MIAMI (Aug. 23, 2023) – No. 21 FIU men's soccer team kicks off the 2023 campaign on Thursday with a road contest against (RV) Oregon State.
 
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. and it will be streamed live on the PAC 12 Networks.
 
REIGNING, DEFENDING … AGAIN
The Panthers have won conference regular season championships in back-to-back seasons.

In its first season in the AAC, FIU finished with a 6-2-1 conference record to win the regular season. The Panthers followed that up with The American Championship tournament victory.

In the program's final season in C-USA, the Panthers finished with a 7-0-1 conference record, to capture that conference regular season championship.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
FIU netted 40 goals in 2022 and it has been a true team effort.

15 different Panthers scored at least one goal last season, led by former standout forward Stephen Afrifa (10). Returners Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro, Fumiya Shiraishi, Yushi Nagao, Paulo Alves, Joao Domingues and Andrew Bennett accounted for 19 goals with all six of them scoring at least twice. 

12 different players registered at least one assist last season, led by Nagao (6). Returners Julian Hodek, Aleves, Dos Santos Monteiro, Simon Afrifa, Shiraishi, Domingues, Philip Hildebrandt and Bennet accounted for 28 assists in 2022.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
The Panthers were strong on the road in 2022, finishing with a 5-3-1 record away from FIU Soccer Stadium. FIU defeated three ranked team on the road in No. 25 St. John's, No. 13 UNC and No. 14 Charlotte.
 
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
FIU you opens the season on the road for just fourth time in the last nine seasons. The Panthers are 2-1 in those matches, with all three matches coming against ranked opponents.
 
SENIORITY
The Panthers boast one of the most experienced rosters in college soccer. 23 of 27 players are juniors or older, with eight graduate students.

Sophomore Domingues is one of the team's youngest players but, was a full time starter as a freshman, logging 1,271 minutes, scoring two goals, assisting on two others and earning a spot on the American Athletic Conference All-Rookie team.
 
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.
 
SCOUTING OSU
The Beavers went 7-4-6 in 2022 and made the NCAA Tournament, finishing with a 3-2-5 record in home matches.
 
Juniors Ellis Spikner and Dante Williams are OSU's leading returning point scorers. The forwards represent 16 points as they both scored three goals and registered two assists.
 
Sophomore Luis Castillo is back between the pipes for the Beavers after starting 13 matches as a true freshman. He finished the season with 5-3-4 record, 27 saves and three shutouts.
 
UP NEXT
The Panthers home opener is set for Monday, August 28 against Virginia Commonwealth. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the match 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 Women's Soccer news.
 
General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.