Game Details
No. 8 FIU 2, Kentucky 2 (2OT)
FIU (11-0-4, 5-0-2 C-USA), Kentucky (8-5-3, 4-2-1 C-USA)
Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017 | 7 p.m.
Lexington, Ky. | Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex
 
The Basics
- The No. 8 FIU men's soccer team knew coming into tonight's regular-season finale at Kentucky that it had already won the regular season Conference USA title, and for all intents and purposes, the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Conference USA Tournament, Nov. 8-12 in Norfolk, Virginia. That came by virtue of Old Dominion dropping a 3-2 decision to South Carolina. That's what made Sunday's match in Lexington that much more dangerous. But the Panthers came out on a cold night and did what they have done all season long, got the job done. FIU earned a hard-fought 2-2 draw over the Wildcats finishing the regular season with a 11-0-4 record and a 5-0-2 mark in C-USA. Kentucky drops to 8-5-3 overall and 4-2-1 in league play.
 
- FIU extended its unbeaten streak to 15-straight matches with the victory over the Wildcats. 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 (13-0-4). The Hoosiers, like FIU, recorded a draw (1-1) in their final regular season match of 2017 against Michigan State earlier on Sunday.
 
- Santiago Patino (Orlando, Fla./Freedom) got the scoring started with a big-time play in the box. Patino, who came into the game ranked third in the nation in scoring, took a pass from Alessandro Campoy (Port au Prince, Haiti/Immaculate-LaSalle) from 15 yards out, got the Kentucky defender on his left hip, turned and made a move to the goal and firing a shot to the far left post beating the Wildcats' goalkeeper, Enrique Facusse, to make the score 1-0. That was the only goal of the first stanza.
 
- After Kentucky's Leon Jones was assessed a red card on a hard foul on Joris Ahlinvi (Gujan-Mestras, France) in the 64^th-minute, and had to play a man down, the Wildcats stepped up the offensive intensity and had numerous opportunities to score, but were denied with great defense and goalkeeping play by Hugo Fauroux (Cannes, France/Lycee Bristol). Kentucky eventually broke through in the 72^nd-minute when Mikkel Pedersen took a heel pass from J.J. Williams and beat Fauroux from close range.
 
- Marvin Hezel got the Panthers back on top just nine minutes later, in the 81^st-minute. Hezel took a pass from Ahlinvi, from 25 yards out, and just off the sideline, that found its way right on to Hezel's right foot and was re-directed to the back of the net. It was defender's third goal of the season.
 
- Just five minutes later, Williams got the equalizer for the Wildcats on what was a bang-bang play. Kentucky's Noah Hutchins served up a laser of a shot from 28 yards out that ricocheted off the left post, was picked up by Williams and put back beating, Fauroux, who dove to stop the previous shot in the 86^th-minute. That proved to be a final score of the night.
 
- The two sides went to two 10-minute sudden victory periods with each team having opportunities but neither were able to convert.
 
- After holding a slight 5-3 advantage in shots – and 3-0 in shots on goal – in the first half, the Panthers finished the night with 16 of the matches 30 shots, and seven of the 12 shots on goal.
 
Stat of the Game
Kentucky finished the night with 14 shots in the loss, with nine coming in the 26-minute stretch through the end of regulation after the Wildcats' Leon Jones received his red card. That was when UK scored its two goals. The Wildcats had just one shot in the two 10-minute extra sessions.
 
"Quotable"
"Tonight was a tough game, Kentucky is a good side and made it hard on us. We were under it at times, but found a way to get a point on the road to end the regular season. With all of that, we ended the season 11-0-4 and regular season champions. We are very proud of this team and their continued fight.  Now we focus on the conference tournament." – FIU men's soccer Head Coach Kevin Nylen
 
Scoring Summary
FIU – Santiago Patino (Alessandro Campoy; 34:00)
UK – Mikkel Pedersen (J.J. Williams, Tanner Hummel; 70:52)
FIU – Marvin Hezel (Joris Ahlinvi; 80:48)
UK – J.J. Williams (Noah Hutchins; 85:15)
 
Up Next
FIU gets a well-deserved rest 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/.