Miami, Fla. – FIU Women's Soccer (11-4-1, 6-1-1 CUSA) play their final game of the 2024 regular season against Jacksonville State (8-8-1, 3-4-1 CUSA) on Thursday, October 31 at 7 p.m.

TIEBREAKER SCENARIOS

• With a win, FIU are outright CUSA Regular Season Champions

• With a tie and a Liberty tie or loss, FIU are CUSA Regular Season Champions

• With an FIU loss and a Liberty loss, FIU will be CUSA Regular Season Champions

• With a tie and a Liberty win, Liberty and FIU will share the CUSA Regular Season Championship, however FIU will have the 1-seed in the tournament as FIU holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Liberty

• With an FIU loss and Liberty win, Liberty will be CUSA Regular Season Champions and FIU will have a bye in the CUSA tournament as the 2-seed
  
  *Liberty faces off against Kennessaw State on Friday at 6 p.m.

The Panthers are already locked into a bye in the first round of the CUSA Conference Tournament, but a victory guarantees the Panthers the regular season championship.
 

Thursday, Oct. 31 vs Jax 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 and Western Kentucky played a defensive-heavy match last Sunday afternoon, resulting in the Panthers' first tie of the season, ending the match in a 0-0 draw. 

FIU came out on top in the overall shot total of the game, getting off nine shots and one shot on goal to Western Kentucky's six shots and three shots on goal, but evidently could not hit the back of the net. 

Sophomore Valery Restrepo along with the rest of the FIU defense had a strong day, with Restrepo racking up three saves in the matinee, and notching her sixth recorded shutout of the season. She now has 31 saves on the year and has brought her GAA down to .702 on the season, second in CUSA and 36th in the nation.

Overall, it is the eighth time this season that FIU has shutout their opponent, and the fifth time during conference play. 

A HISTORIC SEASON

• FIU has a chance to become the 2024 CUSA regular season champions for the first time in program history with a win over Jacksonville State.

• FIU currently has 11 wins this season, tied for fifth most in program history.

• FIU has allowed just 12 goals this season, which would be the fewest goals allowed all time if the season ended today.

• With 35 goals on the season, this year's FIU team sit tied for tenth all time in total goals scored in a single campaign. One more goal would place them alone at 10th place.

• Noemi Paquin is tied for seventh all time in most goals scored in a single season, sitting at 13 with two regular season games to play as well as the conference tournament. It is the most goals scored in a season in program history since 2001.

• Noemi Paquin and Nikole Solis both sit at 25 career goals scored, tied for seventh all time in program history.

• Camille Sahirul currently sits at six assists on the season, tenth all time in school history for most assists in a single season.

SO FAR THIS SEASON

FIU is 11-4-1 and 6-1-1 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, LA Tech 3-0, Sam Houston 3-1 and UTEP 2-0.

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

Forward Noemi Paquin has been dominant this season, scoring the most goals in Conference USA with 13, and the most goals in conference-play with 10. 

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 and Brealyn Viamille are tied for 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.

Senior Camille Sahirul has been a veteran facilitator, tied for the lead in the conference with six assists. 

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 GAMECOCKS

At 3-4-1 and 10 points in the conference standings, Jacksonville State currently sits in the sixth and final spot in the conference tournament if the season ended today. Going into the final couple days of matches, five teams are vying for the final three spots in the conference tournament. A win for the Gamecocks guarantees their position in the postseason. 

Jacksonville State has scored 10 goals during conference play, seventh in the conference so far, while allowing 14 goals in CUSA play, second to last in the conference. 

The Gamecocks are led by junior Nancy Almanza who is tied for fourth in CUSA in goals during conference play with five thus far. The forward has eight goals overall, tied with her teammate, forward Naroa Domenech. Jax State has a balanced offense, with Tori Paul coming in at third on the team with six goals on the year, and three players tied with four goals a piece. Domenech, a forward out of Spain, is also the CUSA leader in assists on the season, currently sitting at eight on the year. 

The Gamecock's primary goalkeeper, junior Poppy Bastock, has played and started in 16 games this season, coming in ninth in the conference with a 1.68 GAA this season, allowing 27 goals on the year. The Leicester, England native has five shutouts this season, third in CUSA.

Last season, the Panthers triumphed over Jax State with a 3-2 victory. Thursday night's game has large playoff implications for both teams, as both are looking to lock in their seeding for the conference 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

October 14 - 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.