Women’s soccer ties, men’s soccer drops Conference USA opener, swimming & diving loses season opener, FIU falls in SBC football opener


It was a busy weekend for FIU Athletics as volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, football, and swimming & diving faced their opponents on their respective fields of play.

The Golden Panthers tied North Texas, 2-2, in women’s soccer action, while their male counterparts dropped their Conference USA home opener against Marshall, 2-1. The FIU football team’s offense was not enough against ULM, which beat the blue-and-gold team, 48-35, and the swimming & diving team lost its season opener in Tallahassee. The bright spot of the Oct. 2-4 weekend was FIU’s volleyball team, which beat WKU and Middle Tennessee at home.

On the volleyball court

FIU began its Oct. 2-4 athletic meets with an at-home volleyball victory against Western Kentucky. Eventually, the team went on to give coach Danijela Tomic her 100th coaching win at the university by defeating Middle Tennessee on Oct. 4.

Out on the soccer field

The FIU women’s soccer team held off a late North Texas rally to tie the Mean Green, 2-2, on Oct. 3.

The Golden Panthers are 4-5-3, (2-1-1 in conference play) on the season.

“To say we’re 2-1-1 through the first two weekends of the conference coming in, we definitely would [be] very satisfied with it, considering last year we were 0-3-1 at this point,” head coach Thomas Chestnutt said. “2-1-1 is a big change, so we’re very happy. We have to look at the bigger picture. The team is fighting. They’re battling hard.”

FIU will carry on with the second half of its four-game home stand on Oct. 9 when it hosts Louisiana at 7 p.m.

Meanwhile, in men’s soccer action, FIU may have struck first, but Marshall rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Golden Panthers at the team opened Conference USA action at home on Oct. 3.

The Golden Panthers will return to the soccer field on Oct. 7 when they host UCF.

And in the pool…

Senior Nicola MacKenzie. Photo: FIUSports.com.

Senior Nicola MacKenzie. Photo: FIUSports.com.

The FIU swimming & diving team opened the 2009-’10 season with a loss at Florida State on Oct. 3, falling to the Seminoles, 137-89.

FIU opened the meet with a 200-meter medley relay performance that saw the foursome of Danielle Sneir, Krissy Metka, Kariann Stevens and Colleen Neubert combine for a mark of 1:55.65.

Golden Panther Nicola MacKenzie was FIU’s best performer in the 1,000-meter freestyle race, finishing fifth in 11:26.70. Freshman Kayla Derr then touched in 1:57.74 in the 200-meter freestyle race to place fifth.

On the diving board, freshman Jamie Stinson notched a mark of 229.50 on the 1-meter springboard in her first collegiate meet. Stinson also recorded a score of 236.55 in the 3-meter event.

For more information on FIU’s swimming & team’s season-opening performance, click here.

The Golden Panthers will return to action Oct. 9-at the Houston Invitational.

Football falls again

T.Y. Hilton caught a career-best 11 passes against the ULM Warhawks. Photo: FIUSports.com.

T.Y. Hilton caught a career-best 11 passes against the ULM Warhawks. Photo: FIUSports.com.

In football news, FIU’s defense gave up more than 500 yards for the second consecutive game on Oct. 2 in Louisiana and the blue-and-gold offense could not keep up as the ULM Warhawks beat the team 48-35.

FIU football is 0-4, 0-1 SBC on the season.

Up next for FIU is an away game at Bowling Green, Ky., against the Hilltoppers on Oct. 10. FIU then will take on Troy at home the following Saturday.

For tickets and more information, call 305-348-GAME or click here.

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