Sunday, November 5
Edwardsville, Ill.
2:00 PM ET/1:00 PM CT
Liberty University
vs
Eastern Illinois
Flames to Face Eastern Illinois to Open OVC Tournament Sunday
11/3/2023 10:10:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Lynchburg, Va. - The Liberty Flames will face the Eastern Illinois Panthers in the quarterfinals of the first-ever Ohio Valley Men's Soccer Championship on Sunday at Ralph Korte Stadium in Edwardsville, Ill. The No. 3 seed Flames and No. 6 seed Panthers will be the first of two quarterfinal games. The winner of the match will advance to play the No. 2 seed UIW Cardinals in a semifinal matchup Wednesday.
OVC Championship Central
Game Notes
Liberty Notables
OVC Championship Central
Game Notes
Liberty Notables
- The No. 3 seed Liberty Flames will square off with the No. 6 seed Eastern Illinois Panthers in Game 1 of the first-ever Ohio Valley Men's Soccer Championship Sunday. The matchup will be the first of two quarterfinal games at Ralph Korte Stadium in Edwardsville, Ill.
- The winner of the OVC Quarterfinal match will advance to play No. 2 seed UIW in one of the two semifinal contests on Wednesday.
- Liberty finished 4-4-2 in OVC play during the regular season to finish third in the conference standings to claim the No. 3 seed for the tournament. The Flames opponent, Eastern Illinois, posted a 3-5-2 mark in league play to secure the No. 6 seed and final spot in the tournament.
- The Flames and Panthers will meet for the second time this season on Sunday. Liberty won 4-0 at Eastern Illinois on Oct. 12.
- The Flames completed their 2023 regular season with a 9-6-2 record. Liberty's nine wins are the most by a Flames team in head coach Kelly Findley's five seasons and the most victories since Liberty went 10-6-1 in 2017.
- Sunday's contest will be Liberty's first neutral site game of 2023. The Flames went 7-2 at home this season and posted a 2-4-2 mark on the road.
- Liberty has outscored its opponents, 35-25, so far in 2023. The Flames are second in OVC and 17th nationally in total goals. Liberty has scored 35 goals in 2023, the most by a Flames team since 2010. That year, Liberty also scored 35 goals. The Flames also enter the weekend 19th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 2.06 goals per game.
- Luke Eberle enters the OVC tournament as the Flames leader and second in the conference with a career-high seven goals. The midfielder also has four assists to lead Liberty and rank second in the OVC with 17 points. Eberle's seven goals are the most by a Flame in a season since Kevin Mendoza and Tresor Mbuyu each scored 12 in 2018.
- Gabe Findley, Michael Huss and Bryce Swinehart are second on Liberty and tied for eighth in the OVC with five goals each. Huss has assisted four goals and is second to Eberle in points with 14. Findley also has three assists on the season and will enter the weekend with 13 points.
- Findley's, Huss's and Swinehart's goal totals are career-highs for each player.
- Forward Leo Conneh is tied for the OVC lead with seven assists. The freshman is one of seven Flames with three assists or more this season.
- Liberty enters the weekend with a 1.47 goals-against average, currently third in the OVC.
- Goalkeeper Owen Moore has started each of the last six games for the Flames and has started 11 contests in 2023. The sophomore has posted a 6-3-2 mark with a 1.18 goals-against average and a .639 save percentage.
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