Late UMass winner leaves Liberty with a split in Maine — August 29, 2026

Liberty overturned a first-half deficit but could not protect its second-half lead against UMass, falling 3–2 on Aug. 29 at the UMaine Field Hockey Complex. Niamh McKenzie scored twice after halftime, including the winner with 2:38 remaining, to give the 15th-ranked Minutewomen the neutral-site victory over the eighth-ranked Lady Flames.

The result left Liberty at 1–1 after two games in Orono. UMass won its season opener. Liberty’s game account describes a finish in which the Lady Flames removed their goalkeeper but generated neither a shot nor a penalty corner after falling behind.

Teshawn De La Rey had supplied a timely response at the end of the first half. Liberty earned a late corner, and the freshman converted Dara Semmartin’s feed for her first collegiate goal. Luna Prieri then put Liberty in front early in the third quarter, collecting a loose ball before finishing a reverse shot.

The official scoring log records Emily Barrett’s opening goal at 20:43, De La Rey’s equalizer at 30:00 and Prieri’s go-ahead score at 32:45. McKenzie tied it at 40:47 and finished an Isla Campbell assist at 57:22.

UMass held a 10–6 advantage in shots, including a 5–1 margin in the final quarter. The Minutewomen also finished ahead 6–4 in shots on goal. Liberty’s three penalty corners all came in the second period; UMass earned its two in the fourth. That distribution helps explain the closing pressure: the Lady Flames had found their best attacking stretch around halftime, but the Minutewomen created more opportunities when the game was decided.