Liberty University
1-3-0
Appalachian State
3-2-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Liberty | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Lady Flames Rally to Defeat App State, 3-2
9/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Staring at a 2-0 deficit in the first period versus Appalachian State, the Liberty women's soccer team dug down deep for its first victory of the 2016 season, Friday afternoon at Osborne Stadium. After the Lady Flames (1-3-0) knotted the contest by halftime, a go-ahead goal by junior defender Sami Santos less than 10 minutes into the second period set up the 3-2 victory over the Mountaineers (3-2-0). The win marks head coach Nate Norman's first with the program.
Along with Santos, Liberty received goals from junior forward Isabella Habuda and redshirt sophomore midfielder Abigail Persson. The Sherwood, Ark., native also assisted on Santos' game-winner.
Senior forward Jane Cline accounted for both of App State's goals, while Jenn Bass was credited with an assist on the second Mountaineer marker.
Redshirt senior goalkeeper Holly Van Noord played the full 90 minutes, making eight saves. The Mountaineers' Sam Steyl had seven stops in the matchup.
Liberty edged App State on shots, 16-14, while corner kicks were even at 4-4.
Cline wasted little time putting the Mountaineers on the board during the fourth minute. After Bass lobbed the ball into the box behind the Liberty defense, the forward quickly pounced on it, sending a shot into the back of the net for the early 1-0 lead.
Cline was not done scoring, upping App State's advantage in the 19th minute. This time, the senior went solo on the play, picking up a loose clearing attempt and burying it into the left corner for her second marker of the afternoon.
The Mountaineers' two-goal lead did not last too long, as Liberty ignited the scoreboard in the 31st minute. Lam chipped a pass at the top of the 18-yard box to Habuda, who then tapped a shot into the right side of the net to make it a 2-1 contest. Habuda's goal marked Liberty's first on the year and the junior's first as a Lady Flame.
Persson continued the trend of firsts, scoring her first collegiate goal at the top of the 39th minute. The redshirt sophomore picked up a loose ball at the top of the key and rocketed it into the left corner to knot the game at 2-2 heading into halftime.
Liberty posted the game-winning goal in the 55th minute. Following a Persson corner kick, Santos collected the feed, lofting the ball into the net to put the Lady Flames up, 3-2.
The Mountaineers refused to go away quietly, placing two big shots on goal in the final 10 minutes. Van Noord's netminding prowess was on display, as she tapped the ball away with her foot following an attempt from Lindsey Tulley in the 81st minute. Nearly five minutes later, the redshirt senior came up big again, thwarting an attempt by Bass to ultimately seal the 3-2 final.
Liberty returns to Osborne Stadium on Sunday for a meeting with James Madison. The Dukes are 6-0 all-time versus the Lady Flames after earning a 2-1 victory in Harrisonburg, Va., last season (Sept. 6, 2015). Game time for Sunday's matchup is slated for 1 p.m.
Team Stats
Cline, Jane (2)
Assisted By: Bass, Jenn
* Lofted into box behind defense
3:51
Cline, Jane (3)
Assisted By: Peatross, Sarah
* Picked up loose ball at the top of key
18:27
HABUDA, Isabella (1)
Assisted By: LAM, Sierra
* Chipped forward to 31 at top of key, t
30:29
PERSSON, Abigail (1)
* Picked up loose ball at top of box, bu
38:01
SANTOS, Sami (1)
Assisted By: PERSSON, Abigail
* Picked up ball off corner kick, shot i
54:31
