MIAMI (Sept. 1, 2023) – The No. 7 ranked FIU men's soccer closed out a two-match home stand Friday night after drawing Central Arkansas, 0-0.
 
The Panthers put seven shots on frame against the Bears but could not find a breakthrough.

"It was unlucky for us tonight," said head coach Kyle Russell. "The scoreline does not reflect the effort and amount of chances we had.'"
 
FIU started the match on the front foot, pinning Central Arkansas in their own end early on.

The Panthers first great chance of the match came in the 12th minute when Eduardo Mustre found Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro alone at the back post. Unfortunately, Dos Santos Monteiro's close-range attempt found the woodwork.
 
The first half closed with Mustre nearly breaking the tie with a headed shot that was pushed away from the bottom left corner by the Bears' Connor Wachtel.
 
The Panthers continued to put pressure on the Bears, taking 13 shots in the second half.

FIU also did well to handle Central Arkansas long-ball counter attacking in the second half, limiting the Bears to just two shots.
 
The 70th minute saw Central Arkansas' Maxim Sheenkov earn a second yellow card, leaving the Bears down a man for the next 20 minutes.
 
The rest of the match would see a flurry of FIU shots get blocked or just miss the target, culminating in a last-ditch effort by Dos Santos Monteiro.

The winger found space down the right flank and rifled a shot with just eight seconds left on the clock, just missing the top cross bar.
 
90 minutes, 30 fouls and eight cards later, the Panthers and the Bears were deadlocked at 0-0.
 
"Statistically we were dominant, but we are never happy with ties," added Russell. "We will regroup and continue to grow as we enter into a very exciting week of matches."
 
 UP NEXT
The Panthers hit the road to take on No. 14 UCF on Tuesday September 5. 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.