The Lady Flames enter the game with a 1-2 record after an 18-7 setback to Richmond, Saturday in their home opener. This will be the second time Liberty has faced a ranked opponent already this season. The Lady Flames opened their schedule at No. 8 Notre Dame, Feb. 10.
Virginia Tech comes in at 3-1 overall. The Hokies upset No. 17 Boston College, 18-12, Saturday in Blacksburg. They entered the Inside Lacrosse Top 20 poll for the first time since 2011, Monday.
The Hokies lead the Lady Flames, 6-0, in the all-time series. The two teams last met in Liberty's 2016 season opener on Feb. 13, 2016 in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech defeated Liberty, 7-4, on that day.
How to Follow the Lady Flames
The Liberty Flames Sports Network (LFSN) will be providing a live video stream of the game. The link for the contest is available on lacrosse schedule/results panel on LibertyFlames.com.
Live stats for the contest can also be found on the lacrosse schedule/results panel. For those unable to attend, be sure to follow @LUGameday on Twitter for live in-game updates.
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| Liberty hosts No. 20 Virginia Tech on Wednesday at 4 p.m. |
Saturday's showdown with Virginia Tech is the second of four straight home contests for Liberty. After Wednesday's contest, the Lady Flames will host matches against Navy (Saturday, noon) and Old Dominion (March 4, noon) at the Liberty Lacrosse Field.
Lady Flames News and Notes
- The Lady Flames currently rank 11th in the nation in free position percentage (66.7 percent).
- Senior defender Ashlyn Altieri ranks No. 20 in the country in ground balls per game (4.33)
- Sophomore attacker Kayla Foster is No. 46 in the country in assists (4) and leads the team in points with eight and draw controls with 10
- Junior defender Lindsey McNamara stands at No. 31 in the nation in caused turnovers per game (2.67)
- Liberty freshmen have accounted for nine of the 25 goals scored by the Lady Flames, so far this season.
- The Lady Flames have a better shots on goal percentage (.754) than their opponents (.667)
- Through three contests, Liberty owns a 61-49 advantage on its opponents in ground balls
- Liberty is being outshot by its opponents, 96-61, through three games
- The Lady Flames are losing the battle for draw controls, 45-30, so far this year
- Liberty holds a very slight edge on its opponents in clear percentage (.661-.660).
The Hokies come into Wednesday's contest with early season wins over Gardner-Webb, Davidson, and No. 17 Boston College. Their lone setback came to James Madison, last Wednesday.
Virginia Tech ranks in the top-25 in the country in several categories, including scoring defense (No. 19, 8.25), scoring margin (No. 20, 6.25) and draw controls per game (No. 21, 14.50).
The Hokies feature a potent offense, led by junior attacker Tristan McGinley. McGinley leads the team with 15 goals (No. 6 in country) and 19 points (No. 7 in country). She is also fourth in the nation in draw controls per game (9.00).
Senior Kristine Loscalzo is 20th in the nation with 10 goals, while sophomore Zan Biedenharn is 28th with nine markers.
Senior Meagh Graham (3-1, 8.38 GAA) has seen the bulk of the time in goal for Virginia Tech. She has made all four starts in frame, recording 23 saves with a .418 save percentage. Graham also leads the team with 12 ground balls.
The Hokies are led by first-year head coach John Sung. Sung was the 2015 and 2016 Big South Coach of the Year at Winthrop, leading the Eagles to back-to-back Big South titles in 2015 and 2016.
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