Liberty University
10-6, 6-0ASUN
Lindenwood
8-8, 3-3ASUN
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lindenwood | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| Liberty | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 22 |
Ferguson’s Career Day Pushes Liberty Past Lindenwood 22-8 on Senior Day
4/22/2023 6:00:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
The Lady Flames celebrated Senior Day by taking care of ASUN foe Lindenwood 22-8, Saturday afternoon at the Liberty Lacrosse Field.
Senior midfielder Lizzy Ferguson dominated the day with a new Liberty program record 18 draw control wins and a career high in goals (six) and points (seven). Ferguson's six goals are tied for the second most in a game in program history.
After a 2-2 tie after the first five minutes of the game, Liberty (10-6, 6-0 ASUN) pulled away from Lindenwood (8-8, 3-3 ASUN) with nine straight goals. The Lady Flames added an additional six-goal run after the Lions narrowed the lead to 14-7 in the third quarter.
Ferguson led the Lady Flames in goals and points, followed by Mackenzie Lehman with six points (3 g, 3 a) and Cami Merkel with four goals.
Senior Lucy Shimek scored her first career goal to put an exclamation point on the end of Senior Day.
Liberty has just one contest left in the regular season on the road, facing a final conference opponent Delaware State, next Saturday at 11 a.m.. With the win today, Liberty clinched a share of the ASUN regular season title for the first time in program history and could secure its first ever outright ASUN title and undefeated ASUN season next week.
Liberty has now won 10 or more games in five straight full seasons (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023).
Saturday's contest was the first ever meeting between Liberty and the Lindenwood Lions. Prior to the game, the Liberty lacrosse program honored its 10-player senior class – Jordan Baerga, Tori Banks, Mikayla Coghill, Andrea Colavito, Hannah Davis, Anna DiRita, Lizzy Ferguson, Kylie Jones, Grace Loughery and Lucy Shimek – with a special ceremony.
Scoring Summary
Liberty Goals: Lizzy Ferguson 6, Cami Merkel 4, Jordan Sheive 3, Mackenzie Lehman 3, Tori Banks 3, Jordan Sheive 2, Olivia Glaze 2, Kelly Scott 1, Lucy Shimek 1
Liberty Assists: Mackenzie Lehman 3, Tori Banks 1, Lizzy Ferguson 1, Kelly Scott 1, Jordan Sheive 1
Lindenwood Goals: Elisabeth Ralph 3, Logann Eldredge 1, Isabella Rulapaugh 1, Natalie Gane 1, Lexy Biller 1, Lindsey Smith 1
Lindenwood Assists: Logann Eldredge 1, Meredith Perry 1, Elisabeth Ralph 1, Isabella Rulapaugh 1, Paige Sutton 1
Goalkeepers
W: Taylor Gallarello 9-1, five saves
L: Eleanor Kast 8-8, five saves
Turning Point
After the two teams shared goals to a 2-2 tie, the Lady Flames put together eight straight goals to give them all the distance they would need for the win. The run included two goals each by Mackenzie Lehman, Lizzy Ferguson and Cami Merkel.
First Half Summary
• Liberty kept constant pressure on the Lions' defense with 21 shots in the half, including 13 in the second quarter.
• With the final goal of the second quarter, Merkel recorded a hat trick with a third goal to give Liberty a 12-4 halftime lead.
• Goalkeeper Taylor Gallarello played the entire first half, registering five saves while allowing four goals along with a caused turnover and a ground ball in her 30 minutes of play.
• Liberty won 14 draw controls with seven in each quarter compared to just four in the half for the Lions.
Second Half Summary
• The Lady Flames, aided by a six goal run between the third and fourth quarters, managed to score 10 total goals in the second half.
• Lindenwood narrowed the lead to 14-7 before Liberty pulled away to a 20-7 lea.
• Goalkeeper Mara Tellers came on in relief of Gallarello, grabbing three saves and also allowing just four goals in the second half.
• Liberty kept up the pressure by notching 20 shots compared to the Lions' nine second half shot attempts.
• In the Lady Flames' six goal run, Ferguson scored three straight goals in just over three minutes.
Key Stats & Notes
• Senior Lizzy Ferguson adds to her Liberty program record for career draw controls with 257 after 18 Saturday. Ferguson's 18 draws are tied for the third most of any player in the NCAA this spring.
• Ferguson entered the game fifth in the country with 8.87 draw controls per game. The senior added seven points (3 g, 3 a) along with a ground ball and a caused turnover.
• For the day, The Lady Flames outshot the Lions 41-19, outdrew them 23-9 and hadnine caused turnovers to the Lions' two.
• The two squads were even with 13 ground balls each and eight saves apiece.
• Liberty used free-position shots to their advantage, converting on six of its 11 attempts.
• Both teams successfully brought the ball up the field efficiently, with Liberty going 14-of-15 in clear attempts and the Lions going 15-of17.
• Goalkeepers Taylor Gallarello and Mara Tellers combined for eight saves on 19 total shots.
• The Lions committed 44 fouls to Liberty's 29.
• Jordan Sheive (2 g, 1 a) finished one point shy of her 100th career point as a Lady Flame. She will seek the milestone point versus on Saturday against Delaware State.
• The Lady Flames finish the season with a solid 6-2 record at home, with losses coming against ranked opponents No. 8 James Madison (March 8) and No. 9 Florida (April 12). Liberty has won nine of their last 11 games after beginning the spring 1-4.
Up Next
• Liberty hits the road for their final regular season game on the road versus Delaware State (2-13, 0-5 ASUN) on Saturday. First draw is scheduled for 11 a.m. from Drass Field in Dover, Del.
• The Lady Flames are 3-0 facing the Hornets, having last faced them in 2022 in a 22-5 home win.
