MIAMI (Oct. 29, 2014) – Two goals late in the second half earned FIU three points in the Conference USA standings, as the Panthers defeated the Florida Atlantic Owls, 2-0, on Wednesday night. Senior Roberto Alterio and redshirt freshman Darren Rios scored the two FIU goals.

The Panthers controlled the majority of the game, tallying 14 shots while allowing just three to the Owls. Corner kicks were limited on both sides, as FIU had a total of three, while FAU got just one, which happened late in the contest. In a very physical match, there were 32 total fouls and eight cautions.

Everything was quiet until the 16^th minute, when FAU's Ryan Price fired off the one and only shot for the Owls in the first half. Price did have a clean look, but FIU keeper Robin Spiegel came off his line and made a diving stop to keep the contest in check. The Panthers immediately countered. Albrecht redirected a shot by sophomore Josue Espana that was saved by the Florida Atlantic keeper.

FIU's other close opportunity in the first stanza came from senior Sean McFarlane in the 22^nd minute. Junior Daniel Gonzalez found the Jamaica native on a give-and-go. McFarlane's shot was a bullet, but sailed just wide of the net.
Alterio broke a scoreless match in the 78^th minute. On a ball played into the box by Espana, sophomore Marvin Hezel headed a ball towards the Owls' keeper. He collected the rebound, and flicked the ball back towards the middle of the box after the goalie blocked the initial shot. Alterio buried the redirect for the eventual game-winner.

The second goal for FIU came in the 87^th minute. On a counter attack, sophomore Ismael Longo broke free down the sideline, cut to the center and got into the 18-yard box. From there, he found a wide open Rios on the far post, where the redshirt freshman was able to tap it in for the easy score.

FIU hosts 16^th-ranked Kentucky this Sunday at 1 p.m from the FIU Soccer Stadium. It will be the senior day match for the Panthers. Additionally, the 1984 National Championship squad will be honored along with other FIU alumni.
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Twitter (@FIUMensSoccer) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUMensSoccer) for all the latest Men's Soccer news. Follow all of FIU's 18 athletic teams on Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSports), YouTube (FIUPanthers), and Instagram (FIUathletics).

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About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports. Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including FIU Arena and Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium.

About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. It is a public research university with colleges and schools that offers more than 180 bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU contributes $9.8 billion each year to the local economy. FIU is Worlds Ahead in finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. FIU has awarded over 200,000 degrees and enrolls more than 54,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell, FIU@I-75, and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU also supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has over 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.