MIAMI (Aug. 28, 2022) - No. 18 ranked FIU men's soccer takes off for its first road tilt of the season on Monday, Aug. 25, when the Panthers battle No. 25 St. John's in Queens, New York.
First kick is set for 7 p.m. ET against the Red Storm at Belson Stadium.
The match will be streamed live on ESPN3. Live stats can be followed here.
The Panthers are looking to bounce back after dropping their first contest of the season against a top Akron program by a score of 5-3 at FIU Soccer Stadium last Thursday. FIU out-shot Akron by a margin of 14-12 and placed six of those attempts on target, but two goals by FIU in the final six minutes of regulation was not enough to earn a victory against a Zips squad that is receiving votes in national polls.
SCOUTING ST. JOHN'S
The Red Storm own a 0-1-0 record this season after falling in their season opener against Monmouth (0-1) on the road. St. John's began the season at No. 25 in Top Drawer Soccer's Top-25 preseason poll, and also received votes in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top-25 rankings. SJU is coming off an 11-win season that resulted in the program's 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 30 years, with the Red Storm advancing to the second round before falling to Oregon State.
SJU's roster is led by 2021 First Team All-BIG EAST honoree Brandon Knapp, who led the squad with five goals and six assists last year and recently appeared at No. 55 in Top Drawer Soccer's (TDS) Preseason Top-100 players rankings. The Red Storm also feature defender Markus Pusztahegyi, who was named to the TDS Preseason Freshman Best XI.
SJU was picked to finish third overall in the BIG EAST standings this season by the league's coaches, which is the same spot where the Red Storm finished the 2021 season.
INSIDE THE SERIES
FIU and SJU are knotted up at 4-4 in the all-time series and share a rich history despite only seeing each other in eight contests. In 1996, FIU faced St. John's in the NCAA national championship match and ultimately fell to the Red Storm (4-1). Last time the two teams met was nearly two decades ago, when FIU defeated SJU by a score of 2-1 on Oct. 29, 2004.
The Red Storm are welcoming their first ranked non-conference opponent to Belson Stadium since playing No. 19 Denver on Sept. 12, 2015. SJU has yet to defeated a ranked non-conference opponent on their home pitch since defeating No. 5 Akron on Sept. 6, 2013.
PANTHER PREVIEW
Two FIU newcomers, Fumiya Shiraishi and Paulo Alves, logged their first goals and assists as Panthers in the last contest against Akron. Alves, a fifth-year senior transfer from Missouri Valley College, logged a goal in the 84th minute and contributed an assist on Shiraishi's score in the 38th minute. Shiraishi, a junior forward transfer from Marshalltown Community College, also logged a helper in the 86th minute with a setup on Stephen Afrifa's goal.
FIU dominated its exhibition slate this year with wins over Stetson (7-0), Barry University (5-1), and Nova Southeastern (4-2). The Panthers are returning 14 players from last season's roster, including All-Conference Preseason Team honorees Afrifa, Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro, and Matteo Gasperoni.
The Panther backline will include centerback David Garcia, who earned All-CUSA Second Team laurels last season and was recently ranked at No. 18 in Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason Top-100 players list. Also returning are senior goalkeeper Tyler Hogan and freshman midfielder Julian Hodek, who were both honored with third team all-league status in 2021.
A variety of new faces such as Lucas Christensen, Simon Afrifa, Andrew Bennett, Paulo Alves, and Julien Gastaldy, are all expected to make an immediate impact for FIU this fall.
UP NEXT
FIU's gauntlet of a schedule continues on the road this Saturday, Sept. 3, against a powerhouse North Carolina program that was picked to finish second overall in the ACC standings. First kick against the Tar Heels is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET from Dorrance Field in Chapel Hill.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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