Liberty University
0-2
Richmond
3-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| Richmond | 6 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 16 |
No. 21 Spiders Down Flames 16-8, Saturday Afternoon at Robins Stadium
2/18/2023 7:17:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
The Liberty Lady Flames lacrosse team took the road loss Saturday afternoon to the in-state No. 21 Richmond Spiders, 16-8.
The Spiders (3-0) were sparked by nine straight goals between the first and second quarters to put the game out of reach for the Lady Flames (0-2).
The game was Richmond's home opener after starting the season with road contests at Queens and William & Mary.
Liberty's Lizzy Ferguson had a career-high 13 draw controls, a career high for the senior. Her 13 draw controls matches a program record. She now shares the school record with Morgan Learn, who achieved the feat on Feb. 26, 2020 at home against Winthrop.
Mackenzie Lehman had four goals, and Cami Merkel had a hat trick for Liberty. Richmond's Lindsay Frank (6 g) and Arden Tierney (2 g, 4 a) led the way for the Spiders with six points each.
No. 21 Richmond was the second ranked opponent that Liberty has faced to open the season. The Lady Flames began the season on the road, falling 18-6 to No. 1 North Carolina on Wednesday.
Scoring Summary
Liberty Goals: Mackenzie Lehman 4, Cami Merkel 3, Katie Colavito 1
Liberty Assists: Jordan Sheive 1
Richmond Goals: Lindsey Frank 6, Colleen Quinn 3, Sophia DeCenso 2, Arden Tierney 2, Ali Susskind 1, Kendall Duffy
Richmond Assists: Arden Tierney 4, Colleen Quinn 1
Goalkeepers
W: Daniela Stecler 3-0, eight saves
L: Mara Tellers 0-2, eight saves
Turning Point
Tied at 1-1 after 2:33 of play in the opening quarter, the Richmond Spiders scored nine straight goals over the next 21:45 of play to get a commanding 10-1 lead. The tally was 7-6 in favor of Liberty the rest of the way.
First Half Summary
• Richmond got the first goal of the game thanks to Kendall Duffy but was quickly answered by Liberty's Mackenzie Lehman with her second goal of the season.
• The Spiders responded with nine unanswered goals, five in the first quarter, four in the second. The next Lady Flames' goal was bookended by Lehman's second marker of the day.
• The Spiders led the match 12-3 at the end of the first half.Â
Second Half Summary
• Liberty was able to regain control in the match, outscoring the Spiders 5-4 in the second half.
Key Stats & Notes
• Richmond came to Lynchburg for the Lady Flames' home opener last season, also in Liberty's second game, with Liberty losing in a tight 13-12 bout in overtime. Liberty returned the favor by visiting Richmond for their home opener this season.
• Richmond dominated in grabbing ground balls, outpacing Liberty 16-2 in the first half and 25-9 for the game.
• Katie Colavito, a freshman, earned her first Liberty goal from a free position shot in the fourth quarter with six seconds left in the game. It was Colavito's second career game, as she also notched two shots and one draw control for the game.
• The Lady Flames earned four of their goals from free position, with Merkel cashing in twice from the eight-meter arc.
• Along with tying the Lady Flames record for draw controls with 13, Lizzy Ferguson forced two of Liberty's three total caused turnovers.
• The Lady Flames had six players with multiple shots throughout the match, matching Richmond. The Spiders led in total shots 34-21.
• Liberty falls to 0-9 all-time against the Spiders.
Up Next
• Liberty comes back to Lynchburg for their home opener, welcoming the VCU Rams. First draw is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at the Liberty Lacrosse Field.
• The Lady Flames and Rams have met twice in program history, splitting the series 1-1. The two squads last met together in 2017, with VCU topping Liberty 21-12 in Richmond, Va.
• Liberty is 6-7 all-time in home openers as they seek to even the record.
