Huntsville, Texas – The first place FIU Women's Soccer team (9-3, 4-0 CUSA) will head to Huntsville, Texas and play against the current third place in the CUSA Standings, Sam Houston, in an afternoon matchup on Sunday, October 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET. The game will not be broadcasted but live stats will be available. 

Wednesday, Oct. 13 at Sam Houston

• Time / Site: 1 p.m. / Pritchett Field

• Live Stats

• Presented by Baptist Health, The Official Sports Medicine Provider of FIU Athletics 

FIU is coming off yet another winning result, their sixth win in a row and fourth in conference play, most recently downing Louisiana Tech, 3-0.

The Panthers dominated the ball, finding their chances early and often. FIU opened up the scoring in the 21st minute on a goal by Nikole Solis off a Camille Sahirul shot that rebounded off the goalkeeper right to Solis, giving FIU a 1-0 lead. It is the seventh goal of the year for the Boca Raton native Solis, and the fifth assist for the senior Sahirul.

FIU kept their offense rolling in the 29th minute, when senior Noemi Paquin received a perfect pass from Camille Sahirul to sink her 11th goal of the season and tenth in the past five matches. For Shairul, it would be her second assist of the match and her sixth of the year, tying her for first in the conference. The Panthers would go into the break with a 2-0 lead.

The second half started as the first half did, with a Nikole Solis goal. The forward scored her second goal of the match at the 54:32 mark, a strike off her left foot into the top left corner of the LA Tech goal, to make it a 3-0 game. It was her second of the game and eighth of the season, nestling her into fourth in the conference in goals scored.

The Panthers' defense and goalkeeping was once again dominant, shutting out their opponent for the sixth time this season and third time in four games. FIU only allowed eight shots and three from Louisiana Tech in the match, with sophomore Valery Restrepo saving all three shots on goal she saw, bringing her save total up to 28 on the season with an .800 save percentage, third highest in CUSA.

SO FAR THIS SEASON

FIU is 9-3 and 4-0 in conference play heading into their matchup with New Mexico State. Their first two wins of the season came against FGCU, winning against the Eagles for the first time since the 2010 season, and Florida Atlantic, beating the Owls for the first time since the 2011 season. Their third victory came against another Florida team in Jacksonville in a 3-0 result. The Panthers cruised through their next five victories, beating Southeastern Louisiana 6-0, SEMO 3-0, MTSU 4-2, Liberty 3-0, New Mexico State 3-0 and LA Tech 3-0.

All three losing results for the Panthers have come by just one goal, including against two Power-4 schools in Oklahoma and Miami.

Forward Noemi Paquin continues her tear, now with ten goals in her last five games, most in the NCAA since the streak started September 12. The scores are the most in that time frame in Conference USA, and now leaves first in goals scored in the conference this season with 11, and most goals scored in conference play with 8. 

Nikole Solis is not far behind her, with the senior netting eight goals on the year after her scores against LA Tech, good for fourth in CUSA. Montelene Dymond is third on the Panthers with three goals, while senior Arianna Sparrow and junior Catherine Rapp have netted two so far this season. Senior Reagan Bridges, along with juniors Ashly Martinez, Elizabeth Rapp, and first year Antonella Solari are all credited with one goal on the season.

Antonella Solari scored the first goal for the Panthers on the season off of an assist by fellow first year Rebecca Baldelomar, an equalizer at the end of the first half of their win against FGCU.

THE RETURNERS

FIU welcomes back nine seniors this season, including First Team All-CUSA selection Noemi Paquin, Second Team selections Reagan Bridges, Camille Sahirul and Nikole Solis, and Third Team selection Delinda Sehlin.

Solis was the leading scorer for the Panthers in 2023 with 10 goals, and led CUSA in points with 23, while Paquin was eighth in CUSA in points last season with five goals and five assists.

SCOUTING THE BEARKATS

Previously picked to finish fifth in the CUSA Preseason Poll, Sam Houston sits at third in the conference with a 6-5-2 and 3-2 in conference play. In CUSA matches, the Bearkats are finishing 1.6 goals per game, third in CUSA, with an opposing goals per game average of 1.2, fourth in CUSA. 

Senior Landri Townsend leads the team in goals (five), assists (four) and points (14). Two Bearkats in Gabrielle Williams and Indigo Sims are second on the team with three goals a piece, while a total of eight other players have scored goals for Sam Houston, making that 11 different players finding the back of the net for the Bearkats this season.

Sam Houston has played three different goalkeepers this season, but senior Casia Souza leads the way with 12 games played and 11 games started. The California native has a 1.12 GAA during the 2024 campaign, fourth in CUSA, as well as 37 total saves, seventh in CUSA.

This will be the first meeting between the two programs since Sam Houston knocked FIU out of the 2023 CUSA Tournament.

CUSA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offensive Player of the Week

September 17 - Noemi Paquin

September 24 - Noemi Paquin

September 24 - Noemi Paquin

October 1- Noemi Paquin

October 8- Noemi Paquin

Defensive Player of the Week 

August 27 - Reagan Bridges

October 8 - Reagan Bridges

Goalkeeper of the Week

August 27 - Valery Restrepo

September 10- Valery Restrepo

October 1- Valery Restrepo

October 8- Valery Restrepo

SOCIAL MEDIA

Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Instagram (@FIUWSoccer), Twitter (@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.