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Thursday, August 14
Greenville, N.C.
2:00 PM ET
Liberty University
at
East Carolina
Women’s Soccer Opens Season at East Carolina, James Madison
8/13/2025 2:02:00 PM | Women's Soccer
LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Lady Flames begin the 2025 season with two challenging matchups against reigning conference champions East Carolina on Thursday and James Madison on Sunday.
Thursday's season opener at Johnson Stadium kicks off at 2 p.m. Sunday's matchup at Sentara Park begins at 6 p.m. Both contests will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Liberty kick starts its testing 2025 season against a pair of teams that are reigning conference champions in their respective leagues. ECU took the crown in the American Conference with a 10-4-7 overall record. JMU secured the Sun Belt championship title with a 12-4-5 mark. The Lady Flames came up just short of their own conference title last season. The team finished as runners-up with a 15-2-4 record, falling to No. 1 seed FIU 1-0 in the Conference USA championship game.
The Lady Flames return every starter to the 2025 roster from last season. Two-time Goalkeeper of the Year (ASUN- 2022, CUSA- 2023) returns after sitting out the entirety of the 2024 season.
Liberty was selected as the Conference USA preseason favorite, receiving nine first-place votes (119) in the 2025 CUSA Preseason Poll. Forward Ivy Garner was selected as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while defender Lauren Littleton was named the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. The Lady Flames led all other teams combined with seven selections to the CUSA Preseason All-Conference team.
Lady Flames News & Notes
Thursday's season opener at Johnson Stadium kicks off at 2 p.m. Sunday's matchup at Sentara Park begins at 6 p.m. Both contests will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Liberty kick starts its testing 2025 season against a pair of teams that are reigning conference champions in their respective leagues. ECU took the crown in the American Conference with a 10-4-7 overall record. JMU secured the Sun Belt championship title with a 12-4-5 mark. The Lady Flames came up just short of their own conference title last season. The team finished as runners-up with a 15-2-4 record, falling to No. 1 seed FIU 1-0 in the Conference USA championship game.
The Lady Flames return every starter to the 2025 roster from last season. Two-time Goalkeeper of the Year (ASUN- 2022, CUSA- 2023) returns after sitting out the entirety of the 2024 season.
Liberty was selected as the Conference USA preseason favorite, receiving nine first-place votes (119) in the 2025 CUSA Preseason Poll. Forward Ivy Garner was selected as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while defender Lauren Littleton was named the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. The Lady Flames led all other teams combined with seven selections to the CUSA Preseason All-Conference team.
Lady Flames News & Notes
- Liberty is 2-4 all-time against East Carolina. The programs will be meeting for the first time since 2003.
- The Lady Flames are 3-8-1 all-time against the Dukes. The programs last met in 2021, playing to a 1-1 draw.
- The Lady Flames seek to return to the conference title for the fourth time in as many years (2022 ASUN runners-up, 2023 CUSA champions, 2024 CUSA runners-up).
- Liberty returns all 11 starters from last season to the 2025 roster.
- Halle Engle led the team last season with eight goals and 27 points last season (3 assists).
- Ivy Garner returns after leading the team with eight assists and ranking second on the team with nine goals and 26 points.
- Including Avery Paulson (2024 CUSA All-Freshman team), all three Liberty forwards return and were each selected to the Preseason All-Conference team.
- Liberty's defense starred last season, helping to allow just 13 goals. The Lady Flames ranked No. 12 in the country with a 0.619 GAA.
- All four 2024 starters at defender return to the 2025 roster. All four defenders, Littleton, Kayla Magee, Sallie Garner and Elise Graf have received at least one CUSA Defensive Player of the Week selection in the past two seasons.
- 2023 CUSA Goalkeeper of the Year, Ainsley Leja, looks to return after missing the 2024 season due to injury.
- Liberty returns goalkeepers Grace Workman and Peyton Huber who combined for a 15-2-4 record, a 0.62 goals-against average (GAA), a 0.790 save percentage and 11 shutouts. Workman ranked as the No. 6 goalkeeper in the country last season with a 0.435 GAA.
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