No. 19 Liberty Field Hockey Set to Take on No. 5 UConn

Photo Credit: Bill Smith

The Liberty field hockey team is getting ready for one of the biggest tests this season as they travel to Storrs, Conn. to take on conference rival UConn.

This game is going to be the battle of the undefeateds in the BIG EAST. Both No. 19 Liberty (10-4, 5-0 BIG EAST) and No. 5 UConn (12-3, 5-0 BIG EAST) have had a perfect 5-0 record since BIG EAST play started. But on Thursday one team’s dominant run will end as both teams will meet at 6 p.m. at George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex on UConn’s campus.

The Lady Flames are coming off a 2-1 victory against Georgetown last Friday to advance to a 5-0 record in the BIG EAST. This is the first time that they have done it in the history of Liberty Field Hockey. They will be facing their toughest challenge yet in conference as they look to battle it out against another undefeated team in UConn. Since Liberty joined the BIG EAST in 2016, the Huskies have defeated them in all four meetings. The Lady Flames hope to change that on Thursday.

The Huskies are in the mindset of defending their national championship. However, they had a difficult slate this past Sunday as they lost a close game to No. 1 North Carolina. In the last three games in BIG EAST play, they beat Temple, Providence, and Villanova all in shutouts.

How to Follow the Lady Flames

The game between the Lady Flames and Huskies will not be livestreamed, but you can follow the game on StatBroadcast, courtesy of UConn Athletics.

You can also follow Liberty Field Hockey on Twitter (@LibertyFH) and Instagram (libertyfieldhockey) to get updates on the game.

Series History

UConn has a perfect 4-0 record against the Lady Flames since they joined the BIG EAST. The Huskies are 2-0 in BIG EAST regular season games and 2-0 in BIG EAST Championship games against Liberty. The last time these two teams met was in the final of the 2017 BIG EAST Tournament. The Huskies beat the Lady Flames 3-0 to win their sixth-consecutive BIG EAST Championship title. In that game, the Lady Flames managed four shots on goal. With a bitter taste in their mouths from the loss, Liberty hopes to turn that around on Thursday. 

Lady Flames News and Notes

•    Liberty just clinched a spot in the 2018 BIG EAST Tournament after defeating Georgetown last Friday.
•  The Lady Flames’ Sunday match versus Syracuse was postponed. A makeup date is still to be announced.
• Senior midfielder/forward Agueda Moroni is still ranked No. 1 in the country in points per game (3.57) and goals per game (1.43).
• In the last game, junior defender Mallory Fortenbaugh recorded her ninth assist of the season. The last two years she finished each season with four assists.
• This week, senior forward Moniek van Aarle was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll. She made her second game-winning marker of her career versus Georgetown.
•  UConn leads the nation in assists per game (4.07) and points per game (12.60). Liberty ranks fifth in both categories.
• Since joining the BIG EAST, four of Liberty’s six losses to conference opponents have been to UConn.
• Liberty is No. 24 and UConn is No. 5 in the NCAA RPI rankings.
• The Lady Flames’ record against ranked opponents is 3-3 this season. UConn will be their seventh ranked opponent. 
•  In five BIG EAST games, Liberty has outscored its opponents 24-4. UConn has outscored its opponents 28-2.