There will be a lot on the line in Thursday’s girls’ lacrosse showdown between Freedom and Liberty at BASD Stadium.

Playoff lives will be on the line for at least the Hurricanes (8-9), as they look to clinch their first district berth in program history.

They just need to beat their rival to solidify a spot in the postseason.

After losing to Freedom 15-9 two weeks ago, the Hurricanes have a chance at the Pates when it really counts.

“We learned that Freedom is a physical team who fights hard the entire game and doesn’t back down,” said Liberty head coach Samantha Weinert. “On offense, we will stay a little more patient with the ball and find the perfect shots. On defense, we will prepare to defend Freedom’s style of offense. On the draw, we were not as successful as we would have liked and would like to have more possessions starting from the draw.”

The Hurricanes will need to sharpen their sword on the defensive side to knock off Freedom, as they’ve given up 14 goals a game in their most recent losses to Freedom, Southern Lehigh and Parkland.

Despite those losses, Weinert thinks the team has learned from those opportunities, as they look to put a stamp on what may become the most successful season for the program.

“This season has been unforgettable,” said Weinert. “This group of girls are the hardest working, talented group I have coached. Thursday we look to make some changes in order to finish that game with a win and clinch districts for the first time in program history and best record in program history. This group of girls is determined to fight, compete and get better each day. We had great games against Nazareth, Parkland and Central Catholic. Those tight games really motivated and encouraged the team that we are not the same Liberty team of the past and we can be competitive with tough opponents.”

Freedom (7-7) might be in the same boat on Thursday playing for their playoff lives, depending on how the Pates fare against Nazareth (13-2) on Tuesday, past Press deadlines.

Freedom needs to finish with a .500 record in order to qualify for the postseason, making Thursday’s matchup a playoff game in itself for both schools.