MIAMI (Sept. 22, 1016) -- The FIU women's soccer program will open up the home Conference USA docket with a Friday night game against Charlotte, with first touch slated for 7 p.m. at the FIU Soccer Stadium. After opening on the road in league play on Sunday at Florida Atlantic, the Panthers play the first of five at home in league tilts this weekend, with this the lone contest of the week for FIU.
 
FIU is 1-6-1 overall, 0-1 in C-USA after a 1-0 loss in Boca Raton Sunday. This is the fourth meeting in the series, with the 49ers winning all three, since the two teams became league opponents in 2013. The series began with two FIU home games (2013, 2014) before finally playing at Charlotte last fall. Despite being held without a goal five times this season, the Panthers have held their opponents to one or no goals also five times in 2016.
 
Charlotte enters play at 5-4 on the season, 1-0 in conference after taking out Old Dominion last Saturday 2-1. The 49ers have neither won nor lost consecutive games this season, alternating in their nine contests so far this season. Charlotte is led by six goals from Megan Greene, with a team averaging two goals allowed per game.
 
FIU will play the next three on the road before returning home for three in a row, starting with Old Dominion on October 9.
 
Senior Talia McMurtrie, on the mindset of the squad…
"I think we've had a really positive week of training. Our heads are in the right places and we want to keep fate in our own hands. The next game is the most important one of the season and Charlotte is the team to beat. We're focused and ready to attack them."
 
  
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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/.