It may be the biggest win in Liberty women’s soccer program history. That’s how it was described as the final seconds ticked off the clock Sunday afternoon in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Liberty (6-0) scored three times over the final 18 minutes of the match to hand West Virginia a 3-1 loss.
West Virginia led 1-0 through the opening 70 minutes of the match, but the Flames owned the final 20 minutes of action.
A penalty in the box committed by Maya McCutcheon set up a penalty kick for Liberty. Rachel DeRuby hammered the shot into the left side of the net to even up the score in the 72nd minute.
Liberty then took the lead just after the clock struck the 86th minute. Saydie Holland logged the go-ahead goal, putting the Flames ahead 2-1.
West Virginia (2-4) tried to mount a comeback, but a mistake gave Allison Hansford a one-on-one opportunity against a charging Kayza Massey. Hansford won the battle, and scored the Flames’ second goal in 51 seconds.
Eight of Liberty’s 12 shot attempts were on goal. West Virginia, on the other hand, only logged two shots on target in the contest. The Mountaineers also committed 11 fouls, one of which led directly to Liberty’s second-half surge.
Chloe Adler got West Virginia on the board at the 15:40 mark of the first half. Taylor White assisted on the play, her first of the year. White, a sophomore, has been one of the bright spots for West Virginia. She continues to lead all players on the roster with seven points (three goals, one assist) after Sunday’s contest.
The goal was Adler’s first of the year and only the second of her career.
Nikki Izzo-Brown’s club returns home to Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium on Thursday when the Mountaineers host Auburn (3-1-1). Izzo-Brown’s daughter, Sammie, is a senior midfielder for the Tigers.