MIAMI – The FIU men's soccer team pulled off a late surge to defeat the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, 3-1, in an home victory on Sunday night.
 
For the Panthers (3-4-2, 1-1 AAC), the win marks their first in the American Athletic Conference this season and their second consecutive triumph at Leyva Family Field. The victory follows another impressive home performance against No. 10 UCF.
 
With the game tied 1-1 and just seven minutes remaining, FIU delivered a decisive blow, scoring two goals in quick succession. In the 83rd minute, midfielder Diego Castillo's perfectly placed free kick into the box found defender David Houja, who netted his first career goal for FIU with a skillful left-footed strike.
 
Just two minutes later, in the 85th minute, defender Adrian Barosen launched a throw-in into the box, where freshman forward Ron Arie turned swiftly and fired a right-footed shot into the upper-right corner of the net, sealing the Panthers' victory. The goal marked Arie's second of the season, while Barosen notched his first assist in FIU colors.
 
The Panthers set the tone early, with midfielder Mathys Lefebvre scoring his first goal of the season in the 6th minute, following up a shot inside the box. FIU maintained control and dominated possession throughout the first half, taking a 1-0 lead into halftime.
 
However, momentum briefly shifted when Lefebvre received his second yellow card in the 54th minute, reducing FIU to 10 men. Tulsa capitalized quickly, equalizing in the 58th minute. But FIU rallied, overcoming the setback with a late burst of energy to claim the 3-1 win.
 
On the night, the Panthers registered six total shots, four of which were on target, while collectively both teams recorded 13 shots. Seniors Edgar Aguilar and Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro provided crucial leadership, each playing the full 90 minutes.
 
Goalkeeper Nigel Van Haveren was solid in net, making four saves in the second half to bring his season total to 42 saves—currently the highest in the American Athletic Conference.
 
FIU has now gone unbeaten in five of their last six matches, and Sunday's result marked their second victory over Tulsa in the last three years.

UP NEXT
FIU closes out the two-game homestand next Saturday, Oct. 5 for a AAC matchup vs the UAB Blazers. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.

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