MIAMI – The #25 FIU men's soccer team showed grit and passion Sunday night earning a 2-2 draw to the #3 ranked SMU Tigers in a pivotal American Athletic Conference matchup.

With the draw, FIU moves to 6-2-3 while holding sole possession of first place in the AAC.

In the first 30 minutes of the match, the Panthers fell into a 2-0 hole until a goal late in the first half by junior Edgar Aguilar and early in the second half by junior Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro to tie things up.

SMU struck first in the 19^th minute mark before adding a second score in the 26^th on a penalty kick.

FIU did not back down continuing to apply pressure and battle. The Panthers came through in the 39^th minute as Tim Schels tried to fire a shot to the net, as the ball redirected to Aguilar for the goal. It marks the first goal for Aguilar in his college career.

Entering the second half down a goal, FIU came out strong as in the 54^th minute as Diego Castillo shot a rocket from outside the 18 that came off the hands of the goalkeeper when Dos Santos Monteiro hustled to the ball to notch his fourth goal of the season.

It was a back-and-forth affair in the final 36 minutes as both teams battled to a draw.

Each team totaled for three shots on goal including FIU outshooting SMU, 4-1, in the second half.

In net, goalkeeper Tyler Hogan notched a save against the Mustangs.
 
UP NEXT
The Panthers prepare for a pair of non-conference matches, beginning with the Saint Mary's Gaels at home on Saturday, Oct. 14.

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 (@FIUMSoccer), and Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUMSoccer) 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.