MIAMI – The #22 FIU Men's Soccer team is set to host a first round matchup of the American Athletic Conference Championship on Sunday night as the #3 seed against in-state foe #6 seed Florida Atlantic Owls at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 1 vs. Florida Atlantic (5-7-3, 3-5 AAC)
The Panthers enter postseason action after finishing the regular season 9-3-4 (5-1-2 AAC) and third in the American standings. This past Wednesday, Nov. 1 FIU traveled to Tulsa to draw 2-2 in the road match.
After trailing down a goal entering the half, the Panthers took the lead off scores from
Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro and
Fumiya Shiraishi, before the Golden Hurricanes tied up the match late on a penalty kick ending the night in a tie.
FIU leads the American in goals and scoring offense, averaging two goals a game while netting a total of 32 goals through 16 games. The leading scoring offense is led by junior
Eduardo Mustre, who leads the team in goals (11) and points (24) in his first season donning the Blue & Gold. The Córdoba, Mexico native is second in the AAC in goals and second in shots (47). In addition, his 24 points are the most recorded by a first-year Panther in program history.
The forward duo of
Fumiya Shiraishi and
Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro has combined for a total of 51 shots, part of a FIU program that is second in the American with shots (184). Dos Santos Monteiro stands second on the team with six goals including 14 points total.
On the backline,
Owen Travis has been a impactful player, leading FIU in minutes with 1,1408 in addition with a defense allowing just 17 goals through 16 games, which stands as the least amount of goals given in a full season since 1980.
In net, three-time AAC goalkeeper of the week
Tyler Hogan has started in 12 games with a 0.98 goals against average and totaled for 30 saves. In addition, his save percentage of .698 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
The two in-state program have met a total of 18 times, dating back to the 2006 season.
FIU has been on the victory side of the matchup, winning 14 times out of the 18 matchups.
Both teams faced off this past Oct. 20 in Boca Raton as the Owls won 2-1 over the Panthers. FIU trailed a pair of goals early in the second half before Mustre cut the deficit to one, yet the Panthers were unable to rally back to tie up the match.
It will be the first ever matchup for the two teams in postseason action.
SCOUTING THE OWLS
FAU enters the postseason match with a 5-7-3 (3-5 AAC) record, dropping their last match of the season to the South Florida Bulls in Tampa, 2-0 this past Wednesday, Nov. 1.
The Owls sit with as the final seed in the AAC tournament, placing sixth.
Offensively, FAU is led by Victor Claudel and Noah Kvifte, each tied for the team-lead in goals. In addition, Claudel is the team-leader in points (17), while Tom Abrahamsson paces the team with six assists. The Owls stand sixth in the American in offense, averaging 1.33 goals per game.
In net, Rotem Fadia has started in 15 matches for the Owls, while only allowing 28 goals with a 1.67 GAA. His 61 saves lead all of the American.
UP NEXT
A win for the Panthers advances them to the semi-finals of the AAC Championship, taking on the Charlotte 49ers on Thursday, Nov. 9 hosted at SMU in Dallas, Texas.
First kick is set for 3:30 p.m. EST 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.
