MIAMI – The No. 5 seed FIU men's soccer program heads to Boca Raton Friday night in the first round of the America Athletic Conference (AAC) Championships taking on No. 4 seed Florida Atlantic for a 7 p.m. kick.
 
Friday, Nov. 8 at No. 4 Florida Atlantic (7-5-3 (3-3-1 AAC)

• Time / Site: 7 p.m. ET at FAU Soccer Stadium
• ESPN+
• Live Stats
• Presented by Baptist Health, The Official Sports Medicine Provider of FIU Athletics

FIU (4-5-6, 2-2-3 AAC) concluded the regular season last Friday, Nov. 1, with a 2-2 home draw against conference leaders Memphis. Goals from senior Eduardo Mustre and freshman Prince Ngeleka helped the Panthers secure their ninth point in AAC play, marking their third draw of the season.
 
Following his game-tying goal in the 65th minute, Ngeleka earned AAC Freshman of the Week honors, while Mustre was recognized on the AAC Weekly Honor Roll for opening the scoring in that match.
 
Friday's game marks FIU's fourth match overall in the AAC Championships, where the Panthers hold a 2-1 record. Last season, FIU was eliminated in the first round by FAU with a narrow 1-0 loss as the No. 3 seed. In 2022, the Panthers claimed the conference title as the No. 1 seed, defeating Memphis and South Florida en route to becoming AAC champions.
 
A win on Friday would advance FIU to the AAC Championship semifinals, scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 8 p.m. in Memphis, Tennessee, where they would face the top-seeded Memphis Tigers.
 
Senior forward Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro leads FIU's offensive efforts, tied for the team lead with three goals and seven points. Dos Santos Monteiro has taken an AAC-high 38 shots, with 15 on target, and has logged 1,145 minutes this season, including six full 90-minute performances.
 
Since his return, Eduardo Mustre has added two goals in his last three games, delivering full 90-minute performances against VCU (Oct. 16) and Memphis (Nov. 1). Senior midfielder Diego Castillo has contributed two goals, three assists, and seven points this season, including an assist on Mustre's goal against Memphis.
 
Striker Michael Appiah has three goals over 822 minutes in 15 appearances and 11 starts. Defensively, David Houja has anchored the backline, playing a team-high 1,260 minutes and completing the full 90 in 14 of FIU's 15 matches. Senior Edgar Aguilar has also been vital, with 90-minute performances in the last nine games, amassing 1,210 minutes.
 
Goalkeeper Beltran Fernandez has started in the last two matches, with a goals-against average (GAA) of 1.38.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Nigel Van Haveren, with 55 saves, ranks third in the AAC and 28th nationally in average saves per game (4.23). His GAA stands at 1.24 in 13 starts
 
As a team, FIU has netted 19 goals this season, averaging 1.27 goals per game.
 
HISTORY WITH THE OWLS
Friday's match will be the 43rd meeting between FIU and Florida Atlantic, with a rivalry dating back to 1984.
 
In their last encounter on Oct. 20, Panthers fell 2-1 at home. FIU holds a commanding 31-10-1 lead in the series, though Florida Atlantic has won the last three matchups.
 
SCOUTING FLORIDA ATLANTIC
FAU (7-5-3, 3-3-1 AAC) enters the tournament following a 6-1 victory over Charlotte on Nov. 2, securing their highest AAC finish at fourth place.
 
Leading the Owls are Mamadou Diarra and Noah Kvifte, both tied for the conference lead with eight goals each.
 
Diarra tops FAU with 24 points, while Aboubacar Traore has added 10 assists and four goals.
 
On the backline, Callum Frogson paces in minutes (1305), starting in all 15 matches.
 
In net, sophomore Francisco Ranieri has started FAU's last four games, recording 13 saves and a GAA of 0.83. Ranieri posted four saves in FAU's 2-1 victory over FIU on Oct. 20.

UP NEXT
No. 5 seed FIU prepares for the AAC Championships this Friday, Nov. 8 facing the No. 4 seed Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, Fla. Kick is set for 7 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
 
With a win, FIU advances to the semi-finals on Wednesday, Nov. 13 taking on No. 1 Memphis at 8 p.m., 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