SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Women's soccer (5-6-4, 2-3-1 CUSA) is set to play their last road match of the 2026 campaign when they take on Missouri State on Sunday, October 25 at 2 p.m.

Sunday, October 25 at 2 p.m. 

• Time / Site: 2 p.m. / Springfield, Mo.

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

The Panthers are coming off their first road win of the conference-slate when they dominated Sam Houston in Huntsville, 3-1. The team was led by Mariana Barreto who recorded a brace in FIU's winning effort.

Game Preview

The Panthers are looking for their first ever winning result against Missouri State, with the teams only playing each other once in their respective histories, the match ending in a 1-1 tie in the 2025 season.

Mariana Barreto's brace against Sam Houston marked her first career two goal performance at the division-one level. The scoring effort shot her up to first on the team in goals scored with four, and first on the Panthers in points with 10. The senior is now tied for second in the conference in goals scored against CUSA opponents with three, and eighth in the conference in points against CUSA foes with six.

Goalkeeper Valery Restrepo continues to impress, coming into the matchup with a 1.20 GAA and 58 saves on the season. Restrepo tied a career-high with nine saves at Liberty earlier this season, matching her total against Miami, also this season. The Colombia-native is currently tied for fourth in the conference in saves.

Adria Kitzinger scored her first goal of the conference-slate to tie the match against Jacksonville State, giving her two goals on the season. Mariana Barreto scored her first game-winning goal of the season in the second half thanks to a perfectly placed assist from Kiara Clarke, Clarke's first assist of her Panther tenure.

Freshman Yuzu Tanida has scored three goals this season, all of which have come in non-conference play thus far. Her only game-winning goal of her young career came on a corner kick against Jacksonville in Miami.

With six points against Howard, Maya Maxwell earned her first ever CUSA Offensive Player of the Week for the period ending August 30. Madeline Oliver won CUSA Defensive Player of the Week for the period ending September 13, after the Panther center back led the team to two straight shutout victories and scored the game-winning goal against Stetson.

Scouting the Bears

Missouri State comes into the matchup sixth in the conference standings with a 1-2-3 record in CUSA-play, just one point behind FIU. The Bears own a 4-7-4 record overall for the 2026 season.

Mo. State is led in goals scored by Ellie Neath and Lillie Rasmussen, both with four on the season. The sophomore, Neath, also leads the team in assists with three, accounting for her team-lead 11 points for the campaign. 

Missouri State has seen three Bears take time in goal this season, with sophomore Kate Lewis taking the majority of the time, playing and starting in 15 matches so far. The St. Louis native owns a 1.40 goals against average, to go along with 51 saves and three shutouts in 2026.

Match Notes

The series history is in a stalemate with just one match played in the 2025 season, the contest ending, 1-1.

The Panthers now have two players who have recorded braces this season in Maya Maxwell who secured her first career brace against Howard, and Mariana Barreto doing the same at Sam Houston.

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.