The Liberty University Men’s Soccer team entered Saturday night’s contest against James Madison University fresh off a 2-1 victory over the Longwood University Lancers Sept. 10.
Carrying that momentum, the Flames kept their undefeated streak alive Sept. 13, battling the JMU Dukes in a 0-0 draw.
Each team battled defensively in the highly-contested matchup, with Liberty firing 10 shots and JMU shooting seven. The Flames’ back line remained effective throughout the night, and sophomore goalkeeper Tyler Beck showed up when it mattered most, getting three saves to secure the draw.
The match began with high energy on both sides, as JMU kept pressure high in attempts to disturb Liberty’s rhythm. Entering the game with a 0-4 record, the Dukes played with urgency, searching for a breakthrough. Flames Head Coach Kelly Findley said the team expected to face the intensity brought on by the Dukes.
“Anytime you get a shutout is great. JMU has been a really successful program,” Findley said. “They’re a little bit of a caged animal and are looking for results, and they’re really hungry. I thought they came with a great fire.”
Despite JMU’s efforts, Liberty found its footing and began to generate offensive plays. Several Flames created chances throughout the evening, with multiple players recording two shots: senior forward Sam Farner, sophomore midfielder Spencer Moler, junior defender Lucas Kelly and sophomore forward Kai Tamashiro. Sophomore midfielder Aidan Morrison and senior forward Zach Lifferth each added one shot to round out Liberty’s attacks.
JMU sophomore goalkeeper Erik Jaspers denied all three shots on goal from Liberty, including late efforts from Tamashiro and Farner in the 82nd and 86th minutes. Beck matched Jaspers’ composure, denying three attempts from the Dukes. His performance helped secure Liberty’s clean sheet.
“(Beck) did a great job,” Findley said. “Our nickname for him is ‘Long Paw,’ so he definitely got the long paw out there at the end — he made a great save.”
The box score reflected the tight nature of the game. Liberty committed 12 fouls to JMU’s nine, with senior defender Casey McCarthy receiving the only yellow card of the night. JMU had four corner kicks compared to Liberty’s three, yet shots on goal were evenly matched at three apiece.
“It was a hard, fun game, but good quality,” Findley said. “I think we’re getting better. Looking at the schedule, we want to play hard games and prepare us, but certainly to get a shutout and play against JMU was huge. But we do know every game’s hard.”
The Flames will return to Osborne Stadium to face University of North Carolina at Greensboro Sept. 19 at 7 p.m., seeking to build on their momentum and add to their 4-0-2 record.
Clardy is an intern for the Liberty Champion.