LYNCHBURG, Va. — The App State field hockey team jumped out to an early lead on Sunday, but ultimately fell 7-2 to No. 13 Liberty at the Liberty Field Hockey Field.

Battling back from injury, Darby Reyburn opened the scoring in the first quarter with her first goal of the season, and her first since Nov. 11, 2024, to give the Mountaineers (5-3, 1-0 MAC) an early edge.

Sarah Callery also found the back of the cage late in the first half for her second goal of the season. Senior goalkeeper Dakota Anderson registered 10 saves in the contest, elevating her season total to 59 through eight games.

How it Happened
1st: The Mountaineers struck first when Reyburn redirected a ball past the goalkeeper to give App State the early 1-0 advantage. Despite the early setback, Liberty (5-3) responded with two goals before the end of the frame to take a 2-1 lead into the second quarter.

2nd: Liberty added two more goals to extend its lead to 4-1. In the final seconds of the half, Callery finished a feed from Emma Livingston inside the striking circle to pull the Mountaineers within two, heading into the locker room down 4-2.

3rd: App State appeared to cut the deficit to one early in the second half when Brynn Shaffer slotted the ball into the net. However, the goal was overturned following a video review due to a back-stick foul. Liberty capitalized on the momentum shift, scoring twice in the period to build a 6-2 lead heading into the final 15 minutes.

4th: Liberty added a final goal in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. Anderson recorded three saves in the closing period to complete her 10-save outing as the Mountaineers wrapped up their non-conference road swing against the 13^th-ranked  Lady Flames.

Match Notes
Goals: App State: Callery (1), Reyburn (1) | Liberty: Iapichino (1), Isaacs (1), Iudicello (1), Prieri (1), Tomasi (2), Tornati (1)
Assists: App State: Livingston (1), Fabian (1) | Liberty: Faust (1), Giacosa (2), Pollock (2), Prieri (1)
Winning Goalkeeper: Diane Saint Martin (5-3) — 0 saves, 2 goals allowed
Losing Goalkeeper: Dakota Anderson (5-3) — 10 saves, 7 goals allowed

Up Next
The Mountaineers remain on the road to resume conference play, taking a trip to Ohio to face the Ohio Bobcats on Friday at 3 p.m., followed by a matchup against the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks on Sunday at noon.  

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