MIAMI (Sept. 5, 2014) – Senior
Johanna Volz' goal in the 65
th minute proved to be the difference maker, as the FIU women's soccer team (3-3-0) downed the Murray State Racers, 1-0, Friday evening. The win keeps the Panthers' record spotless in games following a loss (3-0).
"We've talked a lot about the process, and sometimes part of the process is learning how to win when things are not always going in our favor," said Head Coach
Thomas Chestnutt. "We're really happy to get the win. Four games in eight days is a grind, and I think our players really showed grit tonight."
A scoreless game midway through the second half, Volz connected with a pass from redshirt junior
Scarlet Montoya. Montoya served the ball into the upper third of the box, where Volz connected and tapped the ball past the approaching Racers goalie for the lone goal of the game. It's the second goal of the season for the Portland, Ore., native, while Montoya's assist is her team-leading third of the season.
Senior
Ashleigh Shim just missed a goal twice in the first half. Her first look came in the 14
th minute off a powerful blast by the near-side post that Murray States' goalie, Shelby Haworth, managed to block. Her second chance of the night dinged off the crossbar in the 43
rd minute. The Jacksonville, Fla., native finished with a team-high four shots.
Freshman
Courtney Phillips came inches away from netting her first collegiate goal in the 53
rd minute. From the top of the box, the Arlington, Texas native brazed the post with her shot.
Freshman
Nevena Stojakovic picked up her third career shutout, as the Panthers' defense in front of her limited the Racers to just three shots on goal all night. In the 56
th minute, the Serbia native left the ground to keep the game scoreless, poking a ball out of bounds that was shot within firing range.
Two Panthers made their season debuts in the match, as sophomore
Pat Tomanon contributed 48 minutes in tonight's effort. Junior transfer
Cyan Jean-Baptiste made her first appearance in the blue and gold, providing 16 minutes of play.
FIU outshot Murray State, 15-9, as four Panthers had multi-shot games, including redshirt senior
Chelsea Leiva (3), sophomore
Talia McMurtrie (2), Shim (4) and Volz (2).
The Panthers have a week off before welcoming the Oregon State Beavers to FIU Soccer Stadium on Friday, Sept. 12. First kick is slated for 7 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Twitter (@FIUWomensSoccer) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUWSoccer) for all the latest FIU women's soccer news. Follow all of FIU's 18 athletic teams on Google+ (FIU Athletics), Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSports), YouTube (FIUPanthers), and Instagram (FIUathletics).
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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. Its colleges and schools offer 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 is worlds ahead in its local and global engagement, finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission and enrolls nearly 54,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. More than 140,000 alumni live and work in South Florida. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.
