B2/Liberty Champion
Lady Flames falter vs. Tech, UVA Courtney Tyree
cntyree@liberty.edu
The Lady Flames volleyball team traveled to Charlottesville, Va, Sept. 15 in hopes of claiming a victory in the Marriott Cavalier Classic. Liberty took the court at 1 p.m. to face the Virginia Tech Hokies. They fell short in a tough-fought first set (2520), but pulled off a win in the second set with a kill from freshman Caroline Douglas (25-21). The Hokies pulled ahead and won the third match (2516), but the Lady Flames were not ready to give up. They stuck with the Hokies in the fourth match with a tie at 21all. Tech ended the set on a kill from Samantha Gostling to win the match. “I was happy with the way we played against Virginia Tech overall,” head coach Shane Pinder said. “We just had some moments where we didn’t convert some plays and had some chances to push it to a fifth set. We just fell short.” Tech’s hitting average of .309 bested Liberty’s average of .234. Senior Loren Thomas and freshman Caroline Douglas both posted 14 kills. Junior Jade Craycraft had 41 assists in addition to seven kills on the match. Sophomore Gabrielle Shipe had a teamhigh 13 digs with junior Becca Haraf adding 11. LU vs. UVA The Lady Flames were ready to redeem themselves as they faced the University of Virginia Cavaliers at 7 p.m. They started the match on fire with a 13-5 lead in the first set. The Lady Flames pushed through the match with help from Douglas and her setwinning kill, gaining a 25-18 victory. The second set was close, but the Lady Flames held their own and took the win (25-23), giving them a 2-0 lead over the Cavaliers. UVA started the third match with a 4-point lead, but Liberty caught up, taking the lead (18-17). Virginia ended the third set scoring the last eight of nine points, ending the game (2519). It was anyone’s match at the beginning of the fourth set with the score tied at 14-all. The set closed with a Cavalier win (25-23), forcing a fifth and final set. UVA started the fifth set with a strong lead, which helped them to a 15-8 victory. “We had a chance to end it in the third, had a couple opportunities in the fourth, and didn’t put them away,” Pinder said. The Cavaliers posted 70 kills in the match, while the Lady Flames posted 47. Liberty had 13 blocks compared to UVA is seven. Sophomore Ansley Gebben finished with 15 kills, while Douglas followed with 14. Shipe had a total of 22 digs on the night while Craycraft posted 33 assists. According to libertyflames. com, Thomas’ four blocks gave her a total of 403 blocks in her career. She is the third player in program history to have 400 or more career blocks. The Lady Flames will travel to Washington, D.C. Sept. 18 to take on the Georgetown Hoyas of the Big East at 7 p.m. TYREE is a sports reporter.
SPORTS
September 18, 2012
Grizzlies run over Liberty Jonathan Pearson jwpearson@liberty.edu
Liberty University’s rough start for the football program continued this past Saturday, Sept. 16 as the Flames took on the Grizzlies of Montana University at the smoky Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Mont. Smoke from nearby wildfires filled the stadium during the game, reducing visibility for players. The Flames made several mistakes that Grizzlies were quick to capitalize on, which cost them the game. The Grizzlies came up with a 34-14 win, leaving the Flames with 0-3 record. Admittedly, Washington-Grizzly stadium is a tough place to play – Montana has won nearly 90 percent of its home games since it opened in 1986. However this is the first since 2003 that the Flames have started the season with a three-game losing streak. The first 10 minutes of the game was a defensive standoff as both offenses tried to put something together. The game seemed slow until Montana’s senior running back Peter Nguyen tore down the left side of the field on a 90-yard punt return to bring the crowd to its feet. That play set the tone for the rest of the game. By the end of the first half, the Grizzlies had added another 17 points by a 32-yard run from fullback Dan Moore, a 6-yard push by freshmen quarterback Trent McKinney and a 42-yard field goal from the kicker, Chris Lider. After the half, Liberty came out on a mission and took advantage of a Montana turnover. Flames quarterback Josh Woodrum found the end zone for Liberty’s first score of the day, hooking up with wide receiver Pat Kelly for a 14-yard touchdown pass. Woodrum, playing in his first collegiate start, was filling in for the injured Brian Hudson. Later in the fourth Liberty stopped the Grizzlies offense and answered with a drive down to the 33-yard line. However, their
comeback attempt was put to rest by a failed attempt on a fourth-and-one play that was made worse by a false start, and ultimately resulted in a sack. Montana countered with its longest drive of the day (13 plays - 54 yards) that finished in the end zone to bring the score to 31-7 with 12:20 left to play. Woodrum dominated on the Flames next possession, completing five passes for 92 yards. He capped the drive by connecting with Ryan Ferguson for a 34 yard touchdown to put Liberty just 17 points away from the Grizzlies with a little more than 10 minutes on the clock. The Grizzlies ate up the remaining time with their next effort, leaving only four-and-a-half minutes for the Flames to work with. At the end of that 12-play drive, the Grizzlies put the ball through the uprights on a 46-yard field goal from Lider, bringing the score to where it would stay for the remainder of the game (34-14.) Woodrum made it into the record books as the 11th quarterback in Flames history to pass for 300 yards in a single outing. He accounted for 322 of the 342 total offensive yards Liberty posted on the day. The Flames looks to turn the season around this coming Saturday, Sept. 22 when they take on the Lehigh Hawks on their home turf at Williams Stadium at 7 p.m. PEARSON is a sports reporter.
Ruth Bibby| Liberty Champion
Flames score 12 goals in weekend series
Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion
AGGRESSIVE — In the first four games, the Flames have posted 31 goals. Bram Erickson (63) has scored twice this season. Courtney Sharp csharp2@liberty.edu The Liberty men’s DI hockey team took on the Atlanta Jr. Knights in the LaHaye Ice Center before a home crowd of 2,500 Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. The Flames won 8-4. Off to a slow start, the Flames fell to an Michigan early deficit within two native Rick minutes of gameplay. Turner has The Knights pushed scored nine out in front, tallying goals and the first goal of the two assists in game early in the first four games. period. Freshman Kyle Garcia responded for the Flames scoring a goal shortly after, making the score 1-1. Liberty continued to advance, with Rick Turner scoring two minutes later, giving the Flames a 2-1 lead.
FYI
A missed opportunity during a power play allowed the Knights to push another puck past Brown, knocking him down in the process and tying it 2-2. The Knights scored their third goal on a breakaway to take a 3-2 lead. Aggressive play turned violent when a fight erupted toward the end of the first period as both teams shed blood on the ice – causing a Knights player to be ejected from the game. “I’m not proud of the way the Flames handled themselves in the first period, but they did improve,” Handy said. After the fight, the Flames won the puck drop. Unfortunately, their luck ran out, as it was four-on-four hockey with no goals being scored during this time. Flames rallied to score in the last minute, ending the first period tied 3-3. Both teams had 11 shots on goal. The Flames were off to a great start in the second period as Rick Turner scored
within three minutes after the drop, giving the Flames a 4-3 lead. Freshman B.J. Pirus scored his first of two goals two minutes later, making the score 5-3. “Rick Turner and Baumgarten also did a good job tonight advancing the team,” Handy said. Power plays stacked up against the Knights, giving the Flames the opportunity to continue to pound shots at the goalie. The Knights were eager for a fight, always in the Flames faces after every controversial call. However, the Flames remained composed and allowed the Knights to hit the penalty box. The Flames went on to score another three goals, making the final score 8-4. Liberty will keep a similar lineup for Saturday’s game on Sept. 22, Handy said. SHARP is a sports reporter.