MIAMI (Oct. 25, 2021) – The No. 12 (College Soccer News) ranked FIU men's soccer team pauses Conference USA play to battle a Top-10 Power 5 foe on the road this Tuesday, Oct. 26, when the Panthers travel to face No. 6 (United Soccer Coaches) Clemson.

First kick between the Panthers and Tigers is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from Historic Riggs Field.

The match will be streamed live on ACCNX and can be accessed with an ESPN+ subscription.

Live stats can be found here.

MATCH PREVIEW
FIU owns a 10-1-2 record this season, including a 4-1-2 mark on the road, and an undefeated 5-0-1 record in C-USA play. The Blue & Gold recently defeated three C-USA opponents within a seven-day span, with FIU winning battles against South Carolina (4-0, Oct. 16), Coastal Carolina (2-1, Oct. 19), and Old Dominion (3-2, Oct. 22).

Clemson has posted a 10-4 record this season, including a 6-2 record on its home pitch. The Tigers recently lost to Syracuse (2-0) on Oct. 23, after defeating No. 11 (CSN) ranked Duke (3-2, OT) back on Oct. 15. Clemson has faced two other C-USA foes this season, defeating South Carolina (5-0, Sept. 3) and Coastal Carolina (2-0, Oct. 5) in prior matchups.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Clemson is led offensively by junior forward Isaiah Reid, who has logged 12 points on six goals. Junior forward Mohamed Saye, senior midfielder Luis Felipe Fernandez-Salvador, and sophomore midfielder Ousmane Sylla rank second on the squad with 10 points apiece. Midfielder Callum Johnson and defender Enrique Montana lead Clemson with five assists each.

Between the pipes, George Marks has started all 14 games for the Tigers and recorded 46 saves while allowing 13 goals with a .780 save percentage. Marks has logged five clean sheets this season and is one solo shutout away from moving into third place on Clemson's all-time leader board with 19.

FIU BY THE NUMBERS
The Panthers recently earned a No. 12 ranking in the most recent Men's Top 30 national poll by College Soccer News, marking FIU's highest ranking of the 2021 season.

FIU has also been ranked for eight straight weeks in the USC Top-25 national poll. The Blue & Gold stands as the highest-ranked program in the state of Florida, and one of three teams from Conference USA to be ranked in national polls.

FIU stands top in the nation in several statistical categories, including No. 1 in the nation in shots-per-game (17.77) and No. 3 in shots-on-goal per game (7.92).

Additionally, the Panthers rank No. 10 in both goal differential (22) and win percentage (.846), while standing at No. 11 in scoring offense (2.46 goals-per-game). FIU also ranks No. 14 nationally in points-per-game (7.08), and No. 16 in both goals-against-average (.741) and shutout percentage (.500).

After earning a Top-30 recruiting class from TopDrawerSoccer.com (TDS) before the season started, FIU has seen three of its freshmen grace the TDS Men's Freshmen Top-100. Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro (No. 23), Julian Hodek (No. 69), and Edgar Aguilar (No. 76) all appeared in the recent release. Additionally, standout centerback David Garcia was ranked No. 32 in the TDS Men's Soccer Top-100 players list. 

11 different Panthers have scored this season in what has been a truly balanced attack, with Dos Santos Monteiro (6), Stephen Afrifa (6), Kareem Riley (5), Garcia (3), and Talla Faye (3) leading the way. FIU has seen a defender score in nine of its 13 contests this season, with Garcia, Riley, Carlos Scheckermann  (2), and Philip Hildebrandt (1) all contributing goals.

Center back Riley has anchored FIU's defense and leads the squad with 1,163 minutes played while starting all 13 games.

UP NEXT
FIU returns to C-USA play this Saturday, Oct. 30, when the Panthers make the short trip to Boca Raton to face league rival FAU. Kickoff against the Owls is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET.

TICKETS
For more information on tickets, including student ticketing, call 305-FIU-GAME or visit here.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Instagram (@FIUMSoccer), Twitter (@FIUMensSoccer), and Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUMensSoccer) for all the latest Men's Soccer news. Follow all of FIU's athletic teams on Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSports), YouTube (FIUPanthers), and Instagram (FIUathletics).