MIAMI – FIU men's soccer heads on the road Sunday evening to take on the Temple Owls in the regular-season finale at 7 p.m. at the Temple Sports Complex.

Sunday, Nov. 1 at Temple Owls (2-10-3, 1-5-1 American)

• Time / Site: 7 p.m. ET at Temple Sports Complex
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• Live Stats
• Presented by Baptist Health, The Official Sports Medicine Provider of FIU Athletics

FIU (7-4-4, 2-2-3 American) enters the final match of the 2026 regular season looking to officially clinch a spot in the American Conference Championship, which begins Nov. 6. A win would secure the Panthers a place in the tournament.
 
The Panthers currently sit tied with Florida Atlantic and UAB with nine points, with all three teams positioned between fifth and seventh in the standings. Memphis sits in fourth place with 10 points, giving FIU an opportunity to move into a hosting position. A fourth-place finish would allow the Panthers to host a first-round match on Nov. 6, while a fifth- or sixth-place finish would send them on the road.
 
FIU is coming off its regular-season home finale, falling 2-1 to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Wednesday, Oct. 28. The Panthers currently have a RPI of 38 and rank 21st nationally in strength of schedule.

Game Preview
FIU enters Sunday's matchup looking to close the regular season with a strong performance and secure its eighth win, which would mark the program's most regular-season victories since 2023.
 
The Panthers have found success on the road recently, going unbeaten in their last three matches away from South Florida. FIU's latest road result was a 1-1 draw at No. 15 Charlotte on Oct. 17.
 
Offensively, FIU has scored 23 goals this season, led by graduate student Santi Possu, who paces the Panthers with 11 goals and 23 points. Possu leads the American Conference with 11 goals overall and seven in conference play, while ranking second in game-winning goals. Nationally, he ranks sixth in total goals and seventh in goals per game (0.79).
 
Possu continued his scoring run with a goal in Wednesday's loss to Tulsa, marking his third consecutive game with a goal. His 11 tallies are the most by a Panther since 2023. His performance marks the fifth time since 2017 that an FIU player has recorded a 10-goal season, joining Eduardo Mustre (2023), Stephen Afrifa (2022) and Santiago Patino (2017-18).
 
Freshman Sergio Perello is coming off his second consecutive American Conference Freshman of the Week honor after scoring in the win over Florida Atlantic. The Miami native played 73 minutes in the match and has recorded a goal and an assist over his last two contests. Perello has appeared in 14 matches this season.
 
Owen Barnett has also been productive offensively, scoring in three of his last seven matches. He found the net against FGCU on Sept. 29, North Florida on Oct. 6 and UAB on Oct. 11. Barnett ranks second on the team with four goals and nine points.
 
Jad Benjelloun has made an impact in the midfield, appearing in 14 matches and ranking second on the team with three assists.
 
Martin Piedeleu has appeared in 14 matches, recording two goals and a team-leading four assists. He added his fourth assist Wednesday against Tulsa.
 
On the backline, graduate student defender Finn Bauens has played a key role, starting 14 matches and contributing to five shutouts. He leads the team with 1,210 minutes played. Michele Ballanti has also been a consistent contributor, appearing in 14 matches and totaling 897 minutes.
 
In goal, Nigel Van Haveren has started all 15 matches, recording 42 saves and five shutouts. He is coming off a two-save performance against Tulsa on Wednesday. His five shutouts mark a career high for a single season and rank third in the conference.

Scouting Temple
Temple enters the regular-season finale with a 2-10-3 overall record and a 1-5-1 mark in American Conference play, sitting in eighth place with four points.
 
The Owls have lost their last two matches and are coming off a 2-1 non-conference loss to Monmouth on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
 
Offensively, Temple is led by Carlos Rojas with six goals. Taimoor Hussain and Aaron Sullivan have each added two goals, while Lukas Stefaner leads the team with four assists. Anthony Perez has recorded two assists.
 
On the backline, Marin Selak leads the team with 1,312 minutes, followed by Quint van Roij with 1,191 minutes across 15 matches. In goal, Gavin Atkinson has appeared in 13 matches, recording an American Conference-leading 60 saves and two shutouts.

Matchup History
FIU prepares for its sixth all-time meeting with Temple, entering the matchup with a 4-0-1 record against the Owls.
 
The two sides last met in Miami on Oct. 3, 2025, when FIU earned a 3-1 victory. The teams played to a draw in Philadelphia on Oct. 26, 2024.

Up Next
FIU looks to secure a spot in the American Conference Championship. First round game is set for Friday, Nov. 6. Sites are yet to be determined.

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.