Liberty Features League-Best 14 in ASUN Postseason Honors

2021 ASUN Conference Lacrosse Postseason Honors & Awards
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Following the conclusion of the ASUN Lacrosse Championship, Liberty had a league-best 14 different players honored in the 2021 ASUN Conference Lacrosse Postseason Honors & Awards.

The Lady Flames received four ASUN All-Conference first team members, six ASUN All-Conference second team honorees and five ASUN All-Freshman team honorees. Additionally, first-year player Mackenzie Lehman earned one of the league's four major awards, as she was tabbed ASUN Freshman of the Year. Liberty received 16 different postseason awards, a new program record.

Liberty's ASUN All-Conference first team players are Brooke Bryan, Sarah Steenson, Jennifer Soriero and Mia Toscano. Bryan, Steenson and Toscano were each unanimous selections. The Lady Flames' six second team honorees include Carly White, Mackenzie Lehman, Alexa Evernham, Mikayla Coghill, Claire Bratchie and Leah Ruby. Liberty's five all-freshman team recipients are Lehman, Olivia Glaze, Jordan Sheive, Jordan Baerga and Tori Banks.

Liberty finished with 10 wins in 2021 and was the ASUN runner-up for a second straight season. The Lady Flames advanced to their second ASUN final and third conference title game in school history this past Saturday after defeating Kennesaw State 23-11 in the ASUN Lacrosse Championship, last Thursday. Liberty fell 13-8 to Jacksonville in the title game.

Mackenzie Lehman (Freshman of the Year, Second Team)
Lehman, a midfielder, is the first ASUN Freshman of the Year in program history. She is the third conference freshman of the year in school history, joining Kayla Foster (Big South, 2016) and Carly White (2017).

Lehman earned ASUN Player of the Week honors on April 21, Liberty's first-ever freshman to receive that honor. The McMurray, Pa., native led all Lady Flames freshmen in goals (18), assists (9), points (27) and ground balls (23) and led the team in draw controls with 53. She was also second on the squad with 21 caused turnovers and appeared in all 19 games with 13 starts.

Lehman scored five goals in Liberty's ASUN Championship semifinal win over Kennesaw State, and she was one of only two players to score five times in a game this season. The freshman had three or more draw controls in seven games this year, including a career-high eight draws versus Kennesaw State on April 16 at the Liberty Lacrosse Field.

Brooke Bryan (First Team)
Bryan led Liberty in goals (50), points (55), free-position goals (21) and shots (83) this season. Her 21 free-position goals is a new school record, eight more than second place. The Westlake, Calif., native earned her first career ASUN Player of the Week honor on April 14. Bryan's 55 points this year are the eighth most by a player in a season in school history.

Bryan was at her best in the ASUN Championship, scoring four goals in the both the semifinals and final on her way to earning ASUN All-Tournament team recognition. The attacker scored three or more goals 12 times in 2021.

Bryan currently ranks 17th in the country in free-position goals per game (1.11), 21st in goals (50) and 37th in free-position percentage (.600). The redshirt sophomore led the team with nine goals in three ASUN regular season games.

Sarah Steenson (First Team)
Steenson, a defender, is earning her second career ASUN postseason honor after also being named to the ASUN All-Conference second team in 2019. A 2021 preseason all-conference team member, Steenson earned ASUN Defensive Player of the Week honors for the third time in her career on Feb. 24. The Haymarket, Va., native paced the Lady Flames with 36 caused turnovers and ranks No. 14 in the nation in caused turnovers per game (2.00).

The fifth-year senior also had 22 ground balls. Steenson finished her Liberty career with 104 caused turnovers, third most in school history, and 92 ground balls (No. 13 in program history). She had three of more caused turnovers seven times this season and scooped up multiple ground balls on seven occasions.

Jennifer Soriero (First Team)
Soriero was one of three Lady Flames to be named to the ASUN All-Tournament team for her performance last weekend at the ASUN Championship. She also earned her second career ASUN Defensive Player of the Week distinction on March 3 while setting the school record for single-season ground balls with 66. The Pompton Plains, N.J., native is currently No. 12 in the country in ground balls per game (3.47). She scooped up a career-best nine ground balls at Furman (Feb. 27).

Soriero is one of only two goalkeepers in school history with a 10-win season, as she won 10 games and made 141 saves, seventh most in a season in program history. Soriero's 141 total saves are currently 10th most in the nation. Soriero is one of only two goalkeepers in school history to earn first team all-conference accolades, joining Kristen Masullo (National Lacrosse Conference, 2011).

Soriero had seven double-digit save games, highlighted by a 15-save effort against No. 18 Virginia Tech in Liberty's season opener (Feb. 12). The sophomore preserved Liberty's 14-13 home win over Coastal Carolina on April 10 with a save on a Chanticleers free-position attempt with three seconds left.

Mia Toscano (First Team)
Toscano earns her second career all-conference honor after being named to the Big South All-Conference second team in 2018. The midfielder received two weekly honors in 2021, as she was the ASUN Player of the Week on Feb. 24 and the ASUN Defensive Player of the Week on April 21. Toscano ranked second on the squad in draw controls (51), second in goals (24), tied for third in assists (9), third in points (33), third in ground balls (35) and fifth in caused turnovers (19).

She scored two or more goals nine times this season and had a pair of hat tricks. The Venetia, Pa., native collected three or more ground balls six times, including a season-best six in the Lady Flames' victory at High Point. Toscano also had multiple caused turnovers on five occasions.

Carly White (Second Team)
White finishes her Liberty career as a four-time all-conference honoree. An ASUN Lacrosse Preseason All-Conference team selection, White went on to earn ASUN All-Tournament team recognition and also received ASUN Defensive Player of the Week accolades on April 14.

The midfielder from Marietta, Ga. finished second on the team with 36 ground balls despite missing four games and was also tied for third with 20 caused turnovers. White notched 16 goals, 15 assists, 31 points and 27 draw controls as well. The fifth-year senior dished out a career-high five assists in the ASUN Championship semifinals against Kennesaw State.

White wraps up her Lady Flames career as the program record holder in ground balls (203) and free-position goals (28, tied for first) and ranks second in points (190), assists (77), draw controls (224) and caused turnovers (108). She is also fourth in school history with 113 career goals.

Alexa Evernham (Second Team)
Evernham was one of four Liberty players to start every game this season. The defender from Swedesboro, N.J. was fifth on the team with 27 ground balls and generated 18 caused turnovers as well.

Evernham scooped up multiple ground balls eight times. She collected a career-best four ground balls versus Coastal Carolina (April 10). Evernham had three caused turnovers on three occasions, with one of those coming in the ASUN title game versus No. 17 Jacksonville.

Mikayla Coghill (Second Team)
Coghill started all 19 games for the Liberty defensive unit, one of only four players on the team to start every game this year. The Fredericksburg, Va., native finished fourth on the team with 32 ground balls and also had 14 caused turnovers and three draw controls.

The defender tallied multiple ground balls in 10 games, including a career-high four ground balls at Stetson on April 23. Coghill had two caused turnovers four times. She had four ground balls and two caused turnovers in two ASUN Championship contests.

Claire Bratchie (Second Team)
Bratchie, a defender from Clarksville, Md., started 18 games this year. The senior contributed 26 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers and finishes her career with 73 ground balls and 45 caused turnovers.

Bratchie collected multiple ground balls eight times this year, including a career-best five ground
balls against Radford (March 3). She also matched a career high with three caused turnovers at William & Mary, March 13.

Leah Ruby (Second Team)
Ruby, an attacker, finished third on the team in goals (23), second in assists (14) and second in points (37). She also had eight ground balls. The Johns Creek, Ga., native was one of two Lady Flames to score five goals in a game this season, as she scored five times in a win at Stetson (April 23). Ruby scored multiple goals seven times and scored twice in the second half of the ASUN title game against Jacksonville.

Ruby dished out multiple assists three times, notching a career-best three assists versus Delaware State (March 26). She ranked second on the team in goals (7) and points (8) in three ASUN regular season contests.

Olivia Glaze (All-Freshman Team)
Glaze tallied 14 goals, three assists, 17 points, 25 ground balls, 17 draw controls and 12 caused turnovers in her first season at Liberty. The midfielder made seven starts and appeared in all 19 games. Glaze notched her first career goals and first career hat trick in a home win victory over Radford. She scored the game-winning goal with 1:32 remaining in Liberty's 14-13 home triumph over Coastal Carolina, April 10.

The Alpharetta, Ga., native scored multiple goals in five contests and led all Liberty freshmen with 25 ground balls. Glaze scooped up multiple ground balls eight times.

Jordan Sheive (All-Freshman Team)
Sheive finished second among Liberty freshmen in goals (17), assists (6) and points (23) and also had 14 ground balls, seven caused turnovers and one draw control. The attacker from San Marcos, Calif. scored her first career goal at Robert Morris on Feb. 21 and notched her first career hat trick at Old Dominion, March 10.

Sheive scored three goals three times this season and had a trio of ground balls on three occasions. She made 17 starts this season, the most among Lady Flames rookies.  

Jordan Baerga (All-Freshman Team)
Baerga scored 15 goals to go along with four assists, 19 points, 10 ground balls, six caused turnovers and one draw control. The attacker from Clayton, Del. poured in a career-high four goals against KSU in the ASUN Championship semifinal round.

She notched her first career hat trick at William & Mary (March 13) and scored multiple goals three times. Baerga collected multiple ground balls, including a career-best three ground balls against KSU (April 16).

Tori Banks (All-Freshman Team)
Banks recorded nine goals, three assists and 12 points in 19 games this season while making two starts. She made her first career start versus Kennesaw State, April 16. The midfielder from Worthington, Ohio also added 12 draw controls, eight ground balls and four caused turnovers on the season.

Banks tallied two goals four times this year and scored her first career goal against Radford at home, March 3. The midfielder scored twice at No. 9 Jacksonville and won three draw controls two times during the season.