The Liberty University Women’s Soccer team hosted the Conference USA Women’s Soccer Championship at Osborne Stadium where they fought their way to the finals to come out as conference champions.
The Lady Flames entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed and opened play Nov. 2 with a 4-1 win over No. 7 Louisiana Tech University. CUSA Player of the Year senior forward Ivy Garner led the way with two scores, a major force of momentum for the game and the tournament.
Redshirt junior forward Halle Engle and sophomore midfielder Isabella Wedemeyer each added a goal as Liberty cruised to the semifinals in front of its home crowd.
Engle emphasized that the team’s resilience was a defining factor throughout the tournament.
“I would definitely say we were super gritty,” Engle said. “We train all the time hard against one another in practice.”
The same day, No. 8 seed Missouri State University shocked the crowd, upsetting top-seeded Western Kentucky University 2-0 in game one. Freshman Ellie Neath and junior Reilly Heman scored for the Lady Bears while redshirt junior goalkeeper Ella Becker preserved the shutout with a crucial late save on a penalty kick. This win sent them into the semifinal match.
Liberty faced Sam Houston State University in the first semifinal Nov. 4. In just the fifth minute, Garner struck first for the Lady Flames, securing her third goal of the tournament to give Liberty an early lead.
The first half was a physical battle, but the Lady Flames stood firm to enter halftime up 1-0.
Garner added her second goal early in the second half while Liberty’s defense shut down the Lady Bearkats’ attack to secure a 2-0 win and advance to the championship match.
“Our back line — Lauren Littleton and Maddyson Kerley — they’re being really strong. … We get very minimal shots on goal, … credit to them,” Engle said.
The second semifinal featured Missouri State and Middle Tennessee State University, with the Lady Bears earning another upset victory. They punched their ticket to the title match with a 2-1 win. Neath continued her standout tournament performance with the game-winning goal in the 33rd minute after Lady Bear junior Lillie Rasmussen opened the scoring in the fifth.
The championship match opened Nov. 7 at 12 p.m. with electric energy both on the field and in the stands.
In the first half, freshman midfielder Lauren Flax scored two goals for the Lady Flames. With the Flames offense generating plays, the defense took care of business to hold off the Lady Bears.
Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Peyton Huber recorded her sixth shutout of the season in this competition, and Garner’s successful penalty kick in the second half resulted in the final 3-0 score.
Liberty capped off its dominant run with this win over Missouri State to claim the 2025 CUSA title.
The Lady Flames’ defensive efforts were unmatched throughout the tournament, allowing in a singular goal across three matches. Garner finished the tournament with five goals, cementing her status as one of the nation’s elite forwards.
Engle noted that hosting the championship at home made the victory even sweeter.
“I love it. Praise Jesus to be able to sleep in our own bed,” Engle said.
Garner reflected on what the championship means for the team moving forward.
“It’s huge,” Garner said. “I think we started off the conference play a little bit shaky, and we’ve been improving ever since. … There’s so much that this team can do that we haven’t reached yet, and I think winning this title is going to be that true confidence boost we need going into the NCAA’s.”
With the win, Liberty captured its second conference championship in three years, since joining the conference in 2023, when the team took its first title. This victory advances the Lady Flames to the 2025 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship Tournament, set to begin Nov. 14.
Potter is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.