LYNCHBURG, VA. – The Liberty Flames, seeded No. 3, are set to face the No. 6 seed Eastern Illinois Panthers in the Ohio Valley Men’s Soccer Championship quarterfinals. This match takes place on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET at Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Mo. The winning team will advance to meet the No. 2 seed Houston Christian Huskies in the semifinals on Wednesday.
This is the second time these teams have clashed this season. They previously drew 2-2 in a match on October 16, where Liberty initially led 2-1 before Eastern Illinois equalized.
Key Updates for Liberty Flames
- Liberty had a standout regular season, achieving a 4-2-4 record in conference play, their best ever. This surpassed last season’s record of 4-4-2.
- Despite a recent 1-0 loss to Incarnate Word, the Flames had remained unbeaten in six prior games, with a 2-0-4 record.
- In the previous two seasons, Liberty has struggled to progress past the OVC quarterfinals, facing tough competition. Last year, they fell to Eastern Illinois in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 tie.
- Playing at home has been a strong point for Liberty. With a 7-2-1 record, they outscored opponents 26-9 at Osborne Stadium. Conversely, their away performance saw them get outscored 14-9 with a record of 1-2-5.
- Liberty found the net 35 times during the regular season, ranking second in their conference and 13th nationally for goals scored.
- The Flames averaged 6.89 shots on goal per game, which placed them 16th in the nation and highlighted their attacking style.
- Several players have made significant contributions: Zach Lifferth leads with eight goals and 18 points, while teammates Leo Conneh and Sam Farner have also enjoyed standout seasons. Conneh has recorded six goals, and Farner has achieved career highs in goals, assists, and points.
- The heart of their defense includes Perry Blay, who has recorded seven assists, and Casey McCarthy, the captain, who has logged over 1,600 minutes this season.
- In goal, Tyler Beck has been impressive, playing every minute and boasting a goals-against average of 1.28. His performance this season has placed him among the top goalkeepers nationally for minutes played.
- Finally, head coach Kelly Findley announced his plan to retire at the end of the 2025 season after significant contributions to the program.
The matchup on Sunday promises to be exciting, especially as both teams are familiar with each other. Fans are eager to see if Liberty can break their quarterfinal streak and move forward in the tournament.
