Lady Flames Soccer Wins First ASUN Conference Title

With the ASUN Championship crown and a chance to play in the NCAA Women’s Soccer College Cup on the line, the Liberty women’s soccer team narrowly prevailed against the Kennesaw State Owls in a 1-0 extra time win April 17. 

The historic game was the first time the Lady Flames won an ASUN Conference title since joining the conference in 2018. The road to this title was not an easy one, however, with the Lady Flames coming into the tournament as the No. 4 seed in their division (there were two divisions, with the tournament reseeding after each round) and beating two No. 1 seeds, Lipscomb and North Florida, to advance to the championship game. 

“No one had a more difficult path to that championship game than us,” Liberty Head Coach Lang Wedemeyer said.

Though Liberty had struggled in the regular season, finishing with a 3-5-5 record, the Lady Flames were riding a wave of momentum – and the game would be close based on previous evidence. The Lady Flames and the Owls played twice in the regular season, splitting the series 1-1.

As the championship game started, it was the Owls who were on the front foot in the first 20 minutes, with Kendall Higgs rattling a shot off the crossbar.

It was not until the 34th minute that the Lady Flames started to find a rhythm offensively. Head Coach Lang Wedemeyer made a tactical decision to bring on six different players at once, changing his lineup to shift the game’s momentum. It paid off, with the Lady Flames taking four shots and winning two corners in the final 10 minutes of the first half.  

However, the Lady Flames couldn’t find a way to finish past Kennesaw State’s goalkeeper Dylan Pixton. Both teams went into the locker rooms at halftime tied at 0-0.

In the second half, both teams strained to edge past their opponent and punch their ticket to the NCAA tournament, combining for 13 shots in the second half.

Liberty’s best chance came in the 84th minute, when freshman Meredith King was able to get past her defender on the wing and cut in for a shot right outside the 18-yard box. However, Pixton got down smartly to her right for her fourth save of the afternoon, keeping the game scoreless.

With extra time looming as the second half wound down, the Owls were able to produce one final chance. 

With just under two minutes left, the Lady Flames turned the ball over in midfield. Kennesaw State’s Kameron Downs raced through, one-on-one with Liberty’s goalkeeper Melody Jayroe. But just as Downs prepared to shoot, Liberty’s defender Rebekah Earnest came flying in with a tackle, saving Liberty’s title hopes. 

At the end of regulation, the score still stood at 0-0. With college extra time rules, the first team to score would win the game and the tournament. 

As the match went into extra time, both teams had several opportunities to score, but King drawing a foul in the penalty box in the 99th minute decided the game. Liberty’s McKinley Burkett stepped up and slammed the penalty past Pixton, claiming the championship  and giving the Lady Flames an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

“The nerves were definitely there,” Burkett said. “Thankfully, we have been practicing penalty kicks throughout the tournament, so I felt confident but definitely a little stressed.” 

“I am in awe of what these young women have achieved through this tournament,” Wedemeyer said to Liberty’s website. 

On April 19, the Lady Flames found out they will face the Washington Huskies in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 

“It’s going to be a battle, “Wedemeyer said. “It’s going to be a very difficult game, but we’re excited about it, we’re happy for this opportunity, and we’ll start that research and prepare our game plan.” 

Emmanuel Adamson is a Sports Reporter. Follow him on Twitter at @Eadamson12.