Denham's late goal not enough as Women's Soccer falls to Liberty, 2-1

Thursday, October 1

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

7 p.m.

Middle Tennessee

8-3-2, 1-1-0

Liberty

9-2-1, 2-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Liberty	1	1	2
Middle Tenn.	0	1	1

Box Score (PDF)

10/1/2026 10:29:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Maxson Hernandez-Trujillo, MTSU Athletic Communications

Murfreesboro, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee Women's Soccer dropped its CUSA home opener on Thursday night to the defending CUSA Tournament champions, Liberty, 2-1.

The loss drops the Blue Raiders to 8-3-2 (1-1-0 CUSA), while the Flames maintain their position at the top of the table with a 9-2-1 (2-0-0 CUSA) mark.

''We came out and played extremely well in the first half despite being a goal down,'' MTSU head coach Aston Rhoden said. ''I think we had some opportunities that we didn't take, or else the game would have been different.''

Middle Tennessee got things started quickly with two shots on frame in the first five minutes from Megan Carroll and Ania Denham.

Possession was fairly even in the first quarter of play, with the Blue Raiders holding a slight advantage possessing 54% of the ball.

In the 22nd minute, Carroll once again took a strike on goal after Denham's cross was parried towards the outside of the 18-yard box, with her one-time strike displacing Flames goalkeeper Ainsley Leja. The co-captain's second shot on frame tied her single-game career high, which she has now reached three times this season.

However, just two minutes later, a well-worked counterattack put Liberty on the board. Maddyson Kerley sent a through ball to the pacy Halle Engle, who bested Blue Raiders goalkeeper Demi Gronauer for her team-leading fifth goal of the season.

At the end of the first half, the Blue and White outshot the Flames 9-3, hoping to carry that momentum into the second period towards an equalizer.

Following the halftime intermission, Liberty came out swinging, forcing four saves from Gronauer in the opening 10 minutes. In the 58th minute, the Flames doubled their lead through a Gaby Bazan header from a free kick on the edge of the box.

With 15 minutes to play, the Blue Raiders earned a free kick of their own in the opposing half. Hannah Murphy sent the ball in, which bounced off of a defender before Denham pounced on the rebound for her team-leading eighth goal of the season.

Ania's team-leading eighth goal of the season gets us within one! 👊 pic.twitter.com/GDtHUDYmrF
— Middle Tennessee Soccer (@MT_Soccer) October 2, 2026

Her sixth consecutive match with a goal contribution is the first for a Middle Tennessee player since Hannah Tillett in the 2018 season, when she scored seven goals and provided two assists in a span of six straight contests between Aug. 31 and Sept. 30.

The Blue and White were unable to find an equalizer in the closing stages, with Hailey Phillips coming close in the final minutes after a strike from outside the box.

In goal, Gronauer made eight saves, the most by an MTSU goalkeeper since Aug. 22, 2024 against Louisiana, when she set her career high with 10 saves.

Up Next
Middle Tennessee will remain at home when it meets Sam Houston on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 1 p.m., before hitting the road for a clash with Missouri State on Oct. 11 at 1 p.m.

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