MIAMI – The FIU men's soccer team hits the road for the first of three-straight road matches, beginning on Sept. 18, at No. 19 Virginia. First touch is slated for 7 p.m. The Panthers look for their second-straight win and their first win over a ranked foe since a dominating 4-0 win over No. 24 New Mexico on Oct. 21, 2017.
 
FIU PANTHERS
2-4 (2-0 C-USA)
Last Game: Sept. 14 vs. UAB, W, 2-1 (2ot)
Next Game: Sept. 23 at North Florida, 7 p.m.
Head Coach: Kevin Nylen
Career Record: 14-6-4 (Second season)
at FIU: Same
 
No. 19 VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
2-0-2 (0-0-1 ACC)
Last Game: Sept. 14 vs. Notre Dame, Postponed
Next Game: Sept. 21 at Syracuse, 7 p.m.
Head Coach: George Gelnovatch
Career Record: 309-125-56 (23rd season)
at Virginia: Same
 
Click here to catch all the action live on ACC Network Extra/Watch ESPN.
Click here for complete FIU match notes.
 
QUICK HITS
- Tuesday's contest at Virginia is the fourth of six matches - out of nine - that the Panthers will play on the road through September.
 
- The Panthers come into their game with the Cavaliers looking for their first-ever win in the series ... The all-time record stands at 0-1-1 dating back to the 1993 season.
 
- This is the second meeting this season for FIU against an ACC foe ... The Panthers lost at Duke, 3-1, on Aug. 24.
 
- FIU extended its regular season Conference USA unbeaten streak to 15 matches with its 2-1 double-overtime win over UAB in Miami on Sept. 14 ... The Panthers are 12-0-3 in their last 15 C-USA regular season tilts, with their last loss coming at New Mexico, 4-1, on Sept. 30, 2016.
 
- Santiago Patino is currently third in Conference USA in points with nine (4g, 1a), while also being tied for third in goals scored (4) ... Joris Ahlinvi is tied for fifth in goals with seven (3g, 1a), sixth in points-per-game (1.17).
 
- Patino has tallied four goals and one assist in his last four matches for nine points.
 
- Joris Ahlinvi recorded a four-point night in the Panthers' 2-1 double-overtime win over UAB on Sept. 14 ... Ahlinvi scored the equalizing goal in the 58' minute, and the game-winner in the 109' minute, bending his own corner kick in to end the contest ... It was Ahlinvi's first collegiate career multi-goal match ... Ahlinvi is second on the team in scoring with seven points (2g, 1a) ... For his efforts he earned his first C-USA Player
 
- Nick O'Callaghan (2 pts., 1g), Andrew Booth, Inigo Sagarduy, Matias Barraza, and Caleb Franke have all found their way into the scoring column this season.
 
VIRGINIA PREVIEW
Virginia comes into Tuesday's match against FIU with a 2-0-2 record and an 0-0-1 slate in Atlantic Coast Conference play ... The Cavaliers last played on Sept. 11, against FIU's Conference USA foe, Marshall, posting a 1-0 win ... UVA's match against Notre Dame was postponed due to Hurricane Florence ... Nathaniel Crofts, Cabrel Happi Kamseu, and Joe Bell have all scored one goal apiece this season and are tied in scoring with two points ... Irakoze Donasiyano has the Cavaliers' lone assist this season.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Tuesday's match is just the third meeting between FIU and Virginia, with the Panthers trailing in the all-time series, 0-1-1, dating back to 1993 ... Both previous two matches took place in Charlottesville, on Sept. 4, 1993 (L, 3-1 ot) and on Sept. 7, 1997 (T, 1-1 ot).
 
LAST TIME OUT
Joris Ahlinvi scored both of FIU's goals, including the game-winner in the 109' minute, to lead the Panthers to a 2-1 double-overtime win over UAB on Sept. 14 ... Ahlinvi bent his own corner kick in to end the contest with 23 seconds remaining ... The win extended FIU's C-USA regular season winning streak to 15 matches ... After UAB struck first, Ahlinvi tied the match up at one-all, just 13 minutes later when he took a pass from Caleb Franke and headed a shot past the Blazers' in the 71' minute of play ... Each team got off one-shot apiece in the first overtime period, however the biggest impact on the match could have come in the 99' minute of play when Jules Desportes was issued his second yellow card of the night forcing the Panthers to play a man down ... FIU controlled the match in the second overtime period recording three of the four total shots taken by both sides ... The Panthers had two corner kicks in the final minute, both taken by Ahlinvi.
 
FIRST TIME PANTHERS
Eight players for FIU saw their first action in a Panthers' uniform on Friday, with three earning their first career start in the blue and gold ... Nick O'Callaghan, Caleb Franke, and Jakob Rylander, all earned the starting nod, while Talla Faye, Jacques Bouvery, Kimani Simons, Errol Spence, and Jules, Desportes, all came in off the bench.
 
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 will travel to Jacksonville to face North Florida for a Sept. 23 date with the Osprey (7 p.m.), before closing out September at New Mexico on Sept. 29 (4 p.m. ET) ... The Panthers return home on Oct. 3, when they take on Florida Gulf Coast at 7 p.m.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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.
 
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