Liberty University Flames

The Liberty Lady Flames women’s lacrosse team heads to Chapel Hill, N.C. on Wednesday to face the No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels to open the 2023 season. Game time is 5 p.m. at Dorrance Field.

Liberty seeks to build off its 11-8 2022 season. The Lady Flames finished as the ASUN runner-up to No. 1 seed Jacksonville. Liberty went 4-1 in the ASUN, with the only regular season loss coming to Jacksonville.

North Carolina (1-0) went undefeated last season, winning 22 games en route to winning the ACC title and the NCAA Championship crown. The Tar Heels opened the 2023 season with a 14-9 win over No. 12 James Madison.

Liberty was picked to finish second in the conference from the 2023 ASUN Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll for the third straight season.

Lady Flames News and Notes

• Four Lady Flames were named to the ASUN Preseason All-Conference team. Presented on Jan. 26, Liberty attacker Jordan Baerga, midfielders Mackenzie Lehman and Lizzy Ferguson and defender Mikayla Coghill received the honor. It was the second straight year Coghill and Lehman were named on the team.

• The Lady Flames are 0-2 all-time against the Tar Heels. The last meeting was in 2018, with UNC picking up a 23-4 victory.

• Liberty led the nation in caused turnovers per game (13.58) a season ago and finished fourth in the country in ground balls per game (20.89).

• Liberty is looking to replace the impact of five departing starters from last season. Those that moved on include, goalie Jennifer Soriero (led the conference in goals-against-average), Brooke Bryan (third on team in goals and assists), Mia Toscano (second on team in ground balls, third in draw controls), Alexa Evernham (second in caused turnovers, fourth in ground balls) and Hannah Quast (first in caused turnovers, third in ground balls). Quast is now an assistant coach with the program.

• Liberty lacrosse continues a trend for spring sports teams opening the season against the defending NCAA champion. Liberty men’s tennis began the year by hosting No. 1 and defending national champion Virginia (Jan. 19). Liberty softball faced No. 1 and defending national champion Oklahoma in California, last Thursday.

• Including No. 1 UNC, Liberty will face six teams who are ranked in the preseason 2023 ILWomen/IWLCA Division I poll. Liberty will host No. 7 Florida (April 12) and No. 12 James Madison (March 8) at the Liberty Lacrosse Field. The Lady Flames will travel to No. 11 Duke (Feb. 28), No. 19 Jacksonville (April 1) and No. 16 Notre Dame (March 19).

• The Lady Flames are 4-9 all-time in season openers. The last time Liberty won a season opener was in 2019, a 15-5 triumph at Lehigh.

• Liberty was 5-4 in road games in 2022.

Schedule

Liberty Opens Season Against Defending Champion No. 1 North Carolina