SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – The Liberty Flames scored two goals less than four minutes to defeat the San Diego State Aztecs 2-1 at the SDSU Sports Desk Thursday evening.
After a scoreless first half, Samson Kpardeh and Pablo Matavele netted goals 3:51 apart early in the second half, and then used a solid defensive effort to secure the victory.
The win moves the Flames to 1-0 and marks Head Coach Scott Wells‘ first win at Liberty. San Diego State drops to 0-1.
Scoring Summary
52′ – LIBERTY – Samson Kpardeh (Assisted by Hugo Kopke and Finn van den Berg)
56′ – LIBERTY – Pablo Matavele (Assisted by Javan Ochieng and Ronnie Gorman)
77′ – SDSU – Jonah Kawamura (Penalty Kick)
Key Stats & Notes
Liberty doubled San Diego State in shots, 14-7. The Flames held a 6-5 edge in shots on goal over the Aztecs.
San Diego State held a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks.
The Flames outshot the Aztecs, 5-3, in the first half. However, host SDSU had three shots on goal, all stopped by Liberty goalkeeper Dan Rose, while Liberty did not have a shot on target.
Kpardeh, who scored eight goals last season at Gardner-Webb, and Matavele, a freshman, each netted their first goal as a Flame.
Hugo Kopke, Finn van den Berg, Javan Ochieng and Ronnie Gorman all drew assists in the contest.
Rose, making his first start at Liberty, recorded four saves. Rose made three saves earlier in the first half to keep the game scoreless. SDSU goalkeeper Nic Diana recorded four saves.
The Flames and Aztecs met for the first time in their program histories this evening. Liberty’s victory is its first on the pitch in California.
Flames head coach Scott Wells records his first victory in his first match leading Liberty.
Next Up
Liberty will finish its San Diego, Calif., trip with a match against the No. 18 San Diego Toreros on Sunday. Kickoff at Toreros Stadium is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST.
Samson Kpardeh gives the Flames the lead! pic.twitter.com/9ZhKZm0Bmw
— Liberty Men’s Soccer (@LibertyMSoccer) August 21, 2026
Pablo Matavele strikes less than 4 minutes later!
Upon review, ups lead to 2-0. pic.twitter.com/ebTXN1hBCK
— Liberty Men’s Soccer (@LibertyMSoccer) August 21, 2026