The FIU men's soccer team picked up its second consecutive win of the season, as the Golden Panthers (2-8-2; 2-2-0) battled back from a 1-0 deficit to defeat the Blazers of UAB 2-1 in double overtime, Saturday afternoon in Birmingham.
Juan Guerra (Caracas, Venezuela) scored his second goal of the match with 1:18 to play in the second overtime, to give FIU its second win of the season.
The Blazers (5-6-1; 0-3-0) struck first when in the 30th minute, Frank Brown's throw-in was headed by Trey Greggory and the shot sailed over Kyle Thomas' (Jensen Beach, Fla.) head and into the net for a 1-0 UAB lead.
UAB would control the rest of the first half, holding FIU to just two shots.
The second half would see fairly even play as both teams were credited with four shots, but neither team could muster much of a threat.
However, just when it looked like FIU was on its way to another 1-0 loss, Guerra beat a defender to get open and fire a shot into the lower left corner, tying the score at one with eight minutes remaining in regulation.
After being out-shot most of the game, the FIU defense would step up its game and regain the form that has kept the Golden Panthers in matches all year long through the offensive drought.
FIU would dominate the overtime period, taking six shots and not allowing a single UAB shot. However, the Blazers stood their ground and looked poised to force a 1-1 tie.
That all changed when Guerra fired a shot that deflected off UAB keeper Wes Johnson's hands and went in for the game winning goal, and Guerra's fourth score of the season.
Guerra's two goals mark the third time this year an FIU player has scored twice in one match. The previous times being last Wednesday vs. UCF when Steven Jair Cabas (Miami, Fla.) scored two en route to FIU's first victory, and before that it was Guerra also; his coming in a 2-2 tie vs. Illinois-Chicago.
FIU is on the road again next weekend as they travel to Dallas, Tex. for a C-USA match with SMU.
