Liberty Opens ASUN Play With Championship Rematch at No. 21 Jacksonville, Saturday
3/31/2023 8:57:40 AM | Women's Lacrosse
Live Video: Liberty at Jacksonville (ESPN+)
Live Stats: Liberty at Jacksonville
Liberty Women’s Lacrosse Instagram
Liberty Women’s Lacrosse Twitter
ASUN Women’s Lacrosse Home Page
Liberty looks to continue its hot stretch as they face the No. 21 Jacksonville Dolphins (5-5, 1-0 ASUN) on Saturday afternoon in its ASUN opener. First draw is set for 1 p.m. from Rock Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
The 4-5 Lady Flames have won three of their last four matches, with the victories coming on the road against Pitt (March 14) and home last weekend versus Winthrop and Furman.
Liberty is seeking its first win in 11 tries versus Jacksonville. The Dolphins are coming off a 14-5 season (5-0 ASUN) that saw them topping Liberty 20-12 to take home the ASUN title in 2022. The Lady Flames are 3-0 all-time in ASUN openers.
Liberty was picked to finish second in the conference behind Jacksonville in the 2023 ASUN Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll. The Lady Flames also had four players selected to the ASUN Preseason All-Conference team, including Mackenzie Lehman, Lizzy Ferguson, Mikayla Coghill and Jordan Baerga. Liberty’s four selections trailed only Jacksonville, who had six players selected.
Lady Flames News and Notes
• Lizzy Ferguson was named the ASUN Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday for the second straight week. Ferguson won a Liberty record 17 draw controls against Winthrop on Feb. 23 along with three ground balls and three caused turnovers. Ferguson ranks fourth in the country with 8.78 draw controls per game.
• Last Saturday, Ferguson also tied the Liberty program record with 79 draw controls in a season. Through nine games this season, she has 79 draws (No. 1 on team), 13 ground balls (No. 2 on team), 12 caused turnovers (No. 2 on team), 16 goals (No. 2 on team), one assist and 17 points (No. 4 on team).
• Liberty has been battled test in non-conference play by facing five top-25 teams.
• Junior Mackenzie Lehman leads Liberty in both goals (17) and points (25) and has eight assists. Jordan Sheive holds the team lead in assists with nine.
• Liberty’s Grace Loughery, a transfer from Navy, leads the Lady Flames in ground balls with 24. Liberty ranks 20th in the nation in ground balls per game at 18.00 per contest, but they trail Jacksonville who lead the ASUN (third in the nation) with 19.70.
• As a team, the Lady Flames rank seventh nationally and lead the ASUN in caused turnovers per game at 11.22. Loughery (13) and Ferguson (12) led the way, and three others are tied at 10.
• Jacksonville has already played its ASUN opener, topping Delaware State 20-3 on March 18.
• The Dolphins began the season with three straight losses but have climbed back to .500 despite falling in two of their last three outings.
• Liberty will look to slow down a Dolphins attack led by ASUN goals leader Sarah Elms (32) and Grace Hobson (27 points).
• The Lady Flames defense is facing a tall task, as Jacksonville leads the ASUN in clear percentage by getting down the field at a rate of 95.7 percent.
Main Photo at Top of Story: No. 38 Celena Kerr
