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1 VS 2: RADFORD AND LIBERTY SQUARE OFF FOR BIG SOUTH WOMEN'S SOCCER TITLE

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LIVE STATS | ESPN3

Coming off a grueling shootout win over fourth-seed Winthrop on Friday, top-seeded Radford will face off against second-seeded Liberty on Sunday, Nov. 10 as the two squad battle for the 2013 Big South Championship presented by Musco Lighting. The Highlanders (15-2-2), seeking their third straight title and the Lady Flames (15-5-1) meet for the first time in the championship match at 2:00 p.m. It will be televised live on ESPN3.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Radford survived a shootout with Winthrop in the semifinals and advanced to its third straight championship game and sixth overall… Following a 1-1 tie after 110 minutes, the Highlanders edged the Eagles, 5-4 in penalty kicks… In the shootout, the Eagles missed their third attempt and the Highlanders took advantage and made their final three… Sophomore Sally Dillinger gave RU a 1-0 lead with her first collegiate goal in the 24th minute off a nice combo play by freshman Melanie Priestley and senior Sahar Aflaki… The Eagles tied on a corner kick header by Anna Sammons in the 84th minute… Senior Che' Brown made four saves

A LOOK AT RU
The Highlanders' 15 wins are the second most in school history... RU is 3-1-2 in overtime games following the shootout win… With Dillinger's strike, 15 different Highlanders have scored a goal this season and 22 have recorded a point Senior Sydney Golden's game-winner against CSU was her fourth of the season to go along with four game-winning assists... Melanie Priestley's seven goals are the most by a RU freshman since senior Julie Ruh'e tallied seven during her 2010 rookie campaign... Entering the semifinal, the senior class is ranked 19th in all of Division I with a 56-18-8 (.732) mark.
 
BIG SOUTH TOURNAMENT
Radford is seeking third straight conference title and sixth overall… That was second straight tournament shootout win (2011 quarters vs. UNC Asheville)… Highlanders are 5-0 in title matches… Defeated Campbell, 1-0 (2011) and Winthrop, 1-0 (2012)… RU is now 19-11-6 in the Big South tournament and 18-9-5 under Ben Sohrabi… 5-5-3 in semifinal action… Have won five tournaments (1998, 2002, 2008, 2011, 2012)… 3-1-2 as the No. 1 seed; Won 2011 title as top seed (2-0-1)… 9-6-3 in quarterfinals… Had nearly six-match and 578:15 tournament shutout streak snapped by Winthrop's late goal.

BIG SOUTH ACCOLADES
Che' Brown was named Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season and third time in four years… Ben Sohrabi was tabbed Coach of the Year for the third time… Brown became just the second player in program history to earn four first-team nods (Nikki Porter 2001-04)… Brown is just the third RU student-athlete to earn 3-plus Player of the Year recognitions… Brown, Julie Ruh'e and Sydney Godlen were selected to the first team with Rachel Conway earning second-teams honors… Sahar Aflaki and Caitlin Annear garnered honorable mention  nods, while Britney Kendall and Melanie Priestley were named to the all-freshmen team.
 
THE LADY FLAMES
Liberty defeated High Point, 4-1 in the semifinals… Four different players scored and Brittany Aanderud dished out two assists in the victory… Holly Van Noord made nine saves… First finals appearance in seven years… Aanderud paces the Lady Flames with a team-best eight assists and 18 points… Crystal Elmers has collected a team-high six goals, followed by Aanderud and Alanna Dunkle with five apiece… Defensively, LU has only allowed 13 goals and recorded 13 shutouts… Holly Van Noord has played every minute in net and has posed a 0.60 GAA and .865 save percentage… Aanderud and Casey Norris were named first-team all-conference… Maddie Boone and Van Noord took home second-team honors… Van Noord was joined on the all-freshman squad by Julia Delgatti.
 
THE SERIES
Radford owns a 15-7-4 advantage in the series… The Highlanders shut out the Lady Flames, 3-0 at Cupp during the regular season… Melanie Priestley scored in the third minute… In the second half, Britney Kendall scored and set up Asyia Mitchell's goal… Radford is 1-2 against Liberty in the tournament… RU won the last tourney meeting, 4-1 in the 2011 semifinals; Sahar Aflaki recorded a natural hat trick in that game… LU earned its wins in 2005 (2-1) and 1999 (1-0)
 
UP NEXT
If the Highlanders win, they will take part in the 64-team Women's College Cup's first round next weekend.
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