged Villanova 3-2 of their first sport and fell 1-0 to Stanford on Sunday.
This would be the ninth all-time assembly between the 2 packages and the fourth straight yr the groups have squared off. The collection is even 4-4. Last yr, the Dukes edged the Lady Flames 3-2 in Harrisonburg, Va.
Lady Flames News and Notes
- Senior midfielder Lou Combrinck was named BIG EAST Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday afternoon. Meanwhile, sophomore defender Dara Semmartin was tabbed the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week.
- Combrinck and Semmartin each performed pivotal roles within the Lady Flames’ 4-3 comeback win at No. 5 Duke, final Friday. Combrinck scored the sport winner within the 56th minute and added two assists. Semmartin tallied a aim and assisted on Combrinck’s game-winning aim. No. 17 Liberty trailed 3-0 early within the second quarter earlier than scoring 4 unanswered objectives for the victory.
- Liberty’s triumph at No. 5 Duke was its highest-ranked win to open a season in program historical past and its sixth top-five victory all-time. Additionally, it marked the primary time in program historical past Liberty overcame a three-goal deficit to win. The Lady Flames have received eight straight season openers relationship again to the 2018 marketing campaign.
- Liberty is 6-8 all-time in dwelling openers. Last yr, the Lady Flames fell 2-1 to No. 3 Virginia within the dwelling opener.
- Liberty completed with a 6-3 dwelling mark in 2024 and went 9-0 on its dwelling turf in 2023.
- The Lady Flames and Dukes final met in Lynchburg in 2023 on what was Liberty’s Senior Day. Liberty prevailed 3-2 in that matchup. Each of the final three conferences between the 2 squads have been determined by one aim.
- Combrinck was named the Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year and a unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST group choice. Joining Combrinck on the Preseason All-BIG EAST group was Semmartin.
- Combrinck, Semmartin, freshman Paris Gail-Isaacs, junior Maite Altamirano, freshman Julieta Tornati and freshman Diane Saint Martin have been every named to the 2025 NFHCA Watchlist final week.
- Of Liberty’s 24-player roster, 12 are newcomers. The newcomers embrace: Paris-Gail Isaacs (D), Maite Altamirano (M), Mia Santana (M) Julieta Tornati (D), Diane Saint Martin (GK), Morena Giacosa (D), Zoé Gaillard (F), Luna Prieri (F – Longwood switch), Caroline Richard (M), Autumn Albright (D), Isa Pardo (GK) and Liz Bustillo (M/F).
- Liberty is ranked seventeenth within the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I Preseason National Coaches Poll. The second ballot of the yr comes out per week from right now (Sept. 9). Liberty’s sturdy 2025 schedule options six groups who seem within the 2025 preseason rankings, together with: No. 2 North Carolina (Sept. 14, away), No. 3 Virginia (Oct. 14, dwelling), No. 5 Duke (final Friday, 4-3 win), No. 9 Saint Joseph’s (Oct. 19, dwelling), No. 11 UConn (Sept. 26, dwelling) and No. 18 UAlbany (Sept. 12, dwelling).