Liberty shuts out App State field hockey, 6-0, in home opener exhibition

August 18, 2023

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Henriette Steigen puts the ball in play on Aug. 18 at Adcock Stadium, in the Mountaineers 6-0 exhibhition loss to Liberty. Photographic image by David Rogers

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It was a case of “bookends,” of sorts. App State field hockey played Liberty to a 0-0 draw in the second and third quarters on Aug. 18. The devil was in the first and final periods, where the visiting Flames scored three goals in each to register a 6-0 shutout against the Mountaineers at Adcock Field Hockey Stadium.

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New turf made for faster play and both teams took advantage. The Flames’ play was sharp for the early season, one- and two-stick passing whipping the ball from sideline to sideline and very decisive in search of space to attack. Especially in the first and final periods, the Mountaineers’ fell victim to stick-handling errors that frequently cost them possession.

The shot by Liberty gets by a diving App State goalkeeper, Addie Clark, on Aug. 18. Photographic image by David Rogers

“Liberty is a very good team and we relished the opportunity to play against them,” said Mountaineer defense specialist and team captain Grace Ball afterward. “We are learning. We are working on things. Being able to play against this kind of competition in an early season exhibition match makes us better prepared for the upcoming season.”

Mountaineer head coach Emily Dinsmore, who is a Liberty alum and knows the Flames coaching staff very well, seemed pleased with the growth of her Mountaineers.

“We are trying to play at a really fast pace and matching up against an exhibition opponent like Liberty is a real test. I thought we held up pretty well in the middle part of the game. Not only did we not allow any goals after those three in the first quarter, but in the second period we had three shots on goal to their one, so we were doing a better job in attack, too. We just have to sustain that kind of performance through all four quarters,” said Dinsmore.

SCORING

First Quarter

LIB (7:03) – Goal by Pima Iturraspe, assist by Lexi Hosler
LIB (11:53) – Goal by Jodie Connolly, assist by Reagan Underwood and Bethany Dykema
LIB (14:11) – Goal by Ellie Livingston, assist by Martu Cian

Fourth Quarter

LIB (45:57) – Goal by Kyleigh Faust, assist by Bethany Dykema
LIB (51:26) – Goal by Pima Iturraspe, assist by Bethany Dykema
LIB (52:23) – Goal by Ellie Livingston, assist by Lexi Hosler

App State has one more exhibition match, Aug. 20 at Wake Forest, before consecutive matches in Towson, Md., against Towson University on Aug. 25, followed by a match against Georgetown at Towson on Aug. 27. They return home to host Drexel University on Sept. 1 at Adcock Stadium.