SOCCER

The LU Flames had reason tocelebrate (below). Team members came through when it counted. Edward Tetteh(middletopand bottom) sendsthe ball goalward SeniorScott Lustig(below right) battlesa Longwood playerforthe ball LUwon 1-0

Under Dr Falwell's watchfuleye (right) Steve Schindler shootsagainst Tennessee Temple goalkeeper (LUwon 2-1) Edward Tetteh controlsball (below) and Flamesjubilee over another goal (bottom). Sam Johnson (5) holdsball. Mike Rivas(bottom middle)and Marshal Worthington (bottom right) dribble past Radford and Eastern Mennonite.

LUplaysstate-of-artsoccer,goes14-2-3

It wasn'tsupposed toend the way it did

The Liberty University soccerteam,ranked 14thin NCAA DivisionII, with a 14-1-3record. With 11 shutoutsand a Virginia Intercollegiate Soccer Association (VISA)league-leading 40-2 mark LU was predicted — even expected — to walk away with the VISA titlegoing into the championship match against Randolph-Macon College. Nov. 18.

Instead, R-MC carted offthe hardware, dealing the Flames a heart-breaking 1-0 defeat,

"We didn't play well," observed a disappointed LU head coach Bill Bell afterthecontest "We should have taken advantage ofthis situationto win against an average team."

Despite the championship loss. Liberty's 1985 campaign was its best ever.

LU chalked up team records with most wins,most shutouts, fewest losses and least number of goals given up (7) Also, the

Flames posted a 10-0-1 home mark.

At the startofthe season, Liberty ranoff tofourquickshutout victories before it tied Radford University 1-1 in LU's firstVISA game.

Following a 1-0 VISA win at Hampden-Sydney College, the Flameshosted Tennessee Temple University,Sept 21

Scott Arrowood quieted the huge partisan crowd in the 12thminute when he beat Paul Annan to give TTU a 1-0 lead.

LU refused to fold, however, and rebounded with two late second halfgoals from sophomores Chris Dickens and Samuel Johnson en route to a 2-1 win.

The red-hot Flames continued to goose-egg theiropponents, tying Roanoke College 0-0 and blasting the University of Districtof Columbia 4-0 and Eastern Mennonite College 50.

The International Soccer Association of America recognizedLUby rankingit for the first time(18th) inthenation. LU got as high as 8th inthepoll

Three more wins and its first loss (2-1) at defending NAIA champion West Virginia Wesleyan College set up the second-ever meeting between LU and Lynchburg College, Oct. 30. A defensive struggle produced a draw

Sitting prettyinVISA at2-0-2, theFlamessewed up theWestern Division titleand a playoff bid with shutout wins over Shenandoah College 7-0 and Washington and Lee University 2-0.

Inthe home semi-final, Liberty eeked out a victory over Christopher Newport College on penalty kicksafterno goals were scored in regulation or overtime. Ironically, Paul Annan scored the winner,vaultingLiberty into its first VISA title match

Although LU fell to R-MC, Bell still felthisteam accomplished much

"To have lost only two games with our schedule is a fantastic achievement "

— Steve Leer