LEXINGTON, Ky. - The FIU men's soccer team (7-7-0, 1-4-0 C-USA) couldn't overcome a late goal in the final minutes of the match as they fell to the Kentucky Wildcats (5-6-2, 2-1-2 C-USA), 1-0, Sunday afternoon at the UK Soccer Complex.

The FIU defense flexed its muscle for as long as possible on a windy afternoon but couldn't hold on as Kentucky freshman Tyler Riggs snuck one past FIU goalkeeper Shane Lopez in the 87th minute of the game, falling to the Wildcats in a crucial Conference USA match up.  

"We had opportunities throughout the match and just couldn't convert," Head Coach Munga Eketebi said. "Shane Lopez and our entire defense played a great game."

Lopez saved two shots on the afternoon while four different Panthers each had a shot on goal.

Still mathematically alive in the C-USA tournament race, the Panthers will travel to Columbia, S.C. on Wednesday, Oct. 27, to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Panthers are three points behind the sixth place spot in the conference standings. South Carolina is third in the conference with a 2-1-1 record inside the division. Match time is set for 7 p.m.

For tickets to FIU home matches, call 305-FIU-Game or log on to FIUSports.com. FIU students will have the opportunity to earn 50 Panther Points by attending the game and having their ID scanned. Points that student's acquire over the year will accumulate and the students with the most points will be eligible to win great prizes like HDTV's, laptop, iPod's and much more.

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