MIAMI (September 3, 2016) -- FIU women's soccer finishes off Labor Day weekend with a home game Sunday at noon versus Miami of Ohio. The game is also part of Parents and Alumnae Weekend, with family members and alums invited to attend. The team hosted a lunch for their guests on Saturday and will gather at the game on Sunday.
 
The Panthers are 0-3-1 so far this season, coming off a 1-0 loss at FGCU Thursday. Two of the team's losses are by one goal, and FIU has played to overtime twice in the opening four contests. Alyssa Robinson's (Pembroke Pines, Florida / American Heritage) pair of goals remains atop the team scoring table. Junior Courtney Phillips (Arlington, Texas) and sophomore Jacky Manteas (Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock, Germany) have one assist each so far this season.
 
Miami is off to a 1-3 start, dropping a 1-0 decision at Miami (Florida) on Friday night. The Redhawks have been outshot 71-41 on the season and outscored 6-0 in the first halves this season. Miami has shut out opponents in all four second halves, with a 3-0 margin after halftime. Like FIU, the Redhawks have also played a pair of overtime games this season. Their lone win came in double overtime, allowing one goal in the first overtime. Four different Redhawks have scored one goal each, but Rachel Marble added two assists for four points. Miami has put two student-athletes in goal this season.
 
The Panthers defeated the Redhawks in Ohio last September 6, by a 1-0 result in the first meeting between the programs.
 
FROM THE HUDDLE:
Freshman Bria Williams (Lewisville, Texas), on the team's preparation this week…
 
"We have worked on the back line and covering gaps and making sure we are a unit. We also looked at things like pushing forward and attacking space and making sure our weak side is tucked in on defense."
 
(On how close the team is to turning these close games into wins.)
 
"We just have to finish our opportunities. We are one run or one pass away or just having one extra step on a defender and having the width of the ball to get a shot off from getting some wins. I feel we will have more support moving forward and we will know where the ball needs to be played and how to get that extra something on your defender in order to make this happen."
 
Menteas, on the desire to get a first win…
 
"It's about time that we get a win, since we improved a lot since we started the preseason a month ago. When we are together as a team, you can basically feel how hungry everybody is to win the next game. Also, players are getting back from their injuries and can help us a lot. Sunday, we want take another step forward and want our fans to see a win. Since the most of our parents will be at the game we are a little bit extra motivated and feel pushed by their amazing support."
 
(On the last two days in preparation.)
 
"The game against FGCU was tiring. Our focus the last two days was on recovering but also in our shape as a whole team and going to goal quickly. We want to win Sunday and score as many goals as possible."
 
Live stats and video for the Sunday contest will be available at FIUSports.com and the game is followed by a men's game against Niagra.
 
The Panthers will play a pair of road games against in-state opponents, at UCF Thursday and at Miami (Florida) on Sunday.
  
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About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports, and is a proud member of Conference USA. Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including FIU Arena and the FIU Football Stadium.

About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. It is a public research university with colleges and schools that offers more than 180 bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU contributes $9.8 billion each year to the local economy. FIU is Worlds Ahead in finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. FIU has awarded over 200,000 degrees and enrolls more than 54,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell, FIU@I-75, and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU also supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has over 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.