The Liberty University field hockey squad traveled to the James Madison University Field Hockey Complex on Saturday and emerged with a 2‑1 overtime victory, securing the program’s first road win of the 2026 campaign and snapping James Madison’s perfect start.
Match Highlights
Julieta Tornati opened the scoring in the 42nd minute, converting a penalty corner that set the tone for a tightly contested match, while James Madison answered back early in the fourth quarter with Brynna Hill’s penalty corner equalizer, bringing the score to 1‑1. The decisive moment arrived in the 71st minute when Josefina Tomasi finished a penalty corner feed from Tornati, netting the game‑winning goal and sealing the 2‑1 overtime result.
Liberty outshot James Madison 19‑8 in total shots on goal and recorded a season‑best 12 penalty corners compared to six for the Dukes, underscoring the intensity of the contest and the Lady Flames’ offensive pressure. The win also extended Liberty’s overtime record to 3‑1 since the start of the 2025 season.
Tomasi, whose career tally now stands at 15 goals in 42 appearances, added the decisive goal after a well‑timed feed from Tornati, while Tornati herself contributed two goals, an assist and five points across the weekend’s two games, highlighting her all‑around impact. The match marked the first overtime encounter between the two schools in their ten‑game history and gave Liberty its first regular‑season win at James Madison since 2018.
With the victory, the Lady Flames improve to 3‑1 overall and maintain a commanding edge in the all‑time series, now leading 6‑4, while James Madison remains winless and will look to break the cycle in upcoming fixtures.