Liberty University
(10-2, 8-2BIG EAST)
Old Dominion
(5-4, 5-3BIG EAST)
No. 4 Liberty Strikes Early, Surges Past No. 17 Old Dominion for 4-2 Victory
3/27/2021 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
No. 4 Liberty struck for two goals in the opening quarter to take control of the game and defeated No. 17 Old Dominion 4-2, Saturday at the L.R. Hill Sports Complex.
Liberty picks up its 10th victory of the season. The Lady Flames are 10-2 through 12 games for the first time in school history after earning the weekend split with the Monarchs. Liberty bested Old Dominion in three of four meetings this season. The Lady Flames are 8-2 in BIG EAST competition this season.
Old Dominion falls to 5-4 on the year and 5-3 in conference play.
Scoring Summary
6' – LIBERTY – Charlotte Vaanhold (unassisted)
11' – LIBERTY – Daniella Rhodes (unassisted)
19' – OLD DOMINION – Marlon De Bruijne (Marlee McClendon and Riley Taylor) | Penalty Corner
38' – LIBERTY – Daniella Rhodes (Kendra Jones and Bethany Dykema) | Penalty Corner
38' – LIBERTY – Jill Bolton (unassisted)
59' – OLD DOMINION – Marlon De Bruijne (Delphine Le Jeune)
Goalkeepers
W: Azul Iritxity Irigoyen 8-2, two saves
L: Cam MacGillivray 5-4, seven saves
Turning Point
Liberty found the back of the cage twice in the first period and never relinquished the lead. The Lady Flames' Charlotte Vaanhold scored her sixth goal of the season in the sixth minute, a shot into the left side of the cage following a Monarchs turnover. Vaanhold's marker made it 1-0 Liberty.
The Lady Flames generated several attacking opportunities in the first period, and Rhodes capitalized to put the Lady Flames ahead two goals. The sophomore forward took an entry pass into the right side of the circle and ripped a backhand shot into the left corner for a 2-0 lead at 10:52.
ODU's Marlon De Bruijne scored the first of her two goals on the afternoon on a penalty corner at 18:32 to trim Liberty's lead in half (2-1) before intermission. Liberty responded in the middle of the third quarter with two goals in a 40-second span to pull away. Rhodes scored her second goal of the day and 16th of the season, a penalty corner goal at 37:15. Forty seconds later (37:55), Bolton scored off her own rebound, providing the Lady Flames a 4-1 advantage.
Key Stats & Notes
• Liberty outshot Old Dominion 15-10. The Monarchs won eight penalty corners, compared to seven for Liberty.
• In 30 career games for the Lady Flames, Rhodes has 29 goals, 14 assists and 72 points.
• Bolton's goal was her 11th of the year. She is second on the team in goals, first in assists (10) and second in points (32).
• Bethany Dykema and Kendra Jones were both credited with assists on Rhodes' second goal of the day. Dykema ranks second on the squad with eight assists, while Jones is third with five assists.
• This is Liberty's second four-goal game against ODU this season. The Lady Flames topped the Monarchs 4-1, March 6 at the Liberty Field Hockey Field.
• In Liberty's regular season series with ODU this spring, the Lady Flames outscored the Monarchs 11-5.
• The Lady Flames are 7-5 all-time against the Monarchs, including a 6-4 mark versus ODU since joining the BIG EAST in 2016.
Up Next
Liberty will return to action next weekend for a pair of home games versus Temple (4-7, 1-6 BIG EAST). The Lady Flames and Owls will square off next Saturday at noon and next Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Liberty Field Hockey Field.
Liberty swept Temple in a two-game series, Feb. 27 and 28 at Howarth Field in Philadelphia, Pa. The Lady Flames won both games by a 2-0 score.
Team Stats
VAANHOLD, Charlotte (6)
off ODU turnover, finishes off left post
5:09
RHODES, Daniella (15)
backhand finish to left corner
10:52
DE BRUIJNE, Marlon (11)
Assisted By: MCCLENDON, Marlee , TAYLOR, Riley
direct strike off corner
18:32
RHODES, Daniella (16)
Assisted By: JONES, Kendra , DYKEMA, Bethany
direct strike off corner
37:15
BOLTON, Jill (11)
scored off own rebound
37:55
DE BRUIJNE, Marlon (12)
Assisted By: LE JEUNE, Delphine
6 sweeps ball into circle, 7 finishes le
58:41
