MIAMI (Nov. 19, 2021) – The No. 13 seeded FIU men's soccer team is set to host an NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament second-round matchup on Sunday, Nov. 21, when the Panthers welcome ACC opponent Wake Forest.

The Blue & Gold are set to make their 11th all-time appearance in the NCAA Divison I Men's Soccer Championship. 

First kick is set for 6 p.m. ET from FIU Soccer Stadium. For tickets, click here.

The match will be streamed live on ESPN+. Live stats can be found here, or here.

For the full NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament bracket, click here.
 
MATCH PREVIEW
FIU received a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament after earning the No. 13 seed in the bracket release selection show last Monday, Nov. 15.

The Panthers finished the regular season with a 7-0-1 conference record (12-2-2 overall) and hoisted the C-USA regular-season trophy on Nov. 5, after dominating No. 1 ranked and defending NCAA champion Marshall by a score of 4-1 at FIU Soccer Stadium. FIU went on to earn a No. 1 seed in the C-USA Tournament before falling short in the semifinals to No. 10 ranked Kentucky.

The Blue & Gold are a perfect 7-0-0 at home this season and are looking to remain undefeated against Wake Forest. 
 
The Demon Deacons advanced to the second round of the 2021 NCAA tournament after knocking out Mercer in a 2-1 result on Thursday, Nov. 18, at Spry Stadium in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Wake Forest holds a 12-6-1 overall record (4-3-1 ACC) after finishing the regular season third overall in the league's Atlantic Division and losing in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals to No. 11 ranked Duke.

Wake Forest owns a 2-3-1 record on the road in the 2021 campaign. 

Last time the Blue & Gold hosted an NCAA Tournament match was back on Nov. 16, 2017, when the Panthers defeated Omaha by a score of 2-0 in the first round at FIU Soccer Stadium.

The winner of the match between FIU and Wake Forest will advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2021 Division I Men's Soccer Championship.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
FIU and Wake Forest are meeting for the sixth-time in program history and only the first time in postseason play. The Demon Deacons only-ever trip to FIU Soccer Stadium resulted in a loss, with the Panthers winning by a score of 4-1 back on Sept. 23, 1994. That meeting was the first-ever contest between the two programs, with the last meeting taking place on Sept. 20, 2016.
 
SCOUTING THE DEMON DEACONS
Wake Forest is led offensively by All-ACC First Team forward Kyle Holcomb, who has logged 26 points on 11 goals and four assists. Jake Swallen ranks second on the squad with 16 points and leads Wake Forest with six assists.

Between the pipes, goalkeeper Trace Alphin has started 14 games and posted a 1.26 goals-allowed-average with a .673 save percentage. Alphin has nabbed 37 saves and recorded three shutouts while allowing 18 goals.

UP NEXT
FIU looks to advance to its first Sweet Sixteen appearance since the 2003 campaign, when the Panthers knocked off UCF (3-1) in the first round and Cal State Northridge (1-1, 2OT, PKs) in the second, before being edged by UCLA (2-0) in the third round. 

If the Panthers defeat Wake Forest, they will move on to the third round and play the winner of the contest between Notre Dame and Villanova.
 
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).