Wednesday, April 22
Lynchburg, Va.
2:00 PM ET
Liberty University
7-10, 5-3
5
vs
17
Delaware
12-4, 8-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 17 |
| Liberty | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
Delaware Stifles Liberty 17-5 in Final Regular Season Contest
4/22/2026 6:41:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty (7-10, 5-3 ASUN) were taken down at home 17-5 by Delaware (12-4, 8-0 ASUN) in the final game of the 2026 regular season. With the victory, the Blue Hens secured the 2026 Atlantic Sun Regular Season Championship with an undefeated conference record.
Liberty finishes the season as the No. 3 seed in the upcoming ASUN Women's Lacrosse Championship. The Lady Flames will face the No. 6 seed in the first round on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET in Jacksonville, Fla.
The Blue Hens' consistent attack was led by Jaclyn Marszal (3g, 4a), Ella Rishko (4g, 1a) and McKenzie Didio. Delaware forced Liberty to turn the ball over 22 times while limiting the Lady Flames to 14 shots while recording just two saves.
Ava Rajala scored two goals, including a free-position goal, to lead Liberty's offensive effort. Olivia Young tallied a goal on her only shot of the game. Hattie Messick added a woman-up goal, contributing to the team's scoring. Rachel Hines made 12 saves, providing a solid performance in goal despite allowing 17 goals.
Liberty concludes the regular season with a 1-9 home record, while hosting multiple ranked opponents and challenging competition. The Lady Flames fell in their first contest against the ASUN newcomer.
Liberty Goals: Ava Rajala 2 ; Hattie Messick 1 ; Kate Troutman 1 ; Olivia Young 1
Liberty Assists: Kendall Coss 1 ; Sophia Nesci 1
Delaware Goals: Ella Rishko 4 ; Mckenzie Didio 3 ; Jaclyn Marszal 3 ; Julia Ciufo 2 ; Morgan Gore 2 ; Lulu Rishko 1 ; Sophia Muscolino 1 ; Riley Sturtevant 1
Delaware Assists: Jaclyn Marszal 4 ; Callie Drab 1 ; Morgan Gore 1 ; Sophia Muscolino 1 ; Maggie Porter 1 ; Ella Rishko 1
Liberty Goalkeeper: Rachel Hines (7-10), 12 saves, 17 goals, 36 shots faced
Delaware Goalkeeper: Steph Marszal (12-4), two saves, five goals, 14 shots faced
First Quarter Liberty 1, Delaware 5
Ava Rajala opened the scoring with a woman-up goal on a free position shot for Liberty. Delaware responded with a goal from Julia Ciufo, assisted by Jaclyn Marszal, to tie the score. Lulu Rishko added another for Delaware to take the lead. The Blue Hens extended their advantage with a free-position goal from Sophia Muscolino, followed by a woman-up score by McKenzie Didio. Ella Rishko concluded the quarter's scoring with another free position goal for Delaware. The side took a 5–1 lead into the second quarter.
Second Quarter Liberty 3, Delaware 9
Kate Troutman put Liberty on the board early in the quarter with a free-position goal at 12:29. Delaware responded with Ella Rishko scoring at 10:48, followed by a woman-up goal from Riley Sturtevant at 9:26. Liberty's Olivia Young found the back of the net at 2:13, narrowing the gap slightly before Delaware's Jaclyn Marszal scored a woman-up goal from a free position shot at 0:53. Delaware led 9–3 at the close of the half.
Third Quarter Liberty 3, Delaware 14
Delaware's McKenzie Didio scored early to extend the lead. Morgan Gore and Julia Ciufo each netted free-position goals, bolstering Delaware's advantage. A goal by Jaclyn Marszal, facilitated by Maggie Porter, further increased the visitors' lead. Morgan Gore scored again with just 26 seconds remaining, closing the period at 14–3.
Fourth Quarter Liberty 5, Delaware 17
Delaware began the final period with a woman-up goal from McKenzie Didio after securing the draw control. Rachel Hines made six saves for Liberty, including stopping a shot from Ella Rishko, but Delaware's pressure led to a goal by Rishko. Liberty responded late in the quarter with goals from Ava Rajala, and a woman-up goal by Hattie Messick. Delaware maintained its lead with a goal from Jaclyn Marszal and ended the game with a 17–5 victory.
Lady Flames News & Notes
· Delaware outshot Liberty 36-14 with a 29-7 advantage in shots on goal.
· With two goals on Wednesday, Ava Rajala finishes with the team lead in points (58) and assists (33).
· Olivia Young has now scored a goal in her last 11 contests.
· After recording 12 saves, Rachel Hines (7-10) finishes the regular season with marks of an 11.81 goals-against average and a .434 save percentage.
· Madeleine Klunder led all players with three caused turnovers. The team recorded eight total.
Up Next
No. 3 seed Liberty (7-10, 5-3 ASUN) will face the No. 6 seed in the first round on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET in Jacksonville, Fla. The match-up will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Liberty finishes the season as the No. 3 seed in the upcoming ASUN Women's Lacrosse Championship. The Lady Flames will face the No. 6 seed in the first round on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET in Jacksonville, Fla.
The Blue Hens' consistent attack was led by Jaclyn Marszal (3g, 4a), Ella Rishko (4g, 1a) and McKenzie Didio. Delaware forced Liberty to turn the ball over 22 times while limiting the Lady Flames to 14 shots while recording just two saves.
Ava Rajala scored two goals, including a free-position goal, to lead Liberty's offensive effort. Olivia Young tallied a goal on her only shot of the game. Hattie Messick added a woman-up goal, contributing to the team's scoring. Rachel Hines made 12 saves, providing a solid performance in goal despite allowing 17 goals.
Liberty concludes the regular season with a 1-9 home record, while hosting multiple ranked opponents and challenging competition. The Lady Flames fell in their first contest against the ASUN newcomer.
Liberty Goals: Ava Rajala 2 ; Hattie Messick 1 ; Kate Troutman 1 ; Olivia Young 1
Liberty Assists: Kendall Coss 1 ; Sophia Nesci 1
Delaware Goals: Ella Rishko 4 ; Mckenzie Didio 3 ; Jaclyn Marszal 3 ; Julia Ciufo 2 ; Morgan Gore 2 ; Lulu Rishko 1 ; Sophia Muscolino 1 ; Riley Sturtevant 1
Delaware Assists: Jaclyn Marszal 4 ; Callie Drab 1 ; Morgan Gore 1 ; Sophia Muscolino 1 ; Maggie Porter 1 ; Ella Rishko 1
Liberty Goalkeeper: Rachel Hines (7-10), 12 saves, 17 goals, 36 shots faced
Delaware Goalkeeper: Steph Marszal (12-4), two saves, five goals, 14 shots faced
First Quarter Liberty 1, Delaware 5
Ava Rajala opened the scoring with a woman-up goal on a free position shot for Liberty. Delaware responded with a goal from Julia Ciufo, assisted by Jaclyn Marszal, to tie the score. Lulu Rishko added another for Delaware to take the lead. The Blue Hens extended their advantage with a free-position goal from Sophia Muscolino, followed by a woman-up score by McKenzie Didio. Ella Rishko concluded the quarter's scoring with another free position goal for Delaware. The side took a 5–1 lead into the second quarter.
Second Quarter Liberty 3, Delaware 9
Kate Troutman put Liberty on the board early in the quarter with a free-position goal at 12:29. Delaware responded with Ella Rishko scoring at 10:48, followed by a woman-up goal from Riley Sturtevant at 9:26. Liberty's Olivia Young found the back of the net at 2:13, narrowing the gap slightly before Delaware's Jaclyn Marszal scored a woman-up goal from a free position shot at 0:53. Delaware led 9–3 at the close of the half.
Third Quarter Liberty 3, Delaware 14
Delaware's McKenzie Didio scored early to extend the lead. Morgan Gore and Julia Ciufo each netted free-position goals, bolstering Delaware's advantage. A goal by Jaclyn Marszal, facilitated by Maggie Porter, further increased the visitors' lead. Morgan Gore scored again with just 26 seconds remaining, closing the period at 14–3.
Fourth Quarter Liberty 5, Delaware 17
Delaware began the final period with a woman-up goal from McKenzie Didio after securing the draw control. Rachel Hines made six saves for Liberty, including stopping a shot from Ella Rishko, but Delaware's pressure led to a goal by Rishko. Liberty responded late in the quarter with goals from Ava Rajala, and a woman-up goal by Hattie Messick. Delaware maintained its lead with a goal from Jaclyn Marszal and ended the game with a 17–5 victory.
Lady Flames News & Notes
· Delaware outshot Liberty 36-14 with a 29-7 advantage in shots on goal.
· With two goals on Wednesday, Ava Rajala finishes with the team lead in points (58) and assists (33).
· Olivia Young has now scored a goal in her last 11 contests.
· After recording 12 saves, Rachel Hines (7-10) finishes the regular season with marks of an 11.81 goals-against average and a .434 save percentage.
· Madeleine Klunder led all players with three caused turnovers. The team recorded eight total.
Up Next
No. 3 seed Liberty (7-10, 5-3 ASUN) will face the No. 6 seed in the first round on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET in Jacksonville, Fla. The match-up will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Team Stats
DELAWARE
LIBERTY
Shots
36
14
Turnovers
15
22
Caused Turnovers
11
8
Draw Controls
16
7
Free-Position Shots
6
6
Ground Balls
25
14
Game Leaders
G
2
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
1
CT
0
G
1
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-60
GB
0
CT
0
G
1
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
0
CT
0
G
1
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
1
CT
1
Players Mentioned
M
/ Women's Lacrosse
GK
/ Women's Lacrosse
D
/ Women's LacrosseM
/ Women's Lacrosse
A
/ Women's LacrosseA
/ Women's LacrosseM
/ Women's LacrosseA
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