Women’s Soccer Opens Title Defense Season Hosting East Carolina, Travels to No. 11 Virginia

LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Liberty women's soccer team begins its quest to defend its 2025 Conference USA Championship, welcoming East Carolina to Osborne Stadium on Thursday at 6 p.m. The team then prepares to take on No. 11 Virginia on the road on Sunday at 5 p.m. from Klöckner Stadium.

The Lady Flames claimed the 2025 CUSA Women's Soccer Championship while serving as hosts of the event, securing their second title in three years. Liberty opens the season in the same venue it secured the title when it hosts a season opener at home for the first time since 2018.

East Carolina serves as Liberty's opponent for a season opener for the second straight season. The team topped the Pirates on the road by a 3-1 count in Greenville, N.C. Liberty seeks its first triumph over Virginia, facing the Cavaliers for the second straight season.

Liberty serves as the preseason favorite to repeat as champions according to the 2026 CUSA Preseason Coaches Poll with nine first-place votes. Liberty received both selections of the Offensive (Halle Engle) and Defensive (Lauren Littleton) Players of the Year, in addition to three others on the CUSA Preseason All-Conference team (D- Sallie Garner, GK- Peyton Huber, MF- Avenley Monteith).

Thursday's home contest will be streamed live on ESPN+, while Sunday's tilt at Virginia will be available on ACC Network Extra.

Lady Flames News & Notes

Liberty is proud to be the only Division I program to receive the United Soccer Coaches Team Pinnacle Award in three consecutive seasons. The honor recognizes teams that excel on the pitch and qualify for the Ethics and Sportsmanship Award and the Team Academic Award from the United Soccer Coaches organization.
Liberty is 13-24-2 all-time in season openers. In the past 10 seasons, they are 3-5-1 in season openers and 3-4-1 under Head Coach Lang Wedemeyer.
Wedemeyer carries an overall 264-173-63 (.591) record into his 27^th season coaching. At Liberty, he owns a 103-50-24 (.650) overall mark.
In addition to aiming for back-to-back CUSA titles, Liberty seeks its third title in four years. Liberty has achieved back-to-back conference titles twice between 2000-01 and 2015-16.
The Lady Flames carry a 13-game unbeaten streak in Conference USA play into the 2026 season.
Liberty went 5-3-2 in non-conference play last season, which included games against ECU (3-1 final) and Virginia (0-2 final).
Liberty topped East Carolina 3-1 to open the 2025 season on the road. The Lady Flames look to even their all-time record against the Pirates, currently 3-4 against ECU.
The Lady Flames seek their first-ever victory against Virginia (0-17). Liberty hosted No. 17 Virginia last season, falling 2-0.
Halle Engle projects to lead the Liberty offensive attack. The CUSA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year led the team last season with nine assists and ranked second with six goals and 21 points. The fifth-year forward currently ranks No. 4 in program history with 60 points and No. 6 with 22 career goals.
Liberty led CUSA last season with 2.00 goals per game and a +24 goal differential.
Lauren Littleton headlines the Lady Flames defensive back-line. The CUSA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year returns after receiving recognition as the 2025 CUSA Defensive Player of the Year and CUSA Championship Defensive MVP.
Littleton was named a United Soccer Coaches Player to Watch among defenders.
Liberty recorded an .864 goals-against average last season, good for second in CUSA.
Defender Sallie Garner returns after missing the 2025 season due to an injury. Garner was named to the 2024 CUSA All-Conference first team and All-South Region first team. She was recognized as the 2025 CUSA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year before missing the season.
Liberty returns the 2025 CUSA Goalkeeper of the Year, Peyton Huber, to the 2026 roster. Huber. The senior earned a 9-2-2 record with a 0.56 goals-against average and a .759 save percentage.
Goalkeeper Ainsley Leja also returns to the Lady Flames, coming back for her sixth season. She boasts a career total of a 0.69 goals-against average and a .802 save percentage along with 21 total shutouts. The sixth-year goalkeeper started the first seven games of the 2025 season.
The team looks to replace the production of seven departing athletes from last season, including 2025 CUSA Player of the Year, forward Ivy (Garner) Younce, and 2025 CUSA All-Conference first-team selection, midfielder Briana Myers.
Liberty returns 21 athletes, including eight starters from the CUSA Championship final.
The Lady Flames debut seven newcomers to the 2026 roster, all incoming freshmen. The group includes 17-year-old Gabby Magee, who graduated high school early to join the team this fall.

Schedule

Women’s Soccer Opens Title Defense Season Hosting East Carolina, Travels to No. 11 Virginia

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Players Mentioned

Halle Engle

Sallie Garner

Peyton Huber

Ainsley Leja

Lauren Littleton

Gabby Magee

Avenley Monteith

Briana Myers

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