Sunday, November 8
Newark, Del.
4:30 PM ET
Liberty University
15-2-2, 7-0-1
2
vs
1
Sam Houston
5-6-7, 1-3-4
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Liberty | 2 | 0 | 2 |
11/8/2026 8:32:00 PM | Women's Soccer
NEWARK, Del. – Goals by Margaret Garner and Halle Engle lifted No. 1 seed Liberty (15-2-2, 7-0-1 CUSA) past No. 8 seed Sam Houston (5-6-7, 1-3-4 CUSA) in Newark, Del., in the CUSA Women's Soccer Championship Quarterfinal on Sunday evening.
Liberty takes the first step to defend its 2025 CUSA title and will take on the winner of Sunday night's matchup between No. 4 FIU and No. 5 New Mexico State. The semifinal matchup will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night.
Garner opened the scoring in the 21st minute. The ball settled with the forward outside the penalty area; the junior marched in, manipulating the space around her until she had just the Bearkat keeper to beat. Garner sent a shot just beyond her reach, putting the Lady Flames on the board with her fourth of the season.
Minutes later, the CUSA Player of the Year put her skill on display, doubling the lead in the 27th minute. After a perfect forward ball from Avery Paulson from beyond midfield, Engle expertly held off her defender until she felt she was deep enough into the attacking area. The Fifth Year forward uncorked a shot to the far corner of the net, just beyond the goalkeeper's outstretched hand.
Liberty held Sam Houston to three shots in the first half, but the Bearkats kept pushing, unleashing none attempts in the second half. Sam Houston's Gianna Gomez cut the lead in half in the 81st minute, cashing in on multiple chances on a loose ball in the penalty area on a corner opportunity.
The Lady Flames held on in the final 10 minutes, despite a strong push from the Bearkats in the final minute.
Scoring Summary
21' – Liberty – Margaret Garner (4)
27 – Liberty – Halle Engle (8) – Avery Paulson
81 – Gianna Gomez (3)
Lady Flames News & Notes
Up Next
No. 1 seed Liberty (15-2-2, 7-0-1 CUSA) awaits semifinal opponent in the 2026 CUSA Women's Soccer Championship. The contest is set for 7 p.m. at Stuart & Suzanne Grant Stadium in Newark, Del. Visit BlueHens.com for tickets or follow LibertyWSoccer on social media.
Liberty takes the first step to defend its 2025 CUSA title and will take on the winner of Sunday night's matchup between No. 4 FIU and No. 5 New Mexico State. The semifinal matchup will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night.
Garner opened the scoring in the 21st minute. The ball settled with the forward outside the penalty area; the junior marched in, manipulating the space around her until she had just the Bearkat keeper to beat. Garner sent a shot just beyond her reach, putting the Lady Flames on the board with her fourth of the season.
Margaret 1?9? walks it in to kick off the tourney ?? Liberty 1? - Sam Houston 0 ?? ESPN+ https://t.co/Ze4DEdHyki
— Liberty Women's Soccer (@LibertyWSoccer) November 8, 2026
Minutes later, the CUSA Player of the Year put her skill on display, doubling the lead in the 27th minute. After a perfect forward ball from Avery Paulson from beyond midfield, Engle expertly held off her defender until she felt she was deep enough into the attacking area. The Fifth Year forward uncorked a shot to the far corner of the net, just beyond the goalkeeper's outstretched hand.
Right back at it ?? The CUSA Player of the Year doubles the lead. Liberty 2? - Sam Houston 0 ?? ESPN+ https://t.co/fNiHP0t9Yl
— Liberty Women's Soccer (@LibertyWSoccer) November 8, 2026
Liberty held Sam Houston to three shots in the first half, but the Bearkats kept pushing, unleashing none attempts in the second half. Sam Houston's Gianna Gomez cut the lead in half in the 81st minute, cashing in on multiple chances on a loose ball in the penalty area on a corner opportunity.
The Lady Flames held on in the final 10 minutes, despite a strong push from the Bearkats in the final minute.
Scoring Summary
21' – Liberty – Margaret Garner (4)
27 – Liberty – Halle Engle (8) – Avery Paulson
81 – Gianna Gomez (3)
Lady Flames News & Notes
- Liberty extends its unbeaten streak to 14 games (13-0-1). Its last loss this season was a 2-0 loss at Pitt (Aug. 27).
- The Lady Flames carry a 24-game unbeaten streak against CUSA opponents. Its last regular-season loss was against FIU on Sept. 27, 2024. The stretch currently ranks as the fifth-longest among Division l programs.
- The conceded goal was just the second from a CUSA foe that Liberty has allowed this season. The tally ended a stretch of over 600 minutes and six consecutive shutouts.
- Goalkeeper Ainsley Leja (13-1-2) now sports a 0.48 goals-against average and a .857 save percentage. She made three saves.
- Liberty outshot Sam Houston 25-12 and 9-4 in shots on goal. Liberty held a 6-3 edge in corner kick opportunities.
Up Next
No. 1 seed Liberty (15-2-2, 7-0-1 CUSA) awaits semifinal opponent in the 2026 CUSA Women's Soccer Championship. The contest is set for 7 p.m. at Stuart & Suzanne Grant Stadium in Newark, Del. Visit BlueHens.com for tickets or follow LibertyWSoccer on social media.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
GK
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's SoccerTeam Stats
SHU
LID
Goals
1
2
Shots
12
25
Shots on Goal
4
9
Saves
5
2
Corners
3
6
Fouls
16
8
Scoring Plays
Margaret Garner (4)
GOAL by LID Garner, Margaret.
20:26
Halle Engle (8)
Assisted By: Avery Paulson
GOAL by LID Engle, Halle Assist by Paulson, Avery.
26:54
Gianna Gomez (3)
GOAL by SHU Gomez, Gianna.
80:45
Game Leaders
fwd
Shots
4
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
4
SOG
3
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
4
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Wednesday, November 04
Monday, November 02
Wednesday, October 14
Saturday, September 26