MIAMI - As the FIU women's soccer team huddled together with reddened eyes and tear-stained faces, there was no mistaking that the 5-0 win the Panthers just posted over ULM was for a very special group. The team put its fists together and shouted "seniors."

"It was just amazing," senior defender Linn Thune said of her final game at FIU Stadium. "It just feels like everyone put in extra effort to make our senior day the best."

The five-goal victory was a season-best for FIU (9-7-1, 6-3 SBC) while ULM (2-15-1, 0-9 SBC) tied its worst margin of defeat for the year. Junior captain April Perry scored the game-winner -- her first goal of the year -- and added an assist while freshman Chelsea Leiva notched the first two-goal game of her career.

FIU took a 1-0 lead at 12:41 in the first half after a ball was crossed into the box but a ULM defender kicked the ball back out. Perry intercepted it, hesitated for a moment from 20 yards out before sailing the ball into the back of the net.

Leiva added an insurance goal at 57:55 in the second half when she fought off a defender, took several strides to draw the goalkeeper Alex Holland out and connected for her eighth goal of the year.

Perry found freshman Nicole DiPerna at 65:35 to give FIU a 3-0 lead. ULM added to FIU's advantage 40 seconds later when Emily Lybarger received a ball from Perry in front of the Warhawks' net and accidentally scored an own goal.

After receiving a pass from senior captain Mayara da Fonseca Bordin, Leiva took a touch diagonally and capped the night with her second goal of the game at 68:43.

While the victory was sweet, Bordin said it was also a very emotional game.

"I wanted to leave this field on a good note and it's just a pleasure to play with these girls," Bordin said. "It's just really sad to think that I'll never step on this field again to play. I will never forget everything that I've gone through."

This was a particularly meaningful night for Thomas Chestnutt, as this senior class came in as freshmen during his first year as head coach of the program in 2007.

"They've come a long way and have seen the change here at FIU, and it's been largely part of all their hard work that they've put in the last four years," Chestnutt said. "We just want to thank them for everything."

Up next, FIU heads to Louisiana on Sunday for a 1 p.m. matchup.