JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Nov. 4, 2026) – The ETSU men's soccer team opens postseason play Thursday afternoon, hosting Liberty in the SoCon Men's Soccer Quarterfinals at Summers-Taylor Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.
MATCHUP: No. 5 Liberty (6-7-2, 3-3-0 SoCon) at No. 4 ETSU (7-6-5, 2-0-4 SoCon)
DATE: Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 3 p.m.
VENUE: Summers-Taylor Stadium (Johnson City, Tennessee)
TV: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: Statbroadcast
SOCON TOURNAMENT CENTRAL PAGE (TICKET INFORMATION INCLUDED)
The Bucs enter the postseason after pitching shutouts in their final five regular-season matches. ETSU has not allowed a goal in its last five matches, going 514:34 minutes without conceding since its October 6 matchup against Gardner-Webb. Noé Delmotte has been a major part of that shutout streak. Delmotte has been in net for four of those shutouts and has earned back-to-back SoCon Defensive Player of the Week awards.
Offensively, the Bucs have scored 27 goals in 18 matches this season. Four ETSU players have scored four or more goals this season:
Jaime Carrillo (eight),
Gavin Dick (five),
Elliot Edwards (five), and
Joe Gonzalez (four). ETSU is the only school in the SoCon with four or more players with four or more goals this season. Carrillo (First Team), Dick (First Team), and Edwards (Second Team) also earned All-SoCon honors earlier today.
The Flames, meanwhile, have won back-to-back matches entering the SoCon Tournament, defeating Oral Roberts (2-1) and VMI (5-0). Leading the charge for Liberty this season have been its three All-SoCon honorees: Samson Kpardeh, Javan Ochieng, and Ronnie Gorman. Kpardeh led the team with seven goals despite only playing seven matches. Ochieng and Gorman were close behind Kpardeh on Liberty's scoring charts, with point totals of eight and 12, respectively.
Thursday will be the fourth all-time matchup between the Buccaneers and Flames. ETSU has never lost to Liberty, winning in shutout fashion in the previous three contests. The Blue and Gold blanked the Flames 2-0 on October 10. Dick netted both goals in that victory for ETSU.
For more information on Buccaneer men's soccer, visit
ETSUBucs.com and click on the men's soccer tab.
