MIAMI (Sept. 27, 2019) – After remaining undefeated and posting their second consecutive clean sheet against Stetson on Tuesday, the No. 16 ranked FIU men's soccer team now focuses on acquiring more points in the Conference USA standings, as they travel to UAB this Saturday to play the first of four consecutive games on the road.
The Panthers and Blazers are scheduled for an 8 p.m. ET kickoff in Alabama, Birmingham.
For the full game notes, click here.
BLAZERS PREVIEW
UAB finished last season 6-9-3 overall, earning a 3-4-3 mark on their home pitch. The Blazers have posted a 1-5-1 record thus far in the 2019 campaign, having recorded a 1-3 record at home. UAB has logged one point in the C-USA standings this season, as they settled for a 1-1 draw against Old Dominion on Sept. 14 — a team that FIU shutout by a score of 5-0 recently.
INSIDE THE SERIES
The Blazers have a slight edge in the all-time series over the Panthers, as FIU trails 6-7-1. The Panthers have dominated the series as of late however, winning the last four consecutive matches dating back to the 2016 season. The last time FIU played in Birmingham, Alabama was on Sept. 14, 2017 — with the Panthers winning that game by a score of 2-1.
ATOP THE CONFERENCE
FIU ranks first in several C-USA offensive categories as the 2019 season nears its midway point, including shots (121), points (81), goals (27), goals-per-game (3.38), assists (27), and assists-per-game (3.38). Alessandro Campoy and Caleb Franke are currently in a three-way tie for the C-USA lead with five goals this season. Campoy also ranks second in the conference for points (12), shots (21), points-per-game (1.71), and shots-per-game (3). Inigo Sagarduy ranks first in C-USA in assists (4), while Andrew Booth, Owen Green, and Matias Barraza are all tied for second in the conference with three assists. Goalkeeper Daniel Gagliardi ranks second in C-USA in saves (26), goals-against-average (0.95), 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 while 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 6-0-2 start to the 2019 campaign, as 15 different Panthers have logged either a goal or an assist this season. 12 Panthers have logged a goal thus far in 2019, while 13 players have contributed an assist. An impressive total of 10 Panthers have logged both a goal and an assist. Those players include returning veterans Campoy, Sagarduy, Booth, Green, 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 and freshman Marshall each have four points on the season, while freshmen Garcia has logged three. Anthony Cousins, Jr. — also a freshman — claimed 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 UAB can be found here.
UP NEXT
FIU continues its four-game road stretch when they travel to Ohio next Saturday, Oct. 5 to face the University of Akron. Kickoff against the Zips is set for 7 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).
