ORLANDO – A goal from FIU’s Montelene Dymond in the eighth minute proved to be the difference, as the Panthers held on to defeat UCF by a score of 1-0 on Thursday night at the UCF Soccer Complex.
The result marked the Knights’ first loss of the season as they dropped to 5-1-0 with the setback. FIU improved to 3-1-2 with the victory. UCF is now 3-1-0 against Sunshine State opponents on the season following Thursday’s contest.
“We kept fighting and looked a lot more dangerous as the game went on,” head UCF coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak said. “We had quality chances that we just didn’t put away.
“Credit to FIU. They were fighting and got an early counterattack goal, and we had a hard time responding from that. But that’s OK. We have a great team, and I believe in them. We did get better as the game went on, but it just wasn’t our night.”
With the game scoreless in the early stages, FIU’s Noa Olivia Ganthier intercepted a pass near midfield and fed a through ball ahead to her teammate Dymond. Dymond beat the defense and chipped the ball into the back of the net on the far side of the goal to give the Panthers a 1-0 advantage just eight minutes in.
With Florida International still holding to the 1-0 lead in the second half, UCF had a trio of chances from Liz Worden in the final 20 minutes. But all three just missed the mark, as FIU managed to hold the lead down the stretch.
Despite suffering the setback, the Knights outshot the Panthers 13 to 11 on the night. Worden led the way with four shots, while Rajanah Reed, Ainsley Moy and Jada Silvest all finished with two. Dymond led FIU with a trio of shots and two of those coming on goal.
UCF keeper Genesis Perez Watson finished with a pair of shots on the night, as did FIU’s Valery Restrepo.
FIU won both the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles in 2024 and was picked to finish second in the league this season. The Panthers also advanced to the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
The contest marked UCF’s annual Space Game where the team donned its Canaveral blue kits.
The Knights will next head to Jacksonville to face fellow in-state foe North Florida on Thursday, Sept. 11. The match will mark UCF’s final non-conference game of the season. The Black and Gold will open Big 12 play on Thursday, Sept. 18 at home against West Virginia.