Bautista Samperi | Staff Writer
It was the penalty heard around MMC.
FIU defeated the Liberty University Flames to win its first-ever Conference USA championship.
The first period of the match was a hard-fought battle. The Panthers came out on the attack and managed to keep the ball on the Flame’s side for most of the half.
Meanwhile, Liberty focused on keeping a clean sheet, prioritizing defense, and relying on counterattacks to create scoring opportunities.
As they had done for most of the season, FIU’s defense, led by Senior Reagan Bridges, dominated the opposition holding the Flames to zero shot attempts in the first half and giving sophomore goalkeeper Valery Restrepo a quiet day with minimal interventions.
The Panthers continued to attack at the start of the second half. And early on, their relentless pressure paid off.
After a great solo play by sophomore Montelene Dymond, who later would have to exit the game with an injury, the ball reached star player senior Noemi Paquin who after receiving the pass was fouled inside the box.
Senior Deborah Bien-Aime stepped up to take the penalty kick, and after a great shot to the bottom right corner, gave FIU the lead in the 47th minute with her first goal of the season.
Following FIU’s goal, the Flames went on the attack. After a quiet first half, they tested Restrepo early on forcing her to make two key saves.
Despite the added pressure by Liberty, FIU maintained control for the rest of the game.
As the final whistle blew, the Panthers celebrated their historic achievement of being crowned Conference USA champions for the first time in program history.
After the game, the All-Tournament team offensive MVP Noemi Paquin reflected on what the win means for her and the program, “it feels really good, we came here most of us four years ago and this is exactly what we worked for.”
“We said that this year was going to be our time and when we came together this season we were all ready.”
Head coach Jonathan Garbar has watched his squad transform from a mid-table team to a dominant force in the conference. During the hard-fought final, he focused on keeping his players composed and with their eyes on the prize.
“What I told them is that one team has to suffer more than the other, so let’s make them suffer more. We knew it was going to be a hard physical match. We needed to find a great balance between being physical, fighting for all our duels but also playing a lot of football.”
With their championship win, the Panthers have secured a spot in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament, where they will go up against Auburn in the first round.
This win not only marks a significant milestone for the Panthers’ women’s soccer program but also sets a new standard for future seasons.
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