Bautista Samperi | Sports Director
FIU women’s soccer is starting a new chapter with a new head coach and a group of new players after a breakout season that ended in the NCAA Tournament.
The Panthers finished the 2024 season at the top of Conference USA winning the postseason champions for the first time in program history.
After a historic season, several players left FIU to begin the next stage of their professional lives.
Two players no longer with the Panthers are last season’s co-captains — conference Defensive Player of the Year Reagan Bridges and Player of the Year Noemi Paquin — both All-Conference USA first-team selections.
In addition to losing two key players, FIU also lost last season’s Coach of the Year, Jonathan Garbar, who left to join the Mississippi State coaching staff.
The Panthers, with no time to lose, got to work and in March announced Mat Dunn as the new head coach.
After 14 seasons at Keiser, Dunn never had a losing season. He is a two-time NAIA coach of the year, is top 25 in all time conference wins, and two-time NAIA national champion.
“I am extremely excited to join FIU,” coach Dunn said. “From the beginning of the interview process, it felt like home.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome Mat to FIU to lead our women’s soccer program,” said Athletic Director Scott Carr. “Mat is a proven winner with sustained success who has won multiple national championships. His record speaks for itself – all he has done as a head coach is win.”
Since coach Dunn’s arrival, FIU has been active in recruiting, signing more than seven new players.
Amongst those players is Natalia Ballinas who at the club level competed with played for Weston FC and Florida United SC. She was a Girls Academy National Team Finalist and a Girls Academy two-time Champions Cup Winner. She spent her freshman year at UCF.
Ballinas also represented the u17 Mexican National Team.
Another standout signing for FIU was freshman Maria Lucia Dogliani. Before joining the Panthers she played for Juventus FC Como Women and was an Italian National Cup finalist.
Jayden Boelter is also joining the Panthers in her last year of eligibility. She has been a NAIA First Team All-American, an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention, MSC Player of the Year in 2024, and MSC First Team All-Conference 5 times.
FIU will look to build on last year’s momentum as a new era under coach Dunn begins. After solidifying their position as a conference power house, the Panthers aim to take the next step in becoming a consistent contender on the national stage.
About Post Author
