Miami, Fla. – FIU Women's Soccer (7-3, 2-0 CUSA) returns home to match up against New Mexico State (7-4-1, 2-1 CUSA) on Thursday, October 3 at 7:00 p.m., with streaming available on ESPN+. The game marks Senior Day for the program, with a ceremony honoring this year's class happening 30 minutes before game time.

Thursday, Oct. 3 vs New Mexico State

• Time / Site: 7 p.m. / Leyva Family Field at FIU Soccer Stadium

• TV

• Live Stats

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

FIU is coming off a dominant 3-0 performance over Liberty on their home field, the first win against Liberty since the Flames joined CUSA.

The Panthers attacked early, getting into good scoring position early and netting the score just 44 seconds into the match off the foot of junior Catherine Rapp, her second goal of the season and her second game-winner as a member of the Panthers.

Already up 1-0, the score stayed stagnant for the majority of the half until senior Noemi Paquin did what she had done five times the previous two games, scored a goal. The score put the Panthers up 2-0 before the half. It was Paquin's sixth goal in three games and would not be done before the match was completed.

Out of the half, the Canadian native Paquin put her mark on the game once again, scoring off an assist from fellow senior Nikole Solis for her second goal of the match, making the score 3-0. The assist marked the second on the year for Solis, giving the Boca Raton native 12 points so far on the season.

The FIU defense, led by seniors Reagan Bridges and Delinda Sehlin, shut out a Liberty attack that was scoring 2.5 goals per game prior to the meeting. Liberty had their chances, but the Panthers' last line of defense in Valery Restrepo was once again dominant in goal, ending the match with six saves after seeing 20 shots from the Flames' offense.

SO FAR THIS SEASON

FIU is 7-3 and 2-0 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 three victories, beating Southeastern Louisiana 6-0, SEMO 3-0, MTSU 4-2 and Liberty 3-0. The four wins in a row marks the most consecutives victories for the program since the 2012 season.

All three losing results for the Panthers have come by just one goal, including against two Power-4 schools in Oklahoma, who is currently ranked No. 20 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings, and Miami.

Forward Noemi Paquin continues her tear, now with seven goals in her last three games after adding on two more against Liberty. The scores are the most in that time frame in Conference USA, and now leaves her tied with the most goals scored in the conference this season with 8, and most goals scored in conference play with 5. 

Nikole Solis is not far behind her, with the senior netting five goals on the year, good for eighth 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 AGGIES

New Mexico State has been formidable this season, ending non-conference play with a 5-3-1 record, including a draw against then-ranked No. 23 USC, and a winning result against Oregon. The Aggies have had a solid start to conference play as well, dropping their first match against Sam Houston before rattling off two wins in a row against Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee.

After having the best record in the conference at the end of the regular season then losing in the CUSA Championships to Liberty last season, NM State was selected to finish second in the CUSA Preseason Poll. The Aggies had three players selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team in defender Ariana Leamons, midfielder Xitlaly Hernandez and forward Loma McNeese. 

So far this season, the graduate student McNeese leads the team in goals with five on the year. Not far behind her is junior midfielder Meredith Scott, who has four goals coming into the match. The Aggies have three players with two goals on the season, and four players with one goal thus far. 

New Mexico State is scoring 1.56 goals per game, while allowing 1.33 goals per game, both of which are good for sixth in CUSA. Starting goalkeeper for the Aggies, Valerie Guha, has already played over 1,000 minutes this season, and is sixth in the league in goal allowed per games, avering 1.33 per game.

CUSA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offensive Player of the Week

September 17 - Noemi Paquin

September 24 - Noemi Paquin

September 24 - Noemi Paquin

Defensive Player of the Week 

August 27 - Reagan Bridges

Goalkeeper of the Week

August 27 - Valery Restrepo

September 10- Valery Restrepo

October 1- Valery Restrepo

2024 Home Schedule Promotional Calendar

 

DATE	OPPONENT	THEME	GIVEAWAY
September 7	Southeastern Louisiana	Home Opener & Alumni Day	--
September 12	SEMO	Vice Night	Vice T-Shirt Giveaway & First 50 fans get a free beverage of their choice
October 3	New Mexico State	Senior Night	Tanktop Giveaway
Octobr 6	UTEP	Youth Club Day	Mini Autographed Balls
October 27	Western Kentucky	Staff Appreciation	T-Shirt Giveaway for Staff
October 31	Jacksonville State	Halloween	Vice T-Shirt Giveaway

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

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General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.