Aggies prep for CUSA semifinal against Liberty

NM State faces its shortest turnaround of the season following a 2-1 victory over FIU in the 2026 CUSA Women’s Soccer Championship quarterfinals on Sunday night, earning a match against top-seeded Liberty on Tuesday, Nov. 10. The Aggies became the lone upset by seeding in the opening round of action, as the top three seeds (Liberty, WKU, Delaware) all advanced to semifinal competition.   

NMSU made its return to the CUSA Women’s Soccer Championship for the first time since the 2024 season, earning the No. 5 seed and a first-round matchup with No. 4 seed FIU Sunday in Newark.

A scoreless first half gave way to a swift shift in the second half, as the Panthers tabbed the first goal of the contest in the 49th minute. However, sophomore Esme Arenas would tally the equalizer in the 53rd minute, her third goal of the season. 

Fifth-year Aggie Sydnee Johnson tallied a highlight match on Sunday night, matching her single-game career high in shots (5), while setting a new best in shots on goal (3) – including the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute. The Renton, Wash., native has now scored a goal in three straight matches for the Crimson & White. 

Senior goalkeeper Karolanne Lafortune finished with 11 saves on 18 shots faced against FIU – tying her career best and ranking as the second most by a goalie in a CUSA Championship match. 

Liberty earned its third consecutive Conference USA regular season title in 2026, and first outright since joining the conference in 2023 following a 7-0-1 mark in CUSA contests. The Flames also hold a 14-match unbeaten streak (13-0-1) after knocking off No. 8 seed Sam Houston in their opening match of the tournament.

NMSU enters Tuesday’s match as winners of three of their last four contests, including a 2-1 upset of No. 4 seed FIU on Sunday night – the lone upset of the opening round of the CUSA Women’s Soccer Championship. The Aggies and Flames have met in each of NM State’s three appearances in the postseason tournament, and the second straight in the semifinal round. The two squads last met on Oct. 4, 2026, a 2-0 victory for the Flames in Las Cruces. 

With a win, NMSU would advance to the 2026 Conference USA Women’s Soccer Championship Title match for the first time since 2023. In the Aggies’ debut season in CUSA, they earned the regular season title and the No.1 overall seed following a 6-0-2 mark in conference play. 

The other semifinal match set to take place on Tuesday sees No. 2 WKU taking on No.3 seed and host Delaware. This would mark the first appearance in the title match since joining the conference in 2025 for the Blue Hens, while the Hilltoppers would make their first appearance since joining Conference USA in 2014.