Game Details
No. 8 FIU 3, RV Old Dominion 1
FIU (11-0-3, 5-0-1 C-USA), Old Dominion (8-4-2, 5-1 C-USA)
Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 | 7 p.m.
Miami, Fla. | FIU Soccer Stadium
 
The Basics
- With each match meaning more than the previous, the No. 8-ranked FIU men's soccer team took the pitch on Wednesday night for what might have been its most important outing of the 2017 season, with that outing coming in its regular season home finale. The Panthers welcomed Old Dominion to the FIU Soccer Stadium for a meeting between unbeaten sides in Conference USA for a match that had huge implications in seeding for the upcoming C-USA Tournament in Norfolk, Virginia, Nov. 8, 10 and 12. FIU didn't seem to be phased by the magnitude of the match, extending its unbeaten streak to 14-straight matches with a 3-1 win over the Monarchs. The Panthers remain as one of only two teams in Division I men's soccer without a blemish in the loss column, joining No. 2 Indiana (13-0-3). The win improves FIU to 11-0-3 and 6-0-1 in Conference USA, while Old Dominion drops to 8-4-2 and 5-1 in C-USA.
 
- The Panthers and Monarchs found themselves in a defensive struggle for the first 45 minutes of play, with offensive chances at a premium. FIU went into the locker room at the break leading in shots, with six of the 10 in the first half, however Old Dominion held a slight 3-2 advantage in shots on goal.
 
- Santiago Patino (Orlando, Fla./Freedom) broke the ice for Panthers in the 54th-minute for his 13th goal of the season. On the play, Alessandro Campoy (Port au Prince, Haiti/Immaculate-LaSalle) took the ball the length of the field, beat two defenders, and served up Patino from 18 yards out, who found himself one-on-one with ODU goalkeeper Mertcan Akar. Patino didn't hesitate firing a shot to the far left post to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead. Patino's goal ended a four-match scoring drought.
 
- It didn't take long for Patino to strike again, doing so in the 66th-minute and making the score 2-0. After Paul Marie (Saint-Aubin-des-Bois, France/5th Ursule) took a shot from the left side of the goal from five yards out that was saved at the last second by Akar, Patino found the rebound straight to his right foot and sent the ball into the back of the goal. The score marked Patino's fourth multi-goal match of the season.
 
- Sebastien Hauret then cut the FIU lead to one, 2-1, off a direct kick from 23 yards out in the 77th-minute.
 
- As much as a defensive struggle the first half was, the final five minutes more than made up for its lack of offense, with both teams having several chances to put the ball in the goal, but just couldn't covert. Campoy eventually put the icing on the cake in the 90th-minute – with just two seconds left in the match – when he put a rebound past Akar. Luca Giovine (Roselle, Ill./Lake Park) and Joris Ahlinvi (Gujan-Mestras, France) were each credited with an assist on the score.
 
- FIU keeper Hugo Fauroux (Cannes, France/Lycee Bristol) tied his career-high with six saves on the night, including two highlight-reel stops.
 
Stat of the Game
FIU finished the night outshooting ODU, 17-8, including a 10-7 advantage in shots on goal. The Panthers held an 8-4 advantage in shots on goal in the second half.
 
Scoring Summary
FIU – Santiago Patino (Alessandro Campoy; 53:40)
FIU – Santiago Patino (Paul Marie; 65:24)
ODU – Sebastien Hauret (Unassisted; 76:07)
FIU – Alessandro Campoy (Luca Giovine, Joris Ahlinvi; 89:58)
 
Up Next
FIU will close out the regular season at Kentucky on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m., before heading to the Conference USA Tournament Nov. 8, 10, 12 in Norfolk, Virginia.  

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 eight different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including Riccardo Silva Stadium.
 
About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. It is a public research university with colleges and schools that offer 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 $8.9 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/.