MIAMI, Fla. - Sophomore forward
Nikole Solis recorded her first career hat trick on Sunday afternoon to extend FIU's win streak and lead the Panthers to a 4-2 victory over Southern (1-2-1) at FIU Soccer Stadium. Junior midfielder
Dominique Marcelli also notched her first career Panther goal in the match, as FIU moves to 2-2 overall on the season.
FIU's four goals mark the most scored in a match since Sept. 29, 2013, when the Panthers defeated Old Dominion, 4-0.
Solis, a forward from Boca Raton, Fla., net a career-high three goals on four shots on goal on Sunday, currently leading the team in goals (4) and points (8) for the season. Marcelli, a native of Toronto, net her first career goal on a penalty kick in addition to recording her first career assist, while sophomore defender
Reagan Bridges also added her first career assist in the match.
Additionally, Solis' hat trick marks the first since
Sydney Amparo did so in a 3-1 win versus Marshall on Mar. 22, 2021 during the 2020-21 season.
FIU's chemistry and confidence continues to build through four matches offensively, as the Panthers have scored seven goals in just two matches - equal to half the total amount of goals scored in 2021 (14).
For a consecutive match, the Panthers outshot their opponent, tallying a 15-5 shot advantage, including nine shots on goal to Southern's two. Sophomore
Noemi Paquin recorded two shots on goal, followed by shots from
Farah El Tayar,
Deborah Bien-Aime and
Kennedy Floyd.
The Jaguars struck first early in the fourth minute to open the match, as SU's Helen Mulligan managed to find separation to sneak a shot past Vinoly for an early 1-0 lead. FIU began to then find itself in Southern's half of the pitch, launching a trio of shots from Bridges,
Kim Schneider and
Farah El Tayar prior to
Nikole Solis finding the equalizer to put the Panthers on the board in the 28
th minute. El Tayar would play a ball into the box from the left side that deflected off a Jaguar defender into Solis, who would rifle a shot from close range to knot the score at 1-1.
Moments later, FIU found another break that saw
Dominique Marcelli fouled alongside the Southern goal line, resulting in an awarded penalty kick for Marcelli. Marcelli would then bury the PK into the right corner of the net in the 31
st minute to hand FIU the 2-1 advantage leading up to the intermission.
Out of the break, the Panthers continued to pose a threat out the gates with a pair of Jaguar saves on a Solis shot and
Deborah Bien-Aime header. Freshman
Kennedy Floyd sent a shot that would sail just high of the goal to uphold the Panther attack, as Solis eventually went on to tack on her second goal of the day in the 70
th minute of action for a 3-1 margin.
Dominique Marcelli would thread a beautiful through ball between a pair of Jaguar defenders that met Solis in the box for a right-foot strike that beat SU's Bellamy.
Solis' work would not be over, as FIU kept possession in Southern's half to go on and see
Reagan Bridges cross a ball from the right side of the box that met Solis for FIU's fourth goal of the day and hat trick in the 79
th minute, 4-1. Despite the three-goal margin, Southern did not waiver in notching a late goal in the 84
th for a 4-2 spread, though, the Panthers would ultimately hold on for the 4-2 victory at the end of regulation.
UP NEXT
FIU will make the short trip over to Coral Gables for a Thursday night matchup at Miami on Sept. 1. Kickoff is slated for a 7 p.m. start at Cobb Stadium.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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@FIUWSoccer), and Facebook (
Facebook.com/FIUWSoccer) for all the latest Women's Soccer news.
General athletic news can also be found at
@FIUSports on Facebook and
@FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.
