Miami showed off its impressive defensive skill for 87 minutes against the Florida International University (FIU), but following a penalty kick late in the game, the Hurricanes (1-3-3) fell short to the Panthers (5-1-1).
Following a close match against Mississippi State where defense was also a crucial element to the Hurricanes’ performance, UM displayed the same intensity on the defensive end while competing against the Panthers. After the first half, the score remained 0-0, leaving the door open for either team’s offense to step up in the second half.
Despite the defense’s strong presence, Miami’s offense had a harder time generating shots on goal, ending the match with only five shots taken. FIU’s 11 goal attempts show the offensive control the Panthers held during the match.
However, even with 11 goal attempts, redshirt sophomore goalkeeper, Skylah Klein, had four saves during her first career start, playing a crucial role in Miami’s gritty defense.
With just three minutes left in the match, junior midfielder Nikole Solis buried her eighth goal of the season during a penalty kick, putting the Panthers ahead late in the second half. After Solis’ heroic goal, UM was unable to recover in the short amount of time remaining, dropping the non-conference game.
Coming up, the Hurricanes will host their first ACC game against Syracuse. The match will kick off on Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. at Cobb Stadium.