MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – FIU Women's soccer will head to Murfreesboro for their final road contest of the 2025 season when they take on Middle Tennessee on Sunday, October 12 at 1 p.m. ET.

Sunday, October 12 at 1 p.m.

• Time / Site: 1 p.m. / Dean A. Hayes Track & Soccer Stadium

• TV

• Live Stats

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

The Panthers are 3-1 through four games of conference-play, recently suffering their first CUSA loss of the season to Liberty. FIU comes into the match third in the conference standings, with just Liberty and Western Kentucky ahead of them. The Panthers have gotten the best of the Blue Raiders in recent years, winning three of their last four matchups. Last season, FIU beat MTSU twice, first in the regular season and again in the CUSA Tournament semifinals to advance to the championship.

So Far in 2025

The Panthers are off to a 6-3-3 start to the 2025 season, and 3-1 in CUSA-play, tallying 17 goals so far. 

Senior Chinatsu Kaio Kaio played a pivotal role early on in the season, netting equalizers against both North Florida and Florida Atlantic. Her clutch performances earned her CUSA Offensive Player of the Week honors for the week ending August 24. 

Junior Montelene Dymond has been in outstanding form, recording back-to-back braces (two goals in a match) against Florida Atlantic and Stetson. With seven goals already, she has surpassed her scoring total from last season.

Sixth year Jayden Boelter has had a hot start to conference-play, tallying three goals in the first three CUSA matchups and four goals on the season.

Sophomore Delfina Lombardi added her name to the scoresheet with her first career goal, converting a penalty kick for the game-winner against Stetson. Graduate student Jayden Boelter and redshirt-junior Maya Maxwell both earned their first goals of the season in the Panthers' matchup at Jacksonville.

FIU opened the season with a challenging road test at No. 3 Florida State, falling 2-0. Despite the loss, the Panthers held their own against the national powerhouse, limiting the Seminoles, who had previously routed SEC opponent Florida 5-0, to just 13 total shots and five on goal in a strong defensive showing.

History Made in 2024

FIU is coming off a historic 2024 season that saw the team win 13 games, the second most wins in program history. After the Panthers beat Middle Tennessee in the CUSA Tournament semifinals, they went on to beat Liberty in a 1-0 nailbiter at the FIU Soccer Stadium, and secured just their third appearance in the NCAA Tournament (1993, 2011). It was just the first time in program history that the team won not just the CUSA conference tournament, but the CUSA regular season championship as well.

Key Returners

Out of the eight Panthers to grace the 2024 CUSA All-Conference lists, only two are returning to the 305. Junior goalkeeper Valery Restrepo, who led CUSA in shutouts last season with eight and earned a Second Team All-CUSA selection, looks to continue her dominance this season. Graduate defender Zora Jackson, also a Second Team All-CUSA selection last season, will look to make her mark once again as a key contributor for the Panthers in the 2025 campaign.

New Coach, New Team

Mat Dunn was named the fifth head coach in FIU Women's Soccer history last March. Dunn joins FIU after a highly successful tenure at Keiser, where he compiled a 232-35-15 record and won back-to-back national championships in 2019 and 2020, earning NAIA Coach of the Year both years. At Keiser, he also led the program to 10 SUN regular season titles and six tournament championships. Originally from Sheffield, UK, Dunn aims to bring his winning formula to the Panthers.

FIU enters the season with a 28-player roster, featuring a balanced mix of experience and new talent. The Panthers return 14 players from last year's squad and welcome 14 newcomers, including three true freshmen, five Division I transfers, five transfers from NAIA programs, and one international addition. 

SCOUTING THE BLUE RAIDERS

Sitting at 2-1-1 in conference play, Middle Tennessee State currently ranks sixth in the CUSA standings through four league matches. The Blue Raiders hold an overall record of 7-4-3, with notable wins over Belmont (2-1) and Jackson State (3-0), and CUSA victories against Jacksonville State (1-0) and Louisiana Tech (1-0).

Offensively, MTSU has tallied 19 goals this season, averaging 1.36 goals per game, ranking fourth and fifth in the conference, respectively. Defensively, the Blue Raiders have been one of the stronger units in CUSA, sitting third with just 0.93 goals allowed per game.

Senior Emma Pettersen leads the team with five goals in the 2025 campaign, tied for second in the conference. Pettersen, along with Hannah Delaney and Taijah Fraser, also shares the team lead in assists with three apiece, each tied for third in CUSA in that category.

Between the posts, sophomore Demi Gronauer has shouldered most of the goalkeeping duties. She ranks sixth in the conference with a 1.18 goals-against average and holds a 71.7% save percentage, recording 33 saves on the season, with both marks placing her tenth in the league.

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.