MIAMI (Sep. 21, 2019) – The FIU women's soccer team breaks open the conference portion of its schedule on Sunday afternoon, when they travel to El, Paso, Texas for a C-USA showdown against UTEP.
The Panthers and Miners are set to face off at 1p.m. ET on Sunday.
For the full game notes, click here.
UTEP PREVIEW
The Miners finished last season 7-8-4, earning a 6-4-1 mark at home. In the 2019 campaign thus far, UTEP has posted a 5-2-2 record, including a 3-1-1 mark on their home pitch. The Miners have yet to play a conference match this season and look to gain their first C-USA points against FIU this weekend.
INSIDE THE SERIES
FIU trails UTEP 1-2 in the all-time series, having played only three games against the Miners dating back to the 2014 season. The last meeting resulted in a 2-0 victory for UTEP on Sept. 16, 2018 at FIU Soccer Stadium. Last time the Panthers played in El, Paso, Texas was on Oct. 26, 2014, when they lost a close match to the Miners by a score of 2-1. FIU's last victory against UTEP was back on Sept. 27, 2015, when they defeated the Miners by a score of 3-2 in Miami.
LEADING THE PANTHERS
Freshman Ellen Halseth is leading the Panther pack this season with a team-high of seven points — including three goals and one assist. In FIU's last match against USC Upstate on Sept. 15, the Norwegian newcomer contributed two goals in the first period to help the Panthers earn their second victory of 2019. Halseth also posted career-high numbers of four points, five shots, and three shots-on-goal in the match. Junior transfer Yolanda Albalat Collado ranks second on FIU with six points this season, after she claimed the first goal of her Panther career against USC Upstate. The newcomer from Madrid, Spain has four assists on the season, which leads the Panthers and is tied for fifth in Conference USA. Sophomore Rayquel Berry has also performed exceptionally in 2019, as the local Miami product has produced three goals for FIU. Berry's six points tie Albalat Collado for second-best on the squad, and her three goals tie Halseth for most on the team.
NEWCOMERS MAKING IMPACT
Three first-year Panthers are making their presence felt for FIU early in the 2019 campaign, as Halseth, Albalat Collado, and junior transfer Laura Chavez are responsible for a sum of 16 points this season. The three newcomers, along with Berry, have been providing a potent punch to the Panther offense thus far.
LIVE STATS
Live stats for this weekend's match against UTEP can be found here.
UP NEXT
After concluding a stretch of three consecutive games on the road, the Panthers will return to Miami and play two games on their home pitch. FIU will host Charlotte on Thursday, Sept. 26 for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff at FIU Soccer Stadium, before welcoming Marshall on Sunday, Sept. 29 for a 1 p.m. ET start.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIU_WSoccer Instagram and @FIUWSoccer on Facebook and Twitter. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.
