Women’s Soccer team loses 3-0 against Florida International Panthers

The Liberty University Women’s Soccer team took its first defeat of the season against the Florida International Panthers, losing 3-0 on Friday.  

As the wake of hurricane Helene passed through Lynchburg, the Lady Flames competed against FIU in a high-octane Conference USA matchup, their second of the season and the first at home.   

Rain sprinkled down on Osborne Stadium during the national anthem as the sun tried to peek through the misty clouds. With the Flames off to one of their best starts in school history with an 11-game undefeated streak, they looked to continue that success against FIU.  

Liberty came off its first conference game against Jacksonville State with a blowout 4-0 win, and the Flames hoped to continue that same offensive domination Friday evening. With a 9-0-2 record to start their season, the Lady Flames have been a force to reckon with, defeating or drawing multiple powerhouses such as Virginia Tech and West Virginia.  

On the other side of the field, the Panthers have also had a swift start to the season, holding a 6-3 record going into Friday. With FIU competing against teams like Oklahoma and Miami, this matchup was expected to be a major test for the Lady Flames.  

Following kickoff, the Panthers wasted no time at all, rushing down the field to take the lead at the one-minute mark. Taking an awkward bounce off a free kick from midfield, FIU defender Elizabeth Rapp slid the ball past a frozen Liberty keeper for a 1-0 lead. Silencing the previously energetic Liberty sideline, FIU showed that its offense would be able to match that of the Flames.  

Liberty attempted to storm back down the field, creating multiple offensive chances. Liberty redshirt sophomore forward Halle Engle was locked down by FIU keeper Valery Restrepo on an offensive rush down the right side at the 35-minute mark of the first half. Five minutes later, beginning with a nutmeg at midfield, Liberty junior forward Ivy Garner threaded the needle to sophomore midfielder Gabby Miranda for a spectacular opportunity, but it was locked down by Restrepo again. 

It was all Panthers after that. Dominating possession, FIU fired right back with multiple scoring chances, but Liberty redshirt sophomore keeper Grace Workman was up to the task. Workman made three massive saves, extending fully to keep the ball out of the net each time.  

In the consistent stream of rain, the Panthers took a two-goal lead late in the first half. With 3:14 left on the clock, FIU star forward Noemi Paquin ripped a shot from far outside the box, finally beating an outstretched Workman for a 2-0 lead to take into halftime.   

The Lady Flames trailed by two going into the locker room, the first time this season that they were down at the half. As the sun set on Osborne Stadium, the Lady Flames took back to the pitch, rejuvenated and looking to make a huge second-half comeback.

Liberty redshirt freshman reserve keeper Peyton Huber put on the gloves and stepped into the net for the Flames in hopes of shutting down any further FIU chances. Getting back to its fast-paced, attacking soccer, FIU beat them there.  

At the 41:10 mark of the second half, just under four minutes in, Paquin found the back of the net for the second time of the evening. Cutting back inside of the box on two Liberty defenders, the Montreal native buried her eighth goal of the season, giving the Panthers a 3-0 lead. 

Liberty tried to get the offense rolling as it trailed by three, but it was shut down by Restrepo time and time again. Between the saves and key defensive plays from the Panthers, Liberty could not find a way back into the game.  

“We couldn’t score,” Flames Head Coach Lang Wedemeyer said. “We created plenty of opportunities, but sometimes that’s the way the game goes.”   

This was the case for the remainder of the game, as Liberty kept trying to make offensive pushes but could not crack the solid FIU defense. Liberty led the game with 20 shot attempts, eight more than the Panthers, yet only six found their way on the net.  

“We created enough opportunities to win the game, but we couldn’t score,” Wedemeyer said. “We didn’t help ourselves.”  

FIU iced the game, keeping the majority of possession and forcing Liberty to make desperate plays, none of which converted into goals. Despite a flicker of hope late in the second half when a Liberty midfielder ripped a shot off the crossbar, the Flames did not have an answer for the Panthers. The game ended 3-0 in favor of FIU.  

Liberty is preparing to take on another Conference USA foe in UTEP. With UTEP off to a mediocre start, the Flames will look to re-establish their offensive domination against the Miners. 

“Right now, everyone’s hurting a bit, and this is going to take some time to process,” Wedemeyer said. “We challenged them with that to see how they’ll recover and come back.”  

The Lady Flames will attempt to regain their momentum when they host UTEP Oct. 3 at Osborne Stadium. The game will begin at 6 p.m. and will be live-streamed over ESPN+.

Bessire is a staff writer for the Liberty Champion. Follow him on X.