LYNCHBURG, Va. – In the regular season finale, the No. 16 nationally ranked Old Dominion field hockey team had its four-match win streak snapped at No. 8 Liberty by a 2-1 score on Friday afternoon at the Liberty Field Hockey Field. With just 39 seconds remaining in regulation, Lizzie Hamlett scored her second goal of the match to lift the Lady Flames to their first ever BIG EAST regular season title.
"It's a disappointing outcome, especially so close to the end of the game," said ODU head coach Andrew Griffiths. "I am proud of our team and of how we played the game. We have been growing stronger through the season and you could really see it today. We are working together and working hard for each other. We played together and tough again."
Delphine Le Jeune converted on a penalty stroke to give ODU an early 1-0 lead in the sixth minute. The goal was the seventh of the season for Le Jeune, which is the second most on the team.
Liberty's (15-2, 7-0 BIG EAST) Hamlett tied the match in the 17th minute off an assist from Daniella Rhodes.
Cam MacGillivray made eight saves in the cage for Old Dominion. For the match, Liberty held advantages for shots (14-5), as well as corners (8-1).
The Monarchs (13-4, 5-2 BIG EAST) enter next week winners of nine of their last 11 matches, while the Lady Flames have won 12 straight. Liberty entered today's match ranked No. 1 in the NCAA for assists per game (3.56), goals per game (4.12), points per game (11.81) and scoring average (4.12).
ODU receives the No. 3 seed in the BIG EAST Championship semifinals and will take on No. 2 seed UConn on Friday, Nov. 5 at 4:00 p.m. ET in Storrs, Connecticut. The BIG EAST Championship title match will take place on Sunday, Nov. 7 at 1:00 p.m.
The tournament champion receives the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship. UConn has won the last nine consecutive championship titles dating back to 2012.
"I'm excited to get to the Big East Championship and get another shot at these teams," concluded Griffiths. "The best thing about this team is that we have had strong performances from different players each game and so many players have been stepping up to make a difference. We are playing as a real team, and that's fun to be a part of."
Ticket Information
All-session tickets are available for $10 for adults and $6 for youth. Single-session tickets will be available on site starting one hour prior to the first game of the day. Single-session prices are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. To purchase tickets online, click HERE.
Broadcast Information
The entirety of the championship will stream on the BIG EAST Digital Network Presented by SoFi, available on FloSports. Adam Giordino and Kirstin Gebhart will be on the call. Ashley Liotus will be on site as the BIG EAST Digital Network Correspondent.
No. 16 ODU Has Four Match Win Streak Snapped in Regular Season Finale at No. 8 Liberty, 2-1
