MIAMI, FL – The Panthers got back on track after their 2-1 win over Jacksonville State to seal their first conference win of the season. FIU ended a two-game losing skid to start conference play at Leyva Family Field. The women’s soccer team now has its fourth win of the year as it prepares to face its last 5 games of the regular season.
Gamecocks Strike First
Her 2nd of the year is a BIG one‼️ https://t.co/q3y6C25vyy pic.twitter.com/naGQT4i053
— FIU Women's Soccer (@FIUWSoccer) October 4, 2026
FIU came out firing, recording three shots on goal within the first 10 minutes. The Panthers controlled the early stages, but Jax State struck first despite the strong start. Rebecca Sierra-Burciaga put the Gamecocks ahead 1-0 at the 9:34 mark. FIU fired 12 first-half shots, matching their season high in first half shot attempts.
At the 27:08 mark, Adria Kitzinger notched her second goal of the year to even it all up for the Panthers. This marked the first goal in 2 matches for FIU, a refreshing goal before the end of the first half. Needing to dig deep to take the lead, FIU went into the half with a simple mission: “WIN”
Panthers Push Ahead
57’ | BEAUTIFUL CROSS INTO THE BOX AND WE TAKE THE LEAD‼️
JSU 1, FIU 2 pic.twitter.com/LYHAiHw3GV
— FIU Women's Soccer (@FIUWSoccer) October 4, 2026
The second half got underway, and FIU immediately went after JSU goalie Camdyn Magrosky. After four straight-shot attempts in the first ten minutes of the second half, the Panthers scored their second goal of the night. At the 56:20-minute mark, Mariana Barreto scored her second goal of the year and put FIU ahead 2-1 with more than 30 minutes left to play. Kiara Clarke assisted Barreto to take the lead, marking her first assist of the season.
Despite JSU’s best effort, Valerey Restrepo finished the second half with a clean sheet and added two more saves to her season total. Restrepo has now reached 42 saves in the Panthers’ first 12 games, four more than last year at this point. FIU finished with 19 total shot attempts to JSU’s six. The 19 shot attempts by the Panthers are the second-most shot attempts in a game this year.
What’s Next?
FIU will have its biggest test of the season when they travel to Lynchburg to face a 10-2 Liberty team on Oct 11th. Liberty sits on top of the CUSA standings with a 3-0 record in conference play and an eight-game win streak. The Panthers will have the odds stacked against them in this heated Conference USA matchup.
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