MIAMI (Sept. 23, 2019) – After exploding for five goals against Old Dominion this past Saturday and claiming three points in the C-USA standings, the unbeaten Panthers now place the victory behind them and shift their focus to Stetson, as they host the Hatters on a quick turn around in Miami on Tuesday.
The Panthers and Hatters are scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff at FIU Soccer Stadium, as FIU wraps up the last match of a three-game homestand before taking off for four straight on the road.
For the full game notes, click here.
STETSON PREVIEW
The Hatters finished last season 7-10-2 overall, earning a 4-6-1 mark on the road. Stetson has posted a 5-3 record thus far in the 2019 campaign, having recorded a 2-1 record in road matches.
INSIDE THE SERIES
The all-time series between the Panthers and Hatters is dead-even at 4-4, with the last meeting resulting in a 3-2 victory for Stetson during FIU's home opener on Aug. 31, 2018. FIU has won four out of the last six matchups with Stetson dating back to 2010, with those matches being split between both programs' home stadiums. Each squad has fared better on the road in the all-time series, as FIU has posted a 3-1 record in Deland, Florida, with Stetson beating the Panthers three out of the four times it has traveled to Miami. Tuesday's match will mark the second consecutive season that FIU hosts Stetson in Miami.
LEADING THE CONFERENCE
FIU ranks first in several C-USA offensive categories with four weeks completed in the 2019 season, including shots (111), points (75), goals (25), goals-per-game (3.57), assists (25), and assists-per-game (3.57). Alessandro Campoy is currently tied for first in C-USA with 12 points, while Caleb Franke ranks second in the conference with 10 points. Both Panthers have scored a conference-leading five goals in 2019. Inigo Sagarduy ranks first in C-USA in assists (4) and assists-per-game (0.57), while Andrew Booth and Owen Green are tied for second in the conference with three assists. Goalkeeper Daniel Gagliardi ranks second in C-USA in saves (26), while sitting at third in goals-against-average (1.07) and save percentage (.765).
PANTHERS SWEEP WEEKLY HONORS
The FIU men's soccer team swept the Conference USA weekly awards for the week ending in Sept. 22, as on Monday the league office announced sophomore Caleb Franke and senior Nick O'Callaghan as the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the week, respectively. Franke exploded for three goals in a span of less than 10 minutes in last Saturday's match against ODU on Sept. 21, marking the first hat-trick of his collegiate career. O'Callaghan anchored the Panthers' backline last week, logging 200 minutes over a two-game span in which FIU allowed only one goal. The defenseman played a full 110 minutes during a double over-time battle against UNF, before playing a full 90 against ODU and helping the Panthers post a clean sheet victory. FIU has now seen four of its members receive C-USA weekly honors this season, as Booth and Campoy were previously tabbed Offensive Players of the Week.
DOIN' IT WITH DEPTH
FIU has seen production from a variety of their players to fuel a 5-0-2 start to the 2019 campaign, as 15 different Panthers have logged either a goal or an assist in the season's first four weeks. 12 Panthers have logged a goal thus far in 2019, while 13 players total have contributed an assist. Additionally, an impressive total of 10 Panthers have logged both a goal and an assist. Those players include returning veterans Campoy, Sagarduy, Booth, Green, Matias Barraza, Xavi Olmos Ferris, and newcomers Stephen Afrifa, Alban Rousselet, David Garcia, and Ronaldo Marshall.
NEWCOMERS MAKING IMPACT
Five first-year Panthers have contributed points for the team in 2019. Freshman Afrifa ranks third on the team with eight points and three goals. Senior transfer Rousselet has four points on the season, while freshmen Garcia and Marshall have three points each. Anthony Cousins, Jr. — also a freshman — logged his first career point as a Panther when he assisted on a goal in the 83rd minute against ODU.
LIVE STATS
Live stats for the match against Stetson can be found here.
UP NEXT
FIU closes out this week with the third C-USA matchup of the 2019 schedule, as they travel to Birmingham, Alabama to face UAB on Saturday, Sept. 28. Kickoff against the Blazers is set for 8 p.m. ET.
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. Follow all of FIU's18 athletic teams on Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSports), YouTube (FIUPanthers), and Instagram (FIUAthletics).
