MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee women's soccer (8-4-3, 3-1-1 CUSA) overcame an early deficit to secure a 2–1 victory against FIU (6-4-3, 3-2-0 CUSA) on Sunday afternoon at Dean A. Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium.   

The Blue Raiders faced a challenge after the Panthers scored just three minutes into the match, taking an early 1–0 lead.   

Senior forward Emma Pettersen finally equalized in the 83rd minute, finishing a pass from freshman Lilah Cornell. Pettersen then contributed the game-winning goal six minutes later, connecting with a cross from senior Idun Kvaale, with an additional assist credited to junior Hannah Murphy in the 89th minute, securing the comeback.   

Head Coach Aston Rhoden commented on the win:   
"I think a lot of it was just believing in our identity and who we want to be. We made a few tactical changes, but we kept fighting and remained optimistic that we could win the game."   

Pettersen reflected on the team's performance:
"Well, we try to treat every team the same and focus on ourselves. Beating FIU, a tough team, gives us perspective for upcoming games and potential matchups in the conference tournament against stronger teams or new teams in this conference."   

By the numbers:  
Goalkeeper Demi Gronauer recorded three saves and anchored a back line that limited FIU to just six total shots.   

Pettersen notched her career brace, bringing her total to 15 career goals.   

With this performance, Pettersen is the second MTSU player to achieve a brace this season, following Alli Craig, who accomplished this against Jackson State (Aug 17). 

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