MIAMI – With just two games left in the regular season, the #24 ranked FIU Men's Soccer team gets set for the final regular season home match of the season taking on the Charlotte 49ers this Friday night from FIU Soccer Stadium.
Friday, Oct. 27 vs. Charlotte (9-2-1, 5-1 AAC)
Prior to the match, FIU will recognize seven seniors Simon Afrrfa,
Paulo Alves,
Andrew Bennett,
Julian Hodek,
Matthias Lavenant,
Tim Schels, and
Fumiya Shiraishi.
The Panthers head into this contest with a 8-3-3 overall record and a 4-1-1 record in AAC play, sitting third in the standings, totaling for 16 points, three points behind first place SMU.
FIU comes off a 2-1 AAC loss to Florida Atlanic on the road this past Friday, Oct. 20. The Panthers trailed 2-0 before scoring a late goal from Eduaro Mustre but was unable to rally back.
FIU's AAC leading scoring offense by Mustre, who leads the team in goals (9) and points (21) in his first season donning the Blue & Gold. The Córdoba, Mexico native is third in the AAC in goals and second in shots (39). In addition, his 21 points are the most recorded by a first-year Panther in program history.
The forward duo of Fumiya Shirarshi and
Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro has combined for a total of 49 shots, part of a FIU program that is second in the American with shots (178) .
On the backline,
Owen Travis has been a impactful player, leading FIU in minutes with 1,228 in addition with a defense allowing just 15 goals through 14 games, which stands as the least amount of goals given in a full season since 2012.
In net, Hogan has started in 11 games with a 0.97 goals against average and totaled for 27 saves. In addition, his save percentage of .711 is third in the conference.
INTERNATIONAL
FIU embraces its name with a truly international roster. This season's Panthers have players from 15 different countries.
The USA leads the way with four players. Denmark, Mexico and France each have three representatives. Portugal, Japan and Germany have two representatives each.
LAST TIME OUT
Both schools have met for a total of 12 times, dating back to the 2013 season.
Last year, the Panthers tallied a 3-2 win over Charlotte on Oct. 28. Shirarishi netted the game winner on the road in North Carolina.
SCOUTING THE NINERS
Charlotte enters the conference matchup with a 9-2-1 (5-1 AAC) record, coming off a 7-0 win over Johnson and Wales on Sunday, Oct. 22.
The Niners have won their last four consecutive matches including AAC wins over South Florida and Tulsa.
Offensively, Charlotte is led by Filip Jauk, who leads the Niners in goals with five. Brigham Larsen and Natsuki Ogata are tied for second with four goals scored on the year.
In net, Leonard Stritter has started in nine matches for Charlotte, notching 23 saves while only allowing six goals with a 0.68 GAA. His .793 save percentage is top in the AAC.
UP NEXT
FIU heads back for their final home match of the regular season as they honor the seniors in a pivotal matchup against the Charlotte 49ers on Friday, Oct. 27.
First kick from FIU Soccer Stadium is set for 7 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
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.
General athletic news can also be found at
@FIUSports on Facebook and
@FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.
