MIAMI – FIU men's soccer hits the road Friday evening as the Panthers travel to Tampa to face the South Florida Bulls at Corbett Soccer Stadium at 7 p.m. in American Conference action.

Friday, Oct. 2 at South Florida (1-7-1, 0-2-1 American)

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

FIU (4-3-2, 0-1-1 American) returns to conference play after posting its best offensive performance of the season, defeating FGCU 4-2 on Tuesday, Sept. 29, in Fort Myers. Martin Piedeleu paced the Panthers with a first-half brace, while Santi Possu netted his team-leading seventh goal and Owen Barnett added a goal to secure FIU's first road win of the season.
 
The Panthers look to earn their first conference victory against the Bulls. FIU earned its first conference point last Friday, Sept. 25, in a 2-2 draw against Memphis, with Possu recording a second-half brace.

Game Preview
FIU has played a strong schedule this season, currently posting an RPI of 36th nationally and a strength of schedule ranked 11th nationally and second in the American Conference, behind Charlotte.
 
The Panthers' offensive outburst against FGCU marked their most goals scored in a match since a 4-1 home victory over Omaha on Aug. 21, 2025. It also marked FIU's most goals in a road contest since Sept. 23, 2022, when the Panthers defeated No. 25 SMU.
 
Leading the charge is Possu, who has a team-leading seven goals and 14 points. His seven goals lead the American Conference, while his 14 points rank second in the league. He has scored in four consecutive matches and has tallied five goals over his last four games. Possu is also tied for fifth nationally in goals per game (0.88) and ranks eighth nationally in total goals. His three conference goals are tied for the American Conference lead.
 
Piedeleu had a strong performance in the win over FGCU, recording his first career multi-goal match while extending his point streak to two consecutive games. Barnett also found the back of the net for his second goal of the season, tying Piedeleu for second on the team.
 
Several Panthers contributed in the assist column against FGCU, with Jad Benjelloun, Miquel Gelabert, Matteo Piccardo and Mateo Stickler each recording an assist.
 
On the backline, graduate student defender Finn Bauens has played a key role, starting eight matches and being part of three shutouts. He leads the team with 707 minutes played.
 
Stickler has appeared in all nine matches, logging 682 minutes, which ranks second on the team. He has also recorded four shots on goal. Michele Ballanti has been a consistent contributor on the backline, appearing in all nine matches and totaling 634 minutes.
 
In goal, Nigel Van Haveren has recorded 20 saves through nine matches, including two saves in FIU's win at FGCU.

Scouting the Bulls
South Florida enters Friday's conference matchup with a 1-7-1 overall record and a 0-2-1 mark in American Conference play.
 
The Bulls return home following a 3-2 loss to No. 9 Missouri State on Saturday, Sept. 26.
 
Offensively, USF is led by Tyler Richardson, who has three goals and three assists for a team-high nine points. Five different Bulls have found the back of the net this season, including Matheo Becerra, who has recorded a goal and an assist, and Jakob Auby and Dominic Wilson, who have each added a goal.
 
In goal, Alexis Martin has recorded 34 saves through eight matches, which ranks second in the American Conference. He made four saves in USF's match at Missouri State.

Matchup History
Friday will mark the 37th all-time meeting between the two programs, with FIU holding a 16-15-5 advantage in the series.
 
FIU has dropped its last two meetings against the Bulls, including a 2-1 loss on Oct. 12, 2025, and a 1-0 road defeat in Tampa on Sept. 20, 2024.
 
The Panthers are looking for their first victory over USF since 2023.

Up Next
FIU returns home to host the reigining ASUN tournament champions in North Florida on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. at Leyva Family Field. It will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Baptist Health
The 2026 FIU men's soccer season is presented by Baptist Health, The Official Sports Medicine Provider of FIU Athletics

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
 
General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.