FIU vs ULL Box Score

MIAMI - The FIU women's soccer team extended its unbeaten streak to four games by scoring a season-high three goals in a 3-1 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette on Friday night. Junior Thaisa Moreno scored and dished her first career assist while sophomores Katrina Rose and April Perry both scored for the second consecutive game.

The Golden Panthers (5-5-3, 3-1-1) fired at the net nine times in the first half and limited the Rajin' Cajuns (0-12-1, 0-5-0) to just two shots.

In the first three minutes, Perry had a decent look at goal after receiving a cross from Moreno, but the shot went wide right. At 23 minutes into the game, Perry shook off multiple defenders and took another shot, but this time goalie Lauren Berlingo came up with the save.

FIU finally connected with the back of the net at 30:25 when Moreno scored her third goal of the season.

Not even two minutes later, Moreno juked a defender and assisted Perry's second goal of the season - her first gamewinner - to lift the Golden Panthers to a 2-0 lead heading into the half. It was the first time since the season opener at Stetson that FIU held a multi-goal lead at halftime.

Louisiana re-energized when Kelli Jestes found the upper left corner of the back of the net from about 10 yards out five minutes into the second half to cut the lead 2-1. The Golden Panthers did not panic, taking the next two shots on goal in the game, but Berlingo recorded saves on both.

FIU added an insurance goal with 26 minutes remaining thanks to Rose's fourth score of the season, a career high. Senior Marina Pappas came in off the bench and three minutes later found Rose for the score.

"I just got the ball and saw a huge open space and Katrina running and played it," Pappas said.

The Golden Panthers set a season high for points in a game (eight) en route to their first home win over the Rajin' Cajuns in nine years.

"We created a lot of opportunities, especially in the first half," coach Thomas Chestnutt said. "In the second half Louisiana got their first goal, but we ended up answering them back, so I thought that was important to not allow them to continue to gain momentum. We've  been working on our attack and slowly but surely it's coming along. At the end of the day it's a very good result and our kids can be happy with it."