MIAMI– On a windy night in the 305, FIU men's soccer (6-7-2, 4-3 American) scored late in the first and hung on for a crucial ranked win over no. 24 Charlotte (7-4-2, 4-1-1), earning its 10th ranked win in program history under Kyle Russell and securing an important victory for conference tournament seeding.

In a staunchly defensive battle early on, Enrique Mutsoli nearly cashed in five minutes in with successive shots, but was turned aside once by the 49ers' goalie before sending another wide. It remained deadlocked until the 40th minute, where Owen Travis finished off a long scramble in front and cashed in for his second goal of the season on his senior night.

Travis nearly added his second of the game in the 65th minute but was offsides on a goal, nullifying it and keeping it 1-0.

Charlotte pushed hard for a comeback, but couldn't beat the brick wall of Beltran Fernandez in net, who turned aside a big shot in the 82nd minute to all but seal the win. It was the redshirt junior's second clean sheet as a Panther, making saves on all three shots he faced.

Seven FIU players played the full 90, utilizing its starting lineup for a good majority of the game. Joao Domingues fired a pair of shots on goal in the victory.

This was FIU's tenth ranked win under Russell and first since Sept. 11, 2024 when the team took down no. 10 UCF. It was also a big win for the American table, as the Panthers moved into sole possession of fourth place headed into the final game of the season. The team will head to UAB for the season finale on Wednesday.

BAPTIST HEALTH
The 2025 season is presented by Baptist Health, The Official Sports Medicine Provider of FIU Athletics.

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