MIAMI – The FIU men's soccer team continues its three-match road stretch as it travels up Interstate 95 to Jacksonville to face North Florida, on Sunday, Sept. 23. First touch is slated for 7 p.m. The Panthers will look for their fourth-straight win against the Ospreys and look to get back on the winning track after a tough 2-0 loss at No. 22 Virginia on Sept. 18. FIU will close out the road stretch on Sept. 29, at New Mexico (4 p.m. ET) before returning home on Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. when the Panthers host Florida Gulf Coast.
 
FIU PANTHERS
2-5 (2-0 C-USA)
Last Game: Sept. 18 at No. 22 Virginia, L, 2-0
Next Game: Sept. 29 at New Mexico, 4 p.m. ET
Head Coach: Kevin Nylen
Career Record: 14-7-4 (Second season)
at FIU: Same
 
NORTH FLORIDA OSPREYS
1-6 (0-0 A-SUN)
Last Game: Sept. 19 at Charleston, W, 2-1
Next Game: Sept. 29 at Liberty, 7 p.m.
Head Coach: Derek Marinatos
Career Record: 43-69-9 (Eighth season)
at North Florida: Same
 
QUICK HITS
- Sunday's contest at North Florida is the fifth of six matches - out of nine - that the Panthers will play on the road through September.
 
- The Panthers come into their game with the Ospreys looking for their fourth win in the series and their second-straight victory for just the second time ever, dating back to the 2011 (W, 2-1) and 2012 (W, 2-1) campaigns ... FIU leads the all-time series 3-2.
 
- Santiago Patino is currently fourth in Conference USA in points with nine (4g, 1a), while also being fourth 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 five 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.
 
NORTH FLORIDA PREVIEW
North Florida, a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, comes into its match with FIU with an 1-6 record following its 2-1 win over Charleston on Sept. 19 ... Mikey O'Connell leads the team in both goals scored (3) and points (7, 3g, 1a) ... A.J. Williams (2) and Nick Lovodico (1) are the only two other goal scorers this season for the Ospreys.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Sunday's match is just the seventh meeting all-time between FIU and North Florida, with all-time series tied at 3-3, dating back to 2011 ... The Panthers look for their second-straight win for the first time since taking back-to-back matches in 2011 (W, 2-1), in Miami, and in 2012 (W, 2-1) in Jacksonville.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The FIU men's soccer team headed on the road for the first of three-straight matches, looking for a signature win against one of the premier teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference – and traditionally in the nation – in No. 22 Virginia ... The Cavaliers, however, had other ideas handing the Panthers a tough 2-0 loss on Sept. 17 ... Joris Ahlinvi led the Panthers offensively on the night with three shots, including FIU's only offering on net during the night ... Santiago Patino had two shots and Jakob Rylander had one ... Hugo Fauroux, who returned to the net for FIU, after sitting out the Panthers 2-1 win against UAB on Sept. 14, recorded four saves on the night ... Virginia scored its goals in the 40' minute and the 52' minute.
 
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 closes out the month of 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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