Lynchburg, Va. – FIU Women's Soccer (7-3) puts away the Liberty Flames (9-1-2), 3-0, thanks to an early goal from Catherine Rapp and two goals from Noemi Paquin.

The Panthers started hot immediately, scoring a goal off the foot of junior Catherine Rapp just 44 seconds into the match. It is the second goal of the season for Rapp, who previously scored in FIU's victory over SEMO.

The Flames had their chances to even up the match, but the Panthers' stout defense rang true through the end of the first half, allowing no goals on seven shots and three shots on goal in the opening frame. Sophomore goalkeeper Valery Restrepo was a force to be reckoned with, saving all three shots on goal she saw in the first 45 minutes.

FIU would add on to their lead in the 42nd minute, when senior Noemi Paquin hit a strike from outside the box into the top corner of the Liberty goal, giving the Panthers 2-0 lead going into the break.

FIU continued to play aggressive offense out of the half, scoring their last goal of the contest at the 48:49 mark, once again off the foot of forward Noemi Paquin, her second goal of the game. The Canadian native has been stellar in the 2024 campaign, scoring seven goals in FIU's last three matches, now tied for the CUSA lead in goals scored with eight in just 10 games played.

The FIU defense, led by seniors Delinda Sehlin and Reagan Bridges, did not give up any leverage to the Flames. Liberty, the conference leader in shots, shots on goal and second in goals scored in CUSA before the beginning of the match, had 20 recorded shots on the evening but just six shots on goal, a testament to the hard-fought FIU defense.

Valery Restrepo was incredible as the last line of defense for FIU, saving all six shots on goal she saw and finishing the match with a shutout, her fourth of the season so far. The Colombian native has now brought her total saves up to 25 on the season.

At 9-0-2 before the match, beating the likes of then-ranked No. 21 Virginia Tech and drawing with West Virginia earlier in the season, Liberty had been the highest ranked team in CUSA according to the latest NCAA RPI rankings, ranked 39th. 

It is the fourth win in a row for the Panthers, beating their opponents by a combined score 16-3 in that timeframe. It is the program's most consecutive wins since the 2012 campaign.

UP NEXT 

FIU will be back at home to face off against New Mexico State on senior night next Thursday, October 3 at 7:00 p.m. The match will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available.

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.

SOCIAL MEDIA 

Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Instagram (@FIWSoccer), Twitter (@FIUWomensSoccer), and Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUWomensSoccer) for all the latest FIU Women's Soccer news. 

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