by Jac Coyne | MCLA.us

LYNCHBURG, Va. -- You can see the smoke coming from underneath the door. You can put your hand up to the frame and feel the heat from the conflagration behind it.

At some point the Flame is going to be hot enough to burn down the door and finally send Liberty to the MCLA National Championships powered by Under Armour.

Is this the year?

The schedule appears to provide adequate strength with seven of the 12 contests coming against teams ranked at the end of last season. (Sorry, Noma).

Spring schedule finalized as Flames prepare for fall season @MCLA https://t.co/AGn2TqiRR9 … pic.twitter.com/3ae0wDlxHn
— Liberty Lacrosse (@LibertyLax) October 11, 2016

The Flames did graduate one of the most prolific offensive classes in MCLA history, however, and that will certainly be a concern for Kyle McQuillan and his brood as they embark on their annual quest to put Liberty on the national map. They are also in a conference that has several teams with sky-high aspirations, led by Georgia Tech.

A highly touted incoming class could help the Flames reach their goal.

Team: Liberty
2016 Record: 9-4
Conference record/finish: 4-0 / SELC Quarterfinalist
Head Coach: Kyle McQuillan (7th year)

Key losses
Ryan Miller -- He was a captain, first team All-American, SELC Offensive Player of the Year and a member of the SELC all-tournament team. Miller graduated with the most assists (136), goals (201) and points (337) in Liberty history (tied for first in MCLA history). He is the most decorated player in program history and will be impossible for us to replace. His on field play has helped grow this program from a SELC D-II championship in his freshman year to a No. 16 national ranking in MCLA Division I.

Brett Bernardo -- He was a team captain, first team All-American, first team all-SELC and a member of the SELC all-tourney squad. Brett graduated with the most assist (57), goals (102) and points (159) as a midfielder in Liberty Lacrosse history, and he did it all in just 3 seasons. Easily one of the most gifted lacrosse players to ever wear a Liberty uniform, his ability to take over a game will definitely be missed.

Brandt Grauss -- He was a team captain, HM All-American and first team all-conference. Brandt finished his career at Liberty as the most decorated Defensive Player in program history. His ability to isolate and remove any player from the game was unmatched on our team, but his genuine love for his teammates is probably what will be missed most.

Key returners
Nick Lombardozzi -- With the graduation of Miller, we expect Nick (26g, 19a) to lead our attack in the 2017 season. His speed and shooting ability help make him a threat on every offensive possession.

Sam Gregory -- Honorable Mention all-conference on attack after scoring 33 goals and dishing out 16 assists. In his freshmen year, Sam did an incredible job supporting a very talented attack. We expect Sam to continue in his success and emerge as one of the leading scorers -- not only in the SELC, but in the MCLA, as well.

Sam King -- This is Sam’s (1g, 2a) junior year, and with the graduation of our entire starting midfield line, it will be Sam’s opportunity to shine. His on-field vision and decision making make him one of the smartest players on the field, which will help him make a big impact on our 2017 season.

Best moment of the 2016 season
The best moment in our 2016 season was defeating Virginia Tech (15-7) to keep our home undefeated streak alive. Our seniors graduated without ever losing a single game at Liberty University, going a perfect 23-0 in four seasons.

Biggest challenge facing us in 2017
Our biggest challenge will be filling the shoes of all of our graduated seniors. Although in 2016 we graduated our largest and most talented group in program history, we also brought in one of the best recruiting classed as well. With 14 freshmen on the roster, it will be up to us to transition as quickly as possible to the team we know we are capable of becoming.

Why the Flames will be better in 2017
The Flames will be better in 2017 because we have more depth and talent than ever before. Again, we know that we are a young team, but we feel like we have a team that will find success early and continue to build on that for seasons to come.

Coach’s preview
This will be a very different team from year’s past, but we are confident that we will continue to improve. We have added some freshmen that will have a huge impact this season, and we expect to pick up where we left off in 2016. In 2017, we will be taking on one of the most difficult schedules with seven ranked opponents, including a trip to Colorado to play Colorado and Colorado State. We look forward to pursuing our first SELC Div. 1 championship and qualification for the MCLA tournament.