Sunday, November 8
Greenville, S.C.
7:00 PM ET
Liberty University
7-7-3, 3-3-0
3
at
2
Furman
7-4-6, 3-1-2
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Furman | 1 | 1 | 2 |
11/8/2026 11:16:00 PM | Men's Soccer
GREENVILLE, S.C. – With Liberty down a man, midfielder Lachlan Middleton broke a 2-2 tie with a goal with less than 12 minutes remaining, propelling the No. 5 seed Flames to a 3-2 victory over the No. 1 seed and two-time conference defending champion Furman Paladins Sunday evening in the SoCon Semifinals at Stone Soccer Stadium.
With the victory, the Flames move to their first conference championship game since 2013. Liberty advances to the SoCon title game next Saturday against the No. 3 seed UNCG Spartans at UNCG Soccer Complex.
Liberty took a 2-1 lead during the 50th minute, as Goncalo Sousa and Pablo Matavele scored back-to-back goals.
However, the Flames went down a player after receiving a red card during the 69th minute. Despite Liberty goalkeeper Dan Rose making several outstanding saves, the host Paladins were able to tie the match on a penalty kick during the 72nd minute.
In a chaotic finish, defender Kyohei Euguchi found Middleton in the middle of the 18-yard box for a shot attempt, which the midfielder ripped into the right corner of the net for the lead.
Liberty moves to 7-7-3 on the year. 2024 and 2025 SoCon Champion Furman sees its season come to an end with a 7-4-6 record.
Scoring Summary
38' – FUR – Braden Dunham (Assisted by Diego Hernandez)
43' – LIBERTY – Goncalo Sousa (Unassisted)
54' – LIBERTY – Pablo Matavele (Assisted by Ronnie Gorman)
72' – FUR – Braden Durham (Penalty Kick)
79' – LIBERTY – Lachlan Middleton (Assisted by Kyohei Euguchi)
Key Stats & Notes
Next Up
Liberty will travel to Greensboro, N.C., for the SoCon Championship game on Saturday. The Flames will face the No. 3 seed UNCG Spartans, a 1-0 winner over No. 2 seed Wofford in the other SoCon semifinal. Match time at UNCG Soccer Complex is scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m.
With the victory, the Flames move to their first conference championship game since 2013. Liberty advances to the SoCon title game next Saturday against the No. 3 seed UNCG Spartans at UNCG Soccer Complex.
Liberty took a 2-1 lead during the 50th minute, as Goncalo Sousa and Pablo Matavele scored back-to-back goals.
However, the Flames went down a player after receiving a red card during the 69th minute. Despite Liberty goalkeeper Dan Rose making several outstanding saves, the host Paladins were able to tie the match on a penalty kick during the 72nd minute.
In a chaotic finish, defender Kyohei Euguchi found Middleton in the middle of the 18-yard box for a shot attempt, which the midfielder ripped into the right corner of the net for the lead.
Liberty moves to 7-7-3 on the year. 2024 and 2025 SoCon Champion Furman sees its season come to an end with a 7-4-6 record.
Scoring Summary
38' – FUR – Braden Dunham (Assisted by Diego Hernandez)
43' – LIBERTY – Goncalo Sousa (Unassisted)
54' – LIBERTY – Pablo Matavele (Assisted by Ronnie Gorman)
72' – FUR – Braden Durham (Penalty Kick)
79' – LIBERTY – Lachlan Middleton (Assisted by Kyohei Euguchi)
Key Stats & Notes
- Furman outshot Liberty, 14-7, in the match. The Paladins held a 9-3 shot advantage over the Flames in the second half.
- The Flames had four shots on goal, while the Paladins had five shots on target in the game.
- Host Furman held a 6-1 advantage over Liberty in corner kicks.
- Liberty's win is only the second loss by Furman on its home field in two years. The Paladins had not lost a game at home this season(6-0-2) and entered the contest 14-0-4 at Stone Soccer Stadium since falling to Charleston on Oct. 6, 2025.
- Middleton's goal was his second goal of the season. Sosa and Matavele each scored his third goal of the season in the match.
- Ronnie Gorman assisted on Matavele's goal to record his team-leading fifth of the season. Euguchi registered his third assist of the match.
- Neither goalkeeper made a save in the first half.
- Liberty goalkeeper Dan Rose finished the match with three saves, all key stops in the second half. Furman goalkeeper Aaron Salinas made one save.
- The Flames will appear in their first conference title game since 2013, when Liberty fell to Coastal Carolina 2-0 in the Big South Championship match on Nov. 17, 2013.
Next Up
Liberty will travel to Greensboro, N.C., for the SoCon Championship game on Saturday. The Flames will face the No. 3 seed UNCG Spartans, a 1-0 winner over No. 2 seed Wofford in the other SoCon semifinal. Match time at UNCG Soccer Complex is scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m.
back on top ?? ??: @ESPNPlus https://t.co/zeDydhAhju
— Liberty Men's Soccer (@LibertyMSoccer) November 9, 2026
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Soccer
MF
/ Men's Soccer
MF
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's SoccerTeam Stats
LIB
FUR
Goals
3
2
Shots
7
14
Shots on Goal
4
5
Saves
3
1
Corners
1
6
Fouls
19
13
Scoring Plays
Braden Dunham (4)
Assisted By: Diego Hernandez
GOAL by FUR Dunham, Braden Assist by Hernandez, Diego.
37:17
Goncalo Sousa (3)
GOAL by LIB Sousa, Goncalo.
42:14
Pablo Matavele (3)
Assisted By: Ronnie Gorman
GOAL by LIB Matavele, Pablo Assist by Gorman, Ronnie.
49:03
Braden Dunham (4)
FUR Braden Dunham PENALTY KICK GOAL.
71:53
Lachlan Middleton (2)
Assisted By: Kyohei Eguchi
GOAL by LIB Middleton, Lachlan Assist by Eguchi, Kyohei.
78:33
Game Leaders
Shots
2
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
0
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
Saturday, October 31
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Tuesday, May 19