The Liberty women’s soccer team (7-5-5) learned their destination in the NCAA Tournament on Monday afternoon as the Lady Flames will face Washington (9-3-3). The winner of the first round match will advance to play No. 15 Saint Louis. Liberty and Washington will meet on Tuesday, April 27 at the Sportsplex in Matthews, North Carolina at 7 p.m. and it will be broadcast on NCAA.com.

The field of 48 teams, which will compete for the 39th NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship, was announced this afternoon by the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Committee. Twenty-nine conferences were granted automatic bids for the 2020 championship, while the remaining 19 teams were selected at-large. The entire tournament will be held in Cary, North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Games will be held on campus at Campbell, East Carolina and the University of North Carolina Wilmington, in addition to Bryan Park (Greensboro), J. Burt Gillette Athletic Complex (Wilson), Sportsplex (Mathews) and WakeMed Soccer Park (Cary).

The Huskies finished 3rd in the PAC-12 with a 5-3-3 mark in conference play. It will be the first ever meeting between the two programs. Liberty is 0-5 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. Washington is making its 16th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament, having done so in 2019 most recently.

Liberty secured a 7th NCAA Tournament bid on Saturday when the Lady Flames won the 2021 ASUN Women’s Soccer Championship, the first ever ASUN women’s soccer championship and first conference championship since 2016 when Liberty won the Big South.

Saturday’s win came in dramatic fashion. After 90 minutes of action in regulation, the 4 seed in the North Division, Liberty and the 2 seed in the North Division, Kennesaw State were both scoreless as the match headed to overtime. With the clock ticking under one minute remaining in the first overtime period, Meredith King drew a penalty kick. It set up Burkett, the University of Tennessee transfer, for the game winning goal.

The Lady Flames entered the ASUN Tournament having won three games all season. Liberty won four matches in the last 10 days to complete the surprising run to the championship, including wins over the 1 seed in both the North and South divisions. The previous two wins, including Saturday’s championship, came at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia. The Owls and Lady Flames split the regular season series, with each team winning 1-0 on the road.

Liberty’s run included wins over the defending ASUN champions in Lipscomb, who was the 1 seed in the North Division in the quarterfinals. On Thursday, the Lady Flames defeated North Florida who was the No. 1 seed in the South Division and entered Thursday’s match at 10-1 overall and undefeated in ASUN play with their only loss coming to Florida. Liberty becomes the first women’s soccer four seed to ever advance to the championship and are the only four seed to defeat a one seed in ASUN Championship women’s soccer history and the Lady Flames have done so twice.

Liberty was 0-2 all-time in the ASUN Championship prior to this year’s run and last won a conference championship in 2016 when Liberty won the Big South for a third time in four years. Liberty is now 7-3 all-time in conference championship matches. The Lady Flames have scored 12 goals over the last six games after scoring just six games in the first 11 games of the season. Saturday’s overtime match was the sixth overtime match of the season.

Liberty has been led throughout the season by senior goalkeeper Melody Jayroe. The Plano, Texas native ranks second in the ASUN with 62 saves this season, and on Saturday she posted the 21st shutout of her career, as she ranks 2nd on Liberty’s all-time shutout list. Junior forward Kasey Jamieson ranks 3rd in the ASUN with seven goals this season. Burkett’s penalty kick was Liberty’s first PK made this season and her second goal of the year, both game winners.

*photo courtesy Liberty Athletics