Carla Mendez | Staff Writer
The FIU women’s soccer team protected their home turf, claiming a 1-0 victory over the Miami Hurricanes on Thursday, Sep. 7, 2023 at the FIU Soccer Stadium in Miami, Florida.
Prior to this match, the Panthers were coming off a 2-2 tie against the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, giving them a 4-1-1 record in the early season.
Having a slow start to the season, Miami held a 1-2-3 record coming into this match.
Unable to find any momentum, the Hurricanes haven’t won a game since their season opener against the Stetson Hatters on Aug. 17, 2023.
To open the game, both teams played at a relatively slow tempo, as Miami only took one shot in the first period.
Despite their five shots in the first period, FIU couldn’t find the back of the net. However, the pressure provided from taking the shots prevented the Hurricanes from finding offensive momentum.
Coming out of half time, the Panthers looked to play aggressive, taking four shots in a five minute span.
Answering back with four shots of their own, none of which resulted in a goal, the Hurricanes were trying to match the speed FIU was playing at.
With the game approaching its’ final minutes, the score remained at a 0-0 stalemate.
In a momentary lapse of judgment for Miami, junior midfielder Lauren Meeks committed a foul, which resulted in a penalty kick for the Panthers.
Junior midfielder Nikole Solis remained composed with the game on the line and scored on the penalty shot, securing FIU a 1-0 lead with less than three minutes remaining.
Recording her eighth goal of the season, Solis set a new career-high for goals in a season, surpassing her 2022 tally of seven goals.
Holding off the Hurricanes for the remainder of the game, the Panthers claimed a 1-0 victory, defeating their across-town rivals.
This triumph marks FIU’s first win over the Hurricanes in five years and their best start to a season with a 5-1-1 record since the 1996 season.
Monopolizing the ball throughout the majority of the match, the Panthers outshot Miami 11-5. Their unwavering aggression remained a constant force throughout the entire match, forcing the Hurricanes to play defensively.
Graduate student goalkeeper Ithaisa Vinoly gave a dazzling performance, recording her fourth clean-sheet of the season.
In their next matchup, the FIU women’s soccer team will take on the FGCU Eagles on Sunday, Sep. 10, 2023 at the FIU Soccer Stadium in Miami, Florida.
Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. EST and will be available for streaming on ESPN+.
Follow Carla Mendez on X: @carladfmendez
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