FIU women’s soccer undefeated in conference play after impressive weekend.

Santiago Archieri/ Contributing Writer

The weekend home stand started on Friday, Sept. 25, when FIU hosted the University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners. The Roadrunners came to Miami winless and were completely dominated by the Panthers after FIU emerged victorious with a final score of 3-1. FIU went on to have eight shots on goal on 26 total shots, compared to the Roadrunners’ one lone shot on goal with eight total shots.

It was a fast paced start for the Panthers, as Madlen Weinhardt sent a cross off a corner kick directly to freshman Lyrik Fryer, who took an advantage of the opportunity and gave FIU a 1-0 lead with her first career goal. The eighth minute goal marks the earliest goal FIU has scored all season long.

FIU went on to score again 11 minutes later, when Scarlet Montoya scored her first goal of the season. The Roadrunners showed signs of life in the 35th minute after a goal by Channing Machen, but FIU ended the first half on a 2-1 lead and outshot the Roadrunners 17-2.

It was much of the same in the second half. The Roadrunners were unable to get a shot on goal for the rest of the game. FIU sealed the game in the 88th minute when Alyssa Robinson recorded her fourth goal of the season and gave FIU a 3-1 victory.

FIU was back in action on Sunday, Sept. 27 against the University of Texas at El Paso Miners (8-4-1) and it marked the second Conference USA game for both of these teams.

The game changed gears towards the end of the first half, when Kennadie Chaudhary scored the first goal of the game for the Miners, and it would carry on to the half as UTEP was up 1-0.

FIU wasted no time to level the game in the second half and in the 47th minute, FIU was awarded a penalty kick after a foul in the box. Malden Meinhardt took the penalty for the Panthers, but it was deflected off the Miners’ goalkeeper and Scarlett Montoya was there to clean up the mess as she controlled the deflection and assisted it back to Meinhardt, who tied the game at 1-1.

Sophomore Paula Quintero continued the hot second half start for the Panthers. Quintero scored on an unassisted goal to mark FIU’s second goal in twelve minutes, which would result in a 2-1 FIU lead.

The game looked to be all but over, but in the 89th minute, UTEP capitalized off a corner kick and Aleah Davis would tie the game up for the Miners.

The Panthers were not ready to give up a victory. A late push led to a UTEP foul in stoppage time and FIU was rewarded a free kick which was taken by Scarlet Montoya. Montoya’s kick sailed over the wall of UTEP defenders and to the back of the net, which gave FIU the 3-2 win.

FIU ended the Miners five game winning streak and went back over the .500 mark for the first time since they started the season 1-0-0. FIU is now 6-5-0 and 2-0-0 in conference play after the weekend, giving them a shared spot atop the C-USA standings. The Panthers will be back in C-USA action on Friday, Oct. 2 as they travel to Houston to play Rice University.