MIAMI – The FIU men's soccer team closes out its three-match road stretch on Saturday, Sept. 29, when it faces New Mexico at the UNM Soccer Complex in Albuquerque, New Mexico. First touch is slated for 1 p.m. (ET), with the match being televised live on the Mountain West Network. After a convincing 5-3 win at North Florida on Sept. 23, the Panthers look for their second-straight win over the Lobos, however their first-ever win in Albuquerque. FIU returns home on Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. when it hosts Florida Gulf Coast.
 
FIU PANTHERS
3-5 (2-0 Conference USA)
Last Game: Sept. 23 at North Florida, W, 5-3
Next Game: Oct. 3 vs. Florida Gulf Coast, 7 p.m.
Head Coach: Kevin Nylen
Career Record: 15-7-4 (Second season)
at FIU: Same
 
NEW MEXICO LOBOS
3-6 (1-1 C-USA)
Last Game: Sept. 26 vs. No. 10 Saint Mary's, L, 1-0
Next Game: Oct. 2 vs. Loyola Marymount, 9 p.m. ET
Head Coach: Jeremy Fishbein
Career Record: 305-144-50 (26th season)
at New Mexico: 210-84-40 (17th season)
 
Click here for FIU-New Mexico match notes
Click here to watch live on the Mountain West Network
 
QUICK HITS
- Saturday's contest at New Mexico is the final match of six matches - out of nine - that the Panthers will play on the road through the month of September.
 
- The Panthers come into their match with the Lobos looking for their second-straight win in the series, however are also looking for their first-ever win in Albuquerque ... FIU trails in the all-time series, 3-5-1, dating back to the 1988 season.
 
- FIU extended its regular season Conference USA unbeaten streak to 15 matches with its 2-1 double-overtime win over UAB on Sept. 14, and looks to improve on that against New Mexico ... 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 fourth in Conference USA in points with 13 (6g, 1a), while also being fourth in goals scored (6) ... Joris Ahlinvi is tied for fifth in goals with four (4g, 1a), sixth in points-per-game (1.17).
 
- Patino has tallied all 13 of his points (6g, 1a) in the last six matches ... He recorded his second multi-goal match of the season, and the ninth of his career, with two scores at North Florida on Sept. 23.
 
- Andrew Booth recorded a five-point night at North Florida on Sept. 23 with three assists and one goal, the first of his career ... Coming into the match Booth had scored just one point – an assist this season at Marshall on Sept. 2 – in 37 career games at FIU ... For his efforts last week, Booth was tabbed the Conference USA Co-Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending Sept. 23.
 
- Owen Green recorded his first career goal against North Florida ... Just five players have found the back of the net for FIU this season ... Two, Patino (6g) and Joris Ahlinvi (4g), are the only ones with multiple goals ... In addition to Green, Patino and Ahlinvi, Booth and Nick O'Callaghan have also scored this season.
 
NEW MEXICO PREVIEW
New Mexico comes into its match with FIU with a 3-6 overall record and a 1-1 mark in Conference USA ... The Lobos are coming off a 1-0 loss to No. 10 Saint Mary's on Sept. 26 ... Omar Grey leads New Mexico in scoring with 11 points (5g, 1a) while Matt Puig is second with nine points (3g, 3a) ... New Mexico announced over the summer that it will be discontinuing the soccer program in July of 2019.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
FIU trails New Mexico, 3-5-1 in the all-time series dating back to the 1986 season ... The Panthers won the first two matches in the series (6-3 on Sept. 16, 1986; 3-0 on Sept. 2, 1995), and last season (4-0 on Oct. 21, 2017), however stuck in the middle was an 0-5-1 winless stretch ... FIU looks for their first-ever win in Albuquerque (0-3).
 
LAST TIME OUT
FIU traveled to Jacksonville to face North Florida on Sept. 23, and netted three goals in the first 14 minutes of the match en route to a 5-3 win over the Ospreys ... FIU's five goals is the most scored this season and the most since a 5-2 win at South Carolina on Oct. 14, 2017 ... It was also just the sixth time in the past 10 years – with three of those six goals scored in the last two seasons – that the Panthers netted five goals in a match ... FIU, who tallied three of its five goals in the first 14 minutes of the contest against North Florida, were just three goals shy of equaling its total goals scored for the season ... Additionally, the Panthers equaled their goal production from the previous four matches ... Andrew Booth had the big night, with the best match of his collegiate career ... Booth figured in each goal in the first half, with three assists, and netted his first career goal, coming in the 14' minute, accounting for his five points on the night ... Coming into the contest, Booth had scored just one point – an assist this season at Marshall on Sept. 2 – in 37 career games at FIU ... Also scoring was Santiago Patino (4' & 60'), Owen Green (11'), Andrew Booth (14') and Joris Ahlinvi (42').
 
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
The Panthers return home on Oct. 3, when they take on Florida Gulf Coast at 7 p.m. in the first of two-straight matches that also includes a meeting with top 10-ranked Kentucky on Oct. 7 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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