Liberty University
(12-8)
Maryland
(18-3)
No. 2 Maryland Edges No. 13 Liberty 2-1 in Double OT of NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
11/11/2022 4:25:00 PM | Field Hockey
No. 2 Maryland's Riley Donnelly scored on a penalty stroke in double overtime, lifting the Terrapins to a 2-1 win over No. 13 Liberty in the NCAA Field Hockey Championship, Friday afternoon.
Liberty sees its season end with a 12-8 record. Maryland improves to 18-3 and will move on to the second round, where the Terrapins will face the winner of No. 7 Princeton and No. 8 Syracuse.
Liberty goalkeeper Azul Iritxity Irigoyen matched a career high with 12 saves today, including a memorable game-saving stop on a Maryland penalty stroke with less than four minutes to play in regulation.
Scoring Summary
35' – LIBERTY – Jodie Conolly (Bethany Dykema and Reagan Underwood) | Penalty Corner
44' – MARYLAND – Margot Lawn (unassisted)
73' – MARYLAND – Riley Donnelly | Penalty Stroke
Goalkeepers
W: Christina Calandra 9-1, zero saves
L: Â Azul Iritxity Iriogyen 12-8, 12 saves
Turning Point
Despite being outshot 7-1 in the opening half, Liberty did not concede a goal in the opening 30 minutes and went into the break tied 0-0. In the first half of the third quarter, the Lady Flames earned their second penalty corner of the day and capitalized. Following a Bethany Dykema insert and Reagan Underwood stick stop, Jodie Conolly fired a shot into the right side of the cage for a 1-0 Liberty lead at the 34:28 mark.
Maryland responded to knot it up at 1-all later in the quarter, as Margot Lawn scored on a rebound (43:03 mark). In the fourth quarter, the Terrapins earned a penalty stroke.
The Terrapins were awarded a penalty stroke at the 56:15 mark. Liberty's Azul Irixity Irigoyen turned aside Hope Rose's shot to keep the game tied.
Maryland earned three penalty corners in overtime, but Iritxity Irigoyen was up to the task with three saves.
In double overtime, the Terrapins pushed a fast break and earned another penalty stroke. This time, Riley Donnelly fired a shot into the right side of the cage to send Maryland to the Elite 8.
Key Stats & Notes
• This is the second straight year Liberty and Maryland played a double overtime game in the NCAA Tournament. Last year, Charlotte Vaanhold scored in double overtime to lift the Lady Flames to a 3-2 win for a spot in the national championship game.
• Iritxity Irigoyen, the reigning NFHCA Division I Defensive Player of the Week and BIG EAST Championship Most Outstanding Player, tied a career high with 12 saves today. Her other two 12-save games both came in the spring 2021 season – against Connecticut (neutral site, March 14, 2021) and at Duke (March 21, 2021).
• Conolly's third quarter goal was her seventh of the season and the 17th of her career.
• In three postseason games, Iritxity Irigoyen made 25 total saves while posting a 2-1 record, an .862 save percentage and a 1.25 goals-against-average.
• Daniella Rhodes, Charlotte Vaanhold, Lizzie Hamlett, Mackinzie Thompson, Santia McLaughlin and Reese Canaday see their Liberty careers come to an end. Over the last five years, Liberty went a combined 68-28 with one national title game appearance, two BIG EAST Championship titles and two BIG EAST regular season crowns.
• Maryland held advantages in total shots (23-6), shots on goal (14-1) and penalty corners (8-2).
• Maryland leads the all-time series with Liberty 2-1.
• The Lady Flames finish the 2022 campaign with three ranked wins against seven losses. Liberty was 0-3 in games that went to overtime or a shootout.
Team Stats
CONOLLY, Jodie (7)
Assisted By: DYKEMA, Bethany , UNDERWOOD, Reagan
Off corner, scored into right side
34:28
Margot Lawn (6)
Off rebound, right side
43:03
Riley Donnelly (9)
MARYLAND Riley Donnelly PENALTY STROKE GOAL, goal number 9 for season.
72:19
