MIAMI – The FIU men's soccer team returns to the FIU Soccer Stadium on Sunday night, Oct. 7, when the Panthers close out its short two-match homestand against No. 4 Kentucky, in a matchup of the last two unbeaten teams in Conference USA. First touch is slated for 7 p.m. The contest is the second of two-consecutive at home for FIU, and the second of four out of its next five at home for the Panthers.
 
FIU PANTHERS
4-6-0 (3-0 C-USA)
Last Game: Oct. 3 vs. Florida Gulf Coast, L, 2-1
Next Game: Oct. 14 at RV Charlotte, 7 p.m.
Head Coach: Kevin Nylen
Career Record: 16-8-4 (Second season)
at FIU: Same
 
NO. 4 KENTUCKY WILDCATS
9-0-1 (3-0 C-USA)
Last Game: Oct. 3 vs. No. 2 Indiana, W, 3-0
Next Game: Oct. 13 vs. Marshall, 7 p.m.
Head Coach: Johan Cedergren
Career Record: 67-41-19 (Seventh season)
at Kentucky: 67-41-19 (Seventh season)
 
Click here for FIU-Kentucky match notes
Click here to watch live on CUSA TV
 
QUICK HITS
- FIU comes into its match-up against Kentucky trailing in the all-time series, 4-7-2 ... The Panthers are unbeaten against the Wildcats in their last three matches (2-0-1), however are 2-3-1 in their last six meetings against UK.
 
- FIU also looks to stay over .500 against the Wildcats, at home ... The Panthers are currently 4-3-1 against Kentucky at the FIU Soccer Stadium.
 
- FIU extended its regular season Conference USA unbeaten streak to 16 matches with its 4-2 win over New Mexico on Sept. 29, and looks to improve on that against Kentucky ... The Panthers are 13-0-3 in their last 16 C-USA regular season tilts, with their last loss coming at New Mexico, 4-1, on Sept. 30, 2016.
 
- Over the last three matches, FIU has had five players record its 10 goals during the stretch ... Santiago Patino (5g), Andrew Booth (2g), Talla Faye (first career), Owen Green (first career), and Joris Ahlinvi, have all found the back of the net ... In comparison, in the first seven matches, only three players - Ahlinvi (3g), Patino (4g) and Nick O'Callaghan, recorded goals.
 
- Santiago Patino is currently tied for the top spot in goals scored (9), tied for first in goals-per-game (0.89), tied for second in Conference USA in points with 19 (9g, 1a), and second in points-per-game (1.89) ... Joris Ahlinvi is tied for fifth in goals with four (4), seventh in points (10), tied for sixth in points-per-game (1.11), and tied for sixth in goals-per-game (0.44).
 
- Patino has tallied all 19 of his points (9g, 1a) in six of his last eight matches ... He recorded his third multi-goal match of the season - his second-straight - and the 10th of his career, with two scores at New Mexico on Sept. 29.
 
KENTUCKY PREVIEW
Kentucky comes into Sunday's contest with FIU as one of the top teams in the country, boasting a 9-0-1 record and a 3-0 mark in Conference USA ... The Wildcats are coming off a big 3-0 win against No. 2 Indiana on Oct. 3 ... Jj Williams leads the Wildcats in scoring with 21 points (9g, 3a), and scored two goals against Indiana and assisted on the third ... Kalil Elmedkhar is second in scoring with 11 points (4g, 3a).
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
FIU comes into its match-up against Kentucky trailing in the all-time series, 4-7-2 ... The Panthers are unbeaten against the Wildcats in their last three matches (2-0-1), however are 2-3-1 in their last six meetings against UK ... FIU is 4-3-1 against Kentucky at home, and 3-1 against the Wildcats when they come in nationally ranked ... Three of the last four matches against UK were played when the Wildcats were ranked:
 
Nov. 7, 2015, No. 12 Kentucky 1, FIU 0
Nov. 13, 2017, FIU 1, No. 11 Kentucky 0
Sept. 17, 2016 FIU 2, No. 21 Kentucky 1
 
LAST TIME OUT
Florida Gulf Coast scored two second half goals in the span of two minutes to hand FIU a tough 2-1 loss on Oct. 3 ... Santiago Patino highlighted a well-played first half by FIU with the lone goal in the first 45 minutes of play ... Patino attempted to make a play on the ball in the box and was taken down leading to a penalty kick in the 25' minute ... For the second-straight match, Patino calmly stepped to the spot and fired the ball past the opposing goalkeeper ... FGCU, however, struck in the second half with its first goal coming in the 65' minute when O'Vonte Mullings took a pass from Shak Adams and beat the Panthers keeper Hugo Fauroux ... Then, just two minutes later, Ryan Medilah sent a looping chip shot from 25 yards out that went over the head of Fauroux and found the back of the net for the winner.
 
PATINO & AHLINVI EARN PRESEASON MAC HERMANN TROPHY AND C-USA HONORS
FIU standouts Santiago Patino and Joris Ahlinvi were named to the Preseason MAC Herman Trophy Watch List along with being named Preseason All-Conference USA ... Patino and Ahlinvi are two of just 32 players nation-wide to be named to the watch list, while FIU is one of just two schools to have multiple players listed (Portland) ... Patino, the reigning C-USA Offensive Player of the Year from 2017, was tabbed as the 2018 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year ... Ahlinvi was named to the Preseason All-C-USA team ... He was also tabbed a First Team All-C-USA selection in 2017.
 
PANTHERS TABBED TO WIN C-USA IN PRESEASON POLL
FIU was voted by the league's head coaches to finish first in this year's preseason coaches' poll ... FIU received four first place votes ... Last season the Panthers were 6-0-2 in Conference USA play and won their first C-USA regular season title.
 
A LOOK AHEAD
FIU hits the road to face Charlotte on Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. ... The Panthers then return home to take on C-USA rival Florida Atlantic on Oct. 19, at 7 p.m., and then close out non-conference play on Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. against USF.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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