Fateful goal gives FIU women’s soccer first SBC win of the season, football team falls to Toledo in home opener


The women’s soccer team stunned Western Kentucky on Sept. 27 when it won, 1-0 in overtime, walking away with its first Sun Belt Conference win of the season. The football team did not fare as well over the weekend, losing its home opener against Toledo, 41-31, the day before.

The Golden Panthers pulled an upset in overtime at an away game in Kentucky against the Hilltoppers, winning 1-0 after junior midfielder Kassandra Sorzano scored her second goal of the year to lift FIU past Western Kentucky.

Sept 29 2

Golden Panther Kassandra Sorzano scored the game-winning goal against the Hilltoppers. Photo: FIUSports.com.

The win gave the blue-and-gold team (3-5-2) its first victory ever at Bowling Green and its first win against WKU (6-3-1) since November 2004.

“It’s awesome to get the win against this team – one of the top in the conference – and to do it in overtime is even more special,” Sorzano said.

FIU’s women’s soccer will come back to Miami and kick off a four-game home stand on Oct. 2 with a 7 p.m. matchup against Denver.

FIU volleyball comes home

Following triumphs over Troy and South Alabama Sept. 25-27, FIU’s volleyball team is 12-2 on the season and 2-0 in Sun Belt Conference (SBC) action going into its first SBC home game against Western Kentucky on Friday, Oct. 2.

The Golden Panthers’ MVP, senior Yarimar Rosa, was named SBC Volleyball Player of the Week.

The team will open SBC play at home at Modesto A. Maidique Campus Oct. 2 at 6:30 p.m. against Western Kentucky.  This is the first of a three-game home stand.

Football comes close…but no cigar

The Golden Panthers could not contain Toledo’s offense on Sept. 26, losing their home opener on Sept. 26, 41-31.

FIU defeated the Rockets, 35-16, on the road last year, but this time around, the visiting Rockets’ 566 yards of total offense in the game – 223 of those rushing – led to five Toledo touchdowns.

Up next for the blue-and-gold football team is an away game in Louisiana against the ULM Warhawks on Oct. 3.

In related news, Golden Panther Toronto Smith was named one of CollegeFootballPerformance.com’s Linebacker Performers of the Week after his performance on Saturday.

Smith joins T.Y. Hilton as FIU football players who have been honored by the Web site. Hilton was named the Kickoff Returner Performer of the Week after his 96-yard kickoff return for touchdown against Alabama in FIU’s season opener.

And out on the green…

FIU junior Paula Hurtado led the field on Sept. 27 at the University of Kentucky’s Bettie Lou Evans Fall Invitational with a 2-under 69, which propelled her into a tie for top medalist honors with Florida State’s No. 52 Macarena Sukva.

Hurtado, who started the day in a tie for fifth place, four shots behind first-round leader Silva, eagled the 436-yard fifth hole and recorded birdies on 11 and 13, to tie for the best round of the rain-shortened 36-hole event. It was the second championship finish for the Golden Panther who grabbed medalist honors at the Morehead State Spring Kickoff last February.

FIU finished tied for eighth place with Sun Belt Conference partner Middle Tennessee.

The golf team will next hit the links Oct. 5-6 at the Johnie Imes Invitational.

For more information on these games, as well as full schedules and tickets, call 305-FIU-GAME.

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