2007 SEASON REVIEW 2008 SEASON

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1 2007 SEASON REVIEW 2008 SEASON Dubbed by the College Soccer News as A Season to Remember, the Liberty Flames put together arguably the best season in school history in 2007, capturing the program s firstever Big South Championship for its initial NCAA Tournament appearance. Using head coach Jeff Alder s philosophy of team over individual, the Flames group effort propelled the squad to 13 wins, the second- most victories in a season in Liberty history. In each contest, a different player stepped up for the Flames, who used a strong defensive effort to limit opponents shooting chances and a quick striking, opportunistic offense, in fashioning a overall mark and a 5-1 Big South record. In addition, Liberty, for the first time in the history of the NSCAA South Atlantic Region Weekly Poll, was ranked among the region s top 10 teams throughout the entire season, reaching its highest ranking of No. 5 on Oct. 2. On a humid, overcast afternoon in Lynchburg, the Flames opened their season at Liberty Soccer Field against the Mount Vernon Nazarene Mountain Lions with what would become a familiar sight throughout the season in home contests, a shutout. Senior Adrian Bumbut netted his first two goals of the year and fellow senior Toby Lewis scored on a header to lead Liberty to a 3-0 triumph in its opening match of the season. Four days later, the Flames used an outstanding defensive effort at Campbell to hand the Fighting Camels only their second loss at home in two years. Freshman goalkeeper Paul Gilbert had an excellent night in goal, turning away seven shots, as Liberty made Chris Phillips blast on the first shot of the game stand up for a 1-0 triumph. Solid defense continued to be a strong suit in the following contest at Gardner-Webb. Toby Lewis Despite seven corner kicks for the Runnin Bulldogs in the first half, the Liberty defenders allowed only one shot to reach Gilbert in a 0-0 draw at intermission. However, in the second half, the Flames quickly took control. Junior midfielder Joshua Boateng pounced on a loose ball two minutes into the period and tallied his first marker of the season. Bumbut followed 15 minutes later with a score of his own, as Liberty would go on to defeat Gardner-Webb, 2-1. The home team s goal was the first tally allowed by the Flames in 243:18 to open the year. During the ensuing week, Alder s club was ranked in the first regional poll. Looking to continue its momentum, Liberty squared off with unbeaten College of Charleston on the first day of the UNCW/Jameson Inn Soccer Classic. The Cougars scored two quick goals after the 65th minute to hand the Flames their first setback of the season in 2-0. However, the Flames rebounded two days later with a 2-1 victory over host UNC Wilmington. Bumbut found Boateng for a goal in each half of the Flames triumph. The duo, along with midfielder Daniel McGarry, was named to the all-tournament team at its close. Early in the ensuing week, Boateng garnered Big South Player of the Week honors for his efforts in the weekend tournament. After four straight road games, the Flames returned home to host Longwood. In an evenly played defensive tilt, the two clubs battled to a 0-0, two overtime draw. A week later, Liberty hosted instate rival Radford in its first conference match-up of the season. The Flames made it two straight shutouts and four on the season in defeating the Highlanders, 3-0. Midfielder Juan Guzman got Liberty on the scoreboard early with his first goal of the year. Lewis and Bumbut added second-half goals in the victory. The Flames ended September looking to extend their start to 2-0 in the conference and overall when they closed out their threegame home stand against Winthrop in a much anticipated early Big South match. On a warm afternoon, Liberty struck first, as Bumbut converted a free kick just outside the penalty area for a 1-0 lead less than six minutes into the contest. The Flames then held a talented Eagles defense in check the rest of the way for their third consecutive shutout and fifth of the year. Off to a good start in conference play and sporting a record, Liberty entered the month of October with its highest-ever regional ranking in the Oct. 1 South Atlantic Region Poll, being voted No. 5 in the region. In addition, Bumbut was named the Big South Player of the Week for his performances against Radford and Winthrop. On the field, the Flames struggled a bit at the start of the year s 10th month. Liberty took to Adrian Bumbut the road for a match at North Carolina, coming up on the short end of a 7-1 score. Four days later, the Flames hosted Marshall in a back-andforth defensive struggle which ended in a 0-0, two overtime draw. Liberty continued its shutout streak at home the following week with an 8-0 win over Columbia Union. Senior Brandon Patterson netted a hat trick for the Flames in the win. Alder s club then closed the week by traveling to Conway, S.C., for a meeting with Big South co-leader Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers scored two early first-half goals, only to see the Flames mount a furious rally in the second half. Lewis cleaned-up a rebound in the contest s 60th minute to cut the Liberty deficit in half and then proceeded to force five keeper saves in the closing minutes. However, the rally fell short as Coastal Carolina held on for a 2-1 win. Putting their first conference defeat behind them, the Flames quickly got back into the win column in conference play with a 2-0 victory over UNC Asheville. Junior midfielder Chris Mandell found Bumbut with a pass for a tally in the first half, while forward Justin Willoughby scored his first goal of the year in the second half. The shutout ran Liberty s season total to eight. Once again stepping out of conference, the Flames faced nationally-ranked Virginia in a midweek tilt. Despite outshooting the Cavaliers, 10-9, Liberty did not score in a 3-0 setback. Standing overall and 3-1 in the Big South standings, the Flames looked to make a push for a high seed in the conference tournament in their final two matches, both against league rivals. In their last road match of the regular season, Bumbut scored three times and Liberty s defense shut down High Point offensively, after allowing a first half goal, in a 3-1 win to close out October BIG SOUTH CHAMPIONS

2 2008 SEASON 2007 SEASON REVIEW Brandon Patterson As November began, the Flames looked to secure second place in the Big South standings in its final game, a match at home with VMI. Bumbut, McGarry, Guzman and Willoughby all netted goals, as Liberty closed the regular season with a 4-1 win. The VMI goal was the only goal the Flames allowed at Liberty Soccer Field in seven games during Before the contest, the nine graduating seniors on the Liberty roster were honored. Part of the largest recruiting class in the program s history, the group played a key role in the development of Liberty soccer over their four years in Lynchburg. Bumbut, David Cassidy, Dan Garber, Andrew Kappler, Jeremiah Kappler, Jon Letsen, Toby Lewis, David McCall and Brandon Patterson were each recognized for their contributions to Liberty soccer. Finishing the regular season with a 5-1 conference record and a overall mark, Liberty garnered the No. 2 seed in the 2007 Big South Championship in Rock Hill, S.C., where the Flames opened the tournament on Nov. 15 against the No. 7 seed, UNC Asheville. The night before the contest, several Flames took home honors at the annual awards banquet. Goalkeeper Gilbert was named the league s Freshman of the Year, while seven Flames earned all-conference team mentions. Bumbut, Guzman and defender Mike Gelatt were named to the All-Big South first team, while Boateng, Gilbert, McGarry and defender Douglas Nyame were selected to the second team. The following afternoon, Liberty found itself locked in a physical, defensive struggle through the first 62 minutes of play, before UNC Asheville netted the contest s first goal for a 1-0 lead. However, the Flames struck quickly in the game s final eight minutes, as Chastain knotted the game in the 82nd minute and Willoughby scored with 3:19 left to advance the Flames to the next round with a 2-1 win. In the semifinals, Liberty squared off against No. 3 seed and tournament host Winthrop. Neither team could find the mark in regulation, as the contest headed to over after 90 minutes. And after a scoreless first overtime, the Flames advanced to the Big South Final, when Boateng found the mark for a 1-0 victory. Two days later, Liberty claimed its first-ever Big South Championship title and an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament, also its first, with a 2-1 triumph over No. 4 seed Radford. After falling behind 1-0 earlier, Nyame tied the contest late in the first half on header off a corner kick. A few moments later, Chastain beat the Radford keeper for the game-winner. Liberty s Boateng was named the tournament s MVP, while fellow Flames Chastain, Willoughby and defender Andrew Kappler joined the midfielder on the all-tournament squad. Boateng also earned mention on both the College Soccer News National and Soccer Weekly s Player of the Week teams. The following week, the Flames played Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champion Loyola, Md., in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on the Greyhounds home field in Baltimore, Md. Host Loyola scored two goals in the first half and then held off a strong second-half from the Flames for a 2-0 win in Liberty s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. A few days later, Gelatt became the fourth Liberty student-athlete to be named a firstteam ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American. In addition, Boateng, Bumbut and Gelatt were named to the VaSID all-state squad, while Bumbut, Boateng and Guzman earned All-South Atlantic region honors. The College Soccer News paid tribute to the 2007 Liberty season by recognizing the Flames as one of 17 Division I programs with Seasons to Remember. The distinction paid tribute to the programs which greatly exceeded expectations, or won more games than ever before, or accomplished something that will be a springboard for future seasons, or put together an improbable run. No matter what the reason, the Flames certainly had a Season to Remember. Andrew Kappler 2007 Big South Champion Liberty Flames Jon Letsen 2007 NCAA TOURNAMENT 23

3 2007 STATISTICS 2008 SEASON RECORD: , 5-1 BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS NCAA TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANT 2007 SEASON CAREER PLAYER GP GS G A PTS SHOTS SHOT% GW PK ATT GP GS G A PTS SHOTS SHOT% GW PK ATT Adrian Bumbut Joshua Boateng Toby Lewis Justin Willoughby Juan Guzman Brandon Patterson Daniel McGarry Cameron Chastain Chris Mandell Bill Pinette Douglas Nyame Chris Phillips Andrew Kappler Mike Gelatt Michael Ward John Letsen Jeremiah Kappler Andrew Scheck Chris Osborne David McCall David Cassidy Thad Taylor Dan Garber Liberty Opponents Corner Kicks: Liberty 89; Opponents 53 Fouls: Liberty 221; Opponents 264 Yellow Cards: Liberty 22; Opponents 29 Red Cards: Liberty 0; Opponents 1 GOALTENDING STATISTICS 2007 AND CAREER PLAYER GP-GS MINUTES GA AVG. SVS. PCT. W L T SHO Paul Gilbert : Career : Panashe Nhekario : Career : Liberty : Opponents : Team saves: BIG SOUTH CHAMPIONS

4 2008 SEASON 2007 RESULTS RECORD: , 5-1 BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS NCAA TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANT DATE OPPONENT SCORE OVERALL BIG SOUTH SITE WINNING GOAL 9/1 Mt. Vernon Nazarene W, Lynchburg Adrian Bumbut 9/5 at Campbell W, Buies Creek, N.C. Chris Phillips 9/8 at Gardner-Webb W, Boiling Springs, N.C. Adrian Bumbut 9/14 vs College of Charleston^ L, Wilmington, N.C. 9/16 at UNC Wilmington^ W, Wilmington, N.C. Joshua Boateng 9/19 Longwood T, 0-0 2OT Lynchburg 9/26 Radford* W, Lynchburg Juan Guzman 9/29 Winthrop* W, Lynchburg Adrian Bumbut 10/2 at North Carolina L, Chapel Hill, N.C. 10/6 Marshall T, 0-0 2OT Lynchburg 10/8 Columbia Union W, Lynchburg Toby Lewis 10/12 at Coastal Carolina* L, Conway, S.C. 10/18 at UNC Asheville* W, Ashevile, N.C. Adrian Bumbut 10/23 at No. 13 Virginia L, Charlottesville, Va. 10/31 at High Point* W, High Point, N.C. Adrian Bumbut 11/6 VMI* W, Lynchburg, Va. Daniel McGarry 11/15 vs UNC Asheville (Big South) W, Rock Hill, S.C. Justin Willoughby 11/16 at Winthrop (Big South) W, OT Rock Hill, S.C. Joshua Boateng 11/18 vs Radford (Big South) W, Rock Hill, S.C. Cameron Chastain 11/24 at Loyola, Md. (NCAA) L, Baltimore, Md. ^ - UNCW/Jameson Inn Soccer Classic * - Big South Conference Match RECORD W L T PCT. Overall: Conference: Home: Away: Neutral: Ahead at the Half: Behind at the Half: Tied at the Half: Overtime Matches: SCORING BY PERIOD 1 2 1OT 2OT TOTALS LIBERTY OPPONENTS ATTENDANCE DATES TOTAL AVERAGE Home: Away: Neutral: Total: NCAA TOURNAMENT 25

5 2007 SOUTH ATLANTIC POLLS 2008 SEASON For the first time in the history of the NSCAA South Atlantic Regional Rankings, Liberty was ranked each week. NSCAA South-Atlantic Regional Rankings Sept Virginia Maryland Virginia Tech VCU ODU Towson Boston College George Mason Winthrop Liberty Also receiving votes: Drexel NSCAA South-Atlantic Regional Rankings Sept Virginia Virginia Tech VCU Boston College Maryland Old Dominion (tie) Winthrop (tie) George Mason Liberty Towson Also receiving votes: Drexel Sept Virginia Virginia Tech Boston College VCU Maryland Winthrop George Mason Liberty Towson Drexel Oct Virginia Virginia Tech Boston College VCU Liberty Winthrop (tie) George Mason (tie) Towson Drexel Georgia State Oct Virginia Virginia Tech Boston College VCU Maryland Drexel Towson Winthrop Liberty Old Dominion Oct Virginia Tech Virginia Boston College Maryland Drexel Old Dominion VCU Towson Winthrop (tie) Liberty (tie) William & Mary Also receiving votes: Radford, Coastal Carolina Oct Virginia Tech Boston College Virginia (tie) Drexel (tie) Maryland Towson Old Dominion VCU Winthrop Liberty South Atlantic Regional Rankings Oct Boston College Virginia Tech Virginia Maryland Old Dominion VCU Towson Drexel Winthrop (tie) Liberty (tie) William & Mary Also receiving votes: Radford Nov Virginia Tech Boston College Maryland Virginia VCU Drexel Old Dominion Towson Winthrop (tie) Liberty (tie) Northeastern Also receiving votes: William & Mary, Radford, Coastal Carolina Nov Boston College Virginia Tech Maryland Virginia VCU Drexel Old Dominion Towson Liberty Coastal Carolina Also receiving votes: Winthrop, William & Mary College Soccer News Jan. 21 A Season To Remember Teams Boston College Bradley Brown Campbell Central Connecticut State Connecticut DePaul Illinois-Chicago Liberty Louisville Loyola (Md.) Massachusetts Ohio State Santa Clara UC Davis Virginia Tech Wake Forest BIG SOUTH CHAMPIONS

6 2008 SEASON 2007 BIG SOUTH 2007 BIG SOUTH MEN S SOCCER STANDINGS CONFERENCE OVERALL TEAM W L T PTS. PCT. GA GF W L T PCT. GA GF x- Coastal Carolina y- Liberty Winthrop z- Radford VMI High Point UNC Asheville x- Big South Regular Season Champion y- Big South Tournament Champion z- Big South Tournament Runner-up 2007 BIG SOUTH MEN S SOCCER AWARDS ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM FIRST TEAM Saidi Isaac, F, Winthrop Adrian Bumbut, F, Liberty Daniel Revivo, F, Winthrop Mkhokheli Dube, F, Coastal Carolina Stephen Nsereko, MF, Winthrop Kevin Van Den Berg, MF, Coastal Carolina Juan Guzman, MF, Liberty Franklin Elimbi, MF, Radford John Gilkerson, D, Winthrop Kyle Russell, D, Coastal Carolina Mike Gelatt, D, Liberty Paul Caruso, D, Radford Patrick Mitrovich, GK, Winthrop SECOND TEAM Davorin Husadzinovic, F, Radford Djamel Bekka, F, Coastal Carolina Joshua Boateng, F, Liberty Scott Szymanski, F, UNC Asheville Otto Loewy, MF, Winthrop Daniel McGarry, MF, Liberty Scott Rojo, MF, High Point ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM Kelly Porter, Coastal Carolina Matt Schroeder, Coastal Carolina Adam Hatem, High Point David Hill, VMI Scott Rojo, High Point Michael Saryee, High Point ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM Kevin Van Den Berg, Coastal Carolina Cole Atkins, High Point Mike Gelatt, Liberty Paul Caruso, Radford PLAYER OF THE YEAR Mkhokheli Dube, Coastal Carolina FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Paul Gilbert, Liberty COACH OF THE YEAR Shaun Docking, Coastal Carolina Hilaire Babou, MF, High Point Henry Kalungi, D, Winthrop Douglas Nyame, D, Liberty Edwin Wotortsi, D, UNC Asheville Adam Hatem, D, High Point Paul Gilbert, GK, Liberty Paul Gilbert, Liberty James Leith, Radford Zach Morgan, VMI Brian Sowell, VMI Miquel Casajuana, Winthrop David Verga, UNC Asheville Daniel Welsh, VMI Ben Kieffner, Winthrop John Odum, Presbyterian Paul Gilbert 2007 Big South Freshman of the Year SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Kevin Van Den Berg, Coastal Carolina 2007 NCAA TOURNAMENT Adrian Bumbut 2007 Big South First Team 27