MIAMI – FIU women's soccer will be back on the road when they travel up to Orlando to take on their second power-4 opponent of the season in UCF on Thursday, September 4 at 7 p.m.

Thursday, September 4 at 7 p.m.

• Time / Site: 7 p.m. / UCF Soccer and Track Complex

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

The Panthers will take on the Knights for the first time since 2016 this Thursday, and are looking to earn their first winning result against UCF since the 2000 season, when they won 4-1 against the Knights and went on to win the Sun Belt Conference. The Knights are 8-0 in the series matchup since then, and are leading the overall series 29-4-3.

So Far in 2025

The Panthers are off to a 2-1-2 start to the 2025 season, tallying seven goals across five matches. FIU opened the scoring with a goal at North Florida, followed by three in a win over Florida Atlantic and three more in a victory against Stetson.

Senior Chinatsu Kaio Kaio has played a pivotal role early on, 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 four goals already, she has matched her scoring total from last season just four games into the year.

Sophomore Delfina Lombardi added her name to the scoresheet with her first career goal, converting a penalty kick for the game-winner against Stetson.

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 KNIGHTS

UCF enters the match a perfect 5-0 on the season so far, with wins over UAB (2-1), Florida Atlantic (3-1), South Florida (4-1), LSU (2-1) and Florida (1-0). It is the best start to a season for the Knights since they went 4-1 over their first five games during their 2017 campaign. 

UCF is rebounding from a down year in 2024, going 3-6-6 over and just 1-5-4 in their second season in the Big-XII, 13th in the conference. Historically, the Knights have been a program to be reckoned with, 22 trips to the NCAA tournament, including nine straight years from 2007-15. UCF also boasts 13 regular season conference championships, and 10 conference tournament championships between the ASUN, CUSA and The American.

A well-rounded team, the Knights already have eight different goal scorers on the season, led by senior forward Rajanah Reed with three. Another senior has stepped up big for UCF this season in the form of forward Liz Worden, who is credited with two goals and four assists so far in the 2025 campaign. Goalkeeper Genesis Perez Watson has been as good a backstop as you would want in the early parts of the season, boasting a 0.80 GAA with 18 saves and one shutout. 

The Panthers will look to earn their fifth win in the matchup series, and third of the 2025 season this Thursday.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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