Coral Gables, Fla. – The Panthers (3-3) drop its third match of the season in a 1-0 loss to Miami (2-2-1) on the Hurricanes' home turf. A 'Canes goal in the 69th minute was the deciding factor in the contest.
Despite the loss, FIU played strong on offense. The Panthers finished the contest beating Miami in total shots on the evening with seven to the Hurricanes' five, and produced four shots on goal to Miami's two.
The Panthers as a team had seven different players get off shot attempts in the match, five in the first half alone. Seniors Noemi Paquin, Deborah Bien-Aime, Nikole Solis and Farah El Tayar all had shots on goal that were saved by the 'Canes goalkeeper in the first half.
After a scoreless first half, the second half started out similar, with neither side giving up leverage. The cross-town rivals played a physical game that resulted in 19 total penalties being called, 14 for Miami and five for FIU. Defenders Reagan Bridges and Delinda Sehlin played 90 minutes and led a Panthers defense that held strong for the majority of the contest, giving up just five shots and two shots on goal in the match. Valery Restrepo, starting her sixth game in goal for the Panthers, was credited with one save in the contest.
Miami's only chance in the match was converted for the only score of the game at the 68:43 mark.
In comments after the game, head coach Jonathan Garbar commended the 'Canes after their victory and praised the FIU faithful that showed their unwavering support for their Panthers in Coral Gables Sunday night. Garbar, who led the women's soccer program to their first season above .500 since 2012 in the 2023 campaign, went on to talk on the team's performance late in close games.
"Firstly, congratulations to UMiami. The rivalry that has developed between our programs is terrific for both universities and the city of Miami. Secondly, our program is humbled and motivated by the incredible outpouring of support by our growing and passionate fan base. Finally, if we are to take the next step in our competitive ambitions, we must be more effective in our final actions and less naive in crucial moments of tightly contested matches. We look forward to executing on both."
The loss marks the third for the Panthers in 2024, with every one being decided by one goal.
UP NEXT
The Panthers have their first home match of the season against Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday, September 7 at 10:00 AM.
BAPTIST HEALTH
The 2024 FIU men's and women's soccer season is presented by Baptist Health, the official sports medicine provider of FIU Athletics.
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