GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's soccer team will conclude non-conference regular season action against Liberty on Thursday at Osborne Stadium with a 6:00 p.m. kickoff. 
 

 
SERIES HISTORY VS LIBERTY
The Spartans and Lady Flames have faced off 11 times in program history with UNCG holding a 7-1-3 record. The two teams last battled in Greensboro on Sept. 15 where they played to a 0-0 draw.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPARTANS
UNCG fell to Charlotte on Sunday, 3-2, where Rina Ogimoto and Becca Graeser scored for the Spartans. The Niners outshot the Spartans, 16-6, while UNCG had the 4-1 advantage in saves.

ABOUT THE SPARTANS

• The Spartans concluded the 2024 season 5-9-5 overall and 3-3-3 in The Southern Conference (SoCon).
• The Spartans were voted to finish sixth in the 2025 SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll, earning 45 points.
• Redshirt senior midfielder Rachel Poplin was named to the 2025 SoCon Preason All-Conference Team.
• Poplin has started and played in all 19 games the past two seasons for the Blue & Gold with a career total of 3,238 minutes. She notched two goals for four points during the 2024 campaign.
• Emma Malone returns as the leading goalkeeper after notching 61 saves with a 1.14 GAA last season.
• Taylor Mentzer is the returning leading scorer for the Spartans after the senior recorded five goals last season.
• Merle Greulich follows closely behind as the returning leading scorer with four goals last season and was recognized as the 2024 SoCon Freshman of the Year. 
• Ava Kiss returns after leading the team with three assists last season and posting three goals as well.
• Ogimoto paces the team with five points (2G, 1A) this season.
• Kiss, Mairead Gayer, Bailey Gourdine and Graeser each have one goal.

SCOUTING LIBERTY

• Liberty enters its third season in Conference USA (CUSA) after winning the CUSA Championship in 2023 and finishing runner-up in 2024.
• The Lady Flames finished with a 15-2-4 overall record last season and were co-regular season champions with a 6-1-2 mark.
• Liberty was voted to take the crown in the 2025 CUSA Preseason Coaches Poll, earning nine first-place vote
• Sallie Garner, Lauren Littleton, Elise Graf, Gabby Miranda, Halle Engle, Ivy Garner and Avery Paulson were all voted to the 2025 CUSA Preseason Team.
• Goalkeeper Ainsley Leja (2-2-2) has made all but one start this season. The redshirt senior sports a 1.27 goals against average and a .680 save percentage on 68 shots faced.
• Garner paces the team with three goals this season.
• Garner (3G, 1A) and Engle (2G, 3A) share the team lead in points.
• The Lady Flames' non-conference schedule, so far, has included three ranked opponents with No. 17 Virginia (L, 2-0), No. 24 Virginia Tech (T, 1-1) and No. 9 Penn State (L, 3-0). They will host No. 21 Kansas following their game against the Spartans.

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UP NEXT
The Spartans will take some time off before getting set to begin SoCon play next week. UNCG will host VMI on Thursday, Sept. 18 with a start time of 6:00 p.m. at UNCG Soccer Stadium. The Spartans will then hit the road to face ETSU on Sunday, Sept. 21 at 1:00 p.m. in Johnson City, Tenn.