LYNCHBURG, Va. – FIU Women's Soccer is locked in as the five-seed in the 2025 Conference USA Tournament, hosted by Liberty in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Panthers will match up against four-seed Middle Tennessee for their second matchup of the season on Sunday, November 2 at 7 p.m. at Osborne Stadium.
Sunday, November 2 at 7 p.m.
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Time / Site: 7 p.m. / Osborne Stadium / Lynchburg, Va.
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TV
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Live Stats
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Tickets - Tickets will be available to purchase at the provided link. Please note that students with a CUSA school ID will be free.
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Presented by Baptist Health, The Official Sports Medicine Provider of FIU Athletics
In head coach Mat Dunn's first season at the helm, FIU Women's Soccer earned the No. 5 seed in the CUSA Tournament with a 4-3-1 record in conference play. The appearance marks the Panthers' third consecutive trip to the conference tournament after missing out from 2014 to 2022. This weekend's matchup will be the second meeting between FIU and Middle Tennessee this season, with the Panthers looking for redemption after falling to the Blue Raiders on October 12.
QUICK FACTS
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This is the second season in a row FIU will play MTSU in the Conference USA Tournament. Last season, FIU played the Blue Raiders in the semifinals, winning by a final score of 2-0.
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2025 Conference USA Women's Soccer All-Conference Winners:
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Junior Montelene Dymond sits at fourth in the conference with eight goals scored this season. She has long surpassed her goal total of four from last season.
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Dymond is also fourth in the conference in points with 16 on the season.
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Odaliana Gomez will start her first match of the season in the first round of the CUSA Tournament. Gomez has played in five matches as a Panther, including 38 minutes in the Panthers' NCAA tournament appearance last season, notching three saves.
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The Panthers have seen production from eight different goal scorers this season, with Jayden Boelter scoring four goals in the regular season, three of which coming against CUSA opponents, putting her tied for fifth in the conference in CUSA-play.
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Chinatsu Kaio, now in her last season with the Panthers, has had a career year with a career-high three goals in the 2025 season and is tied for the team lead with three assists. Kaio is also tied for second on the team in points with nine on the year. The Japan-native earned CUSA Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending August 24 earlier this season.
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NAIA-transfer Grace Morris has been a standout as the team's centerback. The Wales-native has played all 90 minutes in every match this season for a total of 1,440 minutes played. The graduate student is tied for the team lead in assists with three, while helping lead the Panthers to four shutouts this season.
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FIU is looking to win back-to-back conference championships for the first time in program history after winning the CUSA Tournament in 2024.
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In head coach Mat Dunn's 15-year coaching career dating back to his time with Keiser, his teams have never missed a conference playoff.
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
Middle Tennessee is coming off an impressive season in which the Blue Raiders won 10 games, their most since 2018, and enter the CUSA Tournament as the No. 4 seed with a 5-2-1 record in conference play.
The Blue Raiders boast one of the league's most balanced attacks, ranking fourth in CUSA in both total goals (27) and goals per game (1.5). Defensively, MTSU has been just as strong, allowing only 0.89 goals per match, tied for third-best in the conference.
Leading the charge for Middle Tennessee is Emma Pettersen, who ranks second in CUSA with nine goals this season. Pettersen also sits second on the team with four assists, giving her 22 total points, the second-highest mark in the conference. The Blue Raiders have had scoring contributions from 10 other players, including Taijah Fraser and Alli Craig, who are tied for second on the team with three goals each. Both Idun Kvaale and Fraser have been key playmakers, with Kvaale recording five assists (second in CUSA) and Fraser adding four.
In goal, Middle Tennessee has relied heavily on Demi Gronauer, who has started 14 matches this season. Gronauer enters the tournament with a 1.15 goals-against average (fourth in CUSA), 38 saves, and three shutouts, one of which came in conference play.
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.
