MIAMI (December 22, 2017) – FIU men's soccer standout
Paul Marie (Saint-Aubin-des-Bois, France) has been invited to the 2018 Major League Soccer (MLS) adidas Player Combine in Orlando, Florida. Marie, FIU's first invitee since 2002, is one of 60 initial NCAA Division I players invited. He joins Matias Asorey as the only Panther players to be invited. The league will hold its annual combine from Jan. 11-17, at Orlando City Stadium, with representatives from all 23 MLS clubs scouting the top college prospects ahead of the Jan. 19, MLS SuperDraft in Philadelphia.
"It is an amazing opportunity to be invited to the MLS combine," said Marie, who was recently named a Third-Team All-America by the United Soccer Coaches. "I'm grateful for the opportunity and I want to thank my teammates and coaching staff which are a big part of the chance I have been given. Now it's time to show what FIU men's soccer is really all about."
"I'm very happy for Paul, he deserves this opportunity," said FIU men's soccer Head Coach
Kevin Nylen. "He continues to make FIU Men's Soccer proud and we are all looking forward to seeing him play in Orlando."
Click here to read complete 2018 MLS adidas Combine release
Marie was an offensive force to be reckoned with, this season, and one of the veteran leaders on the FIU roster this season. A First Team All-Conference USA selection and a two-time C-USA Player of the Week pick in 2017, Marie finished the year second on the team in points with 22 (8g, 6a), and in the top five in C-USA in multiple offensive categories, including points, goals, points-per-game (1.50), goals-per-game (0.50), assists and assists-per-game (0.35).
He logged multiple points in eight matches, including a five-point effort (2g, 1a) at South Carolina on Oct. 14 in a 5-2 win. Marie also scored the lone goal in the Conference USA Tournament semifinal match against Charlotte on Nov. 10 and in the NCAA Tournament second round match at Duke on Nov. 19, and assisted on both goals in the Panthers' 2-0 NCAA first-round tournament win over Omaha on Nov. 16.
This season the Panthers posted a 12-2-4 record and a 6-0-2 mark in Conference USA, earning their first-ever C-USA regular season title. The Blue and Gold finished the regular season with an 11-0-4 record, the first time in school history that the Panthers recorded an undefeated regular season. FIU was also one of only two teams in Division I men's soccer to accomplish the feat, joining Indiana.
The Panthers advanced to their 19
th NCAA Championship, and their 11
th at Division I, winning their first-round game against Omaha.
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