MIAMI (Oct. 9, 2021) – The No. 20 ranked FIU men's soccer team is set to play in its most important contest of the season this Sunday, when the Panthers battle the No. 8 ranked Kentucky Wildcats in a Conference USA showdown on the road.
Kickoff against the Wildcats is set for 6 p.m. ET from Bell Soccer Complex.
The match will be streamed live on ESPN+. Live stats can be found here.
MATCH PREVIEW
FIU owns a 7-1-1 record on the season and a 3-1-1 record on the road, while holding second place in the C-USA standings with a 2-0 record in league play. The Panthers are coming off arguably one of their biggest wins since joining Conference USA, after the Panthers defeated Charlotte for the first time since joining the league. The Panthers handed the 49ers their first 4-0 loss since Sept. 5, 2005. FIU also held Charlotte to only five shot attempts last Saturday (Oct. 2) at FIU Soccer Stadium, marking Charlotte's lowest tally of this season.
Kentucky enters the contest with an undefeated 7-0-2 record and is tied for third place in the C-USA standings at 1-0-2. The Wildcats last contest against Lipscomb was cancelled due to a two-hour lightning delay that never subsided. Kentucky defeated UAB by a score of 3-1 in the Wildcats' last official result on Oct. 3.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Kentucky is led offensively by forward Luke Andrews, who has recorded a total of eight points on three goals and two assists. Forward Eythor Bjorgolfsson has tallied seven points with three goals and an assist.
Between the pipes, Jan Hoffelner has started seven games and posted five clean sheets. Hoffelner has nabbed 13 saves on the season on only 60 shots faced.
Defense is Kentucky's strong suit this season, as the Wildcats boast a C-USA-best 0.44 goals-against-average.
ALL-TIME SERIES
FIU has posted a 4-0-2 record in its last six meetings against Kentucky. The Wildcats have not defeated the Panthers since Nov. 7, 2015. The last meeting between the two programs results in a 1-1 draw in Miami last spring. FIU defeated Kentucky by a score of 2-1 during their last meeting at Bell Soccer Complex in the 2019 campaign.
FIU BY THE NUMBERS
The No. 20 ranked Panthers are the highest-ranked program in the state of Florida, and one of three teams from Conference USA to be ranked in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Top-25 poll, along with No. 5 Marshall and No. 8 Kentucky. FIU has now been ranked in five straight USC polls out of the six total this year.
FIU ranks top in the nation in multiple statistical categories, including No. 2 nationally in shots-per-game (18.33) and No. 12 in scoring offense (2.56 goals-per-game). On the defensive side, FIU is tied for No. 12 in the country in shutout percentage (.556). The Blue & Gold also ranks No. 14 nationally in win percentage (.833).
The Panthers lead all C-USA teams in goals scored (23) and shot attempts (165), while FIU ranks second in goals-against-average (.67).
10 different Panthers have scored this season in what has been a truly balanced attack, with Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro (5), Stephen Afrifa (5), David Garcia (3), Kareem Riley (3), and Talla Faye (2) leading the way.
FIU has seen a defender score in seven of its nine contests this season, with Garcia, Riley, and Philip Hildebrandt (1) all contributing goals. The center back duo of Garcia and Riley have anchored FIU's defense and lead the squad with 805 and 783 minutes-played, respectively.
UP NEXT
FIU is back on the road again next weekend, when the Panthers travel to face South Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 16. Game time against the Gamecocks is set for an early morning start at 10:30 a.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's athletic teams on Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook
