MIAMI (March 6, 2021) - The No. 24 ranked FIU men's soccer team earned its first Conference USA win of the season on Saturday afternoon, after the Panthers blanked the FAU Owls in Miami by a score of 2-0.

With the win, FIU improves to 3-1 on the season and 1-0 in C-USA play. FAU drops to 3-1-2 and 0-1 in the league.

The Panthers opened up the scoring in the 18th minute, when Alessandro Campoy found a loose ball in the box and flicked it into the goal to give FIU a 1-0 lead. Anthony Cousins, Jr. sparked the play with a well-placed cross to the near post, before Mauro Bravo got a foot on the ball and redirected it to Campoy for the score. The Owls saw a chance to equalize just before the half when they were awarded a penalty kick in the 44th minute, but the attempt slammed off the crossbar as goalkeeper Johan Peñaranda stood strong in goal. FIU led in the shot margin 8-6 at the half while Peñaranda recorded three clutch saves.

FAU saw more chances after the break and applied pressure on multiple occasions, but the Panthers held strong and made big plays on both ends of the pitch to keep the clean sheet. The dagger came from FIU in the 74th minute, when freshman Omri Ezra served up a beautifully lofted pass to Bravo on a breakaway run, who put a head on the ball and sent it over the FAU keeper to give the Panthers a 2-0 advantage.

FIU has now defeated FAU in seven consecutive contests.

Campoy recorded his fourth goal of the season and leads the team with eight points, while Bravo scored his second goal in as many games. Cousins, Jr. claimed his second assist of the year, while Omri Ezra recorded the first of his collegiate career. Bravo was also credited with an assist in the match.

Peñaranda was a wall between the posts, recording a total of six saves in the match and staving off multiple FAU chances to give the Panthers their second-consecutive clean sheet.

A total of eight Panthers recorded a full 90-minutes in the contest. 

UP NEXT
FIU will hit the road for the first time in 2021 to face its toughest test yet, when the Panthers travel to battle reigning C-USA champion Marshall on Saturday, March 13. First kick against the Thundering Herd is slated for Noon from Huntington, West Virginia.

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