MIAMI, Fla. – Missouri State women's soccer wrapped up its regular season with a 1-1 draw against FIU on Sunday afternoon at Leyva Family Field. With the result, the Bears move to 5-8-4 (2-3-3 CUSA), while the Panthers finish 7-5-4 (4-3-1 CUSA).

The Bears struck first in the 16th minute when Reilly Heman scored her fourth goal of the season, burying a shot from outside the box after a ball from Lillie Rasmussen, capitalizing on a long kick downfield from goalkeeper Ella Becker. The early goal gave Missouri State the edge in a defensive first half, as the Bears back line, led by Riley Smith and Maddie Schneiderhahn, held firm against FIU's attacks.

 In a crucial late moment, FIU's starting keeper Valery Restrepo was shown a red card in the 45th minute after a foul outside the box that denied a scoring chance, forcing the Panthers to play the second half a player down.

Despite the disadvantage, FIU found the equalizer in the 64th minute when Montelene Dymond connected on a header off a Grace Morris cross. Missouri State continued to apply pressure, outshooting the Panthers 14-9 and earning a 6-5 advantage in shots on goal, but the FIU defense held strong. Becker tallied four saves in the match, while FIU's backup keeper Odaliana Gomez stopped five shots to keep the score level.

With the tie against FIU, the Bears have clinched a spot in the Conference USA Tournament, which kicks off Sunday, Nov. 2, in Lynchburg, Va. Missouri State enters as the No. 8 seed and will face top-seeded WKU in the quarterfinals at 4:30 p.m. CT. If the Bears advance, they will play in the CUSA Semifinals on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. CT against the winner of the MTSU vs. FIU matchup.