MEET ME ON THE PITCH
Ahead for FIU this weekend
Who: South Carolina Gamecocks (3-5-1, 0-2-0 C-USA)
When: Saturday, Sept. 29 – 7:00 p.m. (ET)
Where: Columbia, S.C.
Watch: Gamecocksonline.com –– Live Video/Audio – Live Stats

HISTORY IN THE MAKING

The FIU men’s soccer team started the season 5-0-0, its best start to a season in 25 years. The last time the Panthers started a season 5-0-0 was in 1987, FIU’s first year of Division I athletics.

NEW SEASON, NEW ATTITUDE

Just eight games into the season, FIU has already eclipsed its win total of five from last year. The Panthers sit at 6-1-1 heading into their match against the South Carolina Gamecocks. FIU’s six wins are the third most overall by a Panthers squad since joining Conference USA in 2005.

ON THE ROAD ... AGAIN

The Panthers hit the road for the seventh time this season when they play USC on Saturday. This year, FIU has a 5-1-0 record when playing away from the friendly confines of FIU Soccer Stadium.  They are 1-0-1 at home.

HOBBS NAMED SENIOR CLASS CANDIDATE

FIU senior defender Anthony Hobbs was named as one of 30 men’s soccer finalists for the 2012 Senior CLASS award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas – community, classroom, character and competition.

SHARING IS CARING

In the recent NCAA statistics, FIU is ranked sixth in the county when it comes to passing the pebble. The Panthers have 22 assists as a team. Freshman Lyle Lindquist  leads the squad with four and is ranked T-18th in the country (T-1st in C-USA) while Nicolas Rodriguez and Colby Burdette each have three and are ranked T-64th with a trio of assists apiece.

SPRECHEN SIE DEUTSCH?

A goal is a goal in any language, but it seems to be sweeter when German import Quentin Albrecht scores them. The sophomore from Hessen, Germany, currently has a team-high six goals, eclipsing his season total from a year ago. His six goals put him in the top 20 in total goals, and tied for first in Conference USA. He also ranks 25th in the country and first in the conference with 13 (6g, 1a) total points.

LAST TIME OUT

The Panthers won a 2-1 overtime decision at Stetson. Sophomore Colby Burdette scored a golden goal (third of the season) in the 99th minute when he took a long pass from Lyle Lindquist at midfield and beat the Stetson keeper by the net after carrying the ball from 18 yards out. The goal raised FIU’s overall record to 6-1-1 heading into conference action. He also assisted on the game-tying goal earlier in the match.

SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS

South Carolina comes into the weekend with a 3-5-1 record after dropping its first two C-USA matches to SMU (L, 2-1) and Tulsa (L, 4-0) respectively. USC has played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country and even knocked off then No. 2 USF, 1-0 in Tampa, Fla. The Gamecocks also played then No. 15 St. John’s (L, 2-0), No. 25 Northwestern (T, 0-0, 2OT) and No. 5 Charlotte (L, 3-2, 2OT).

YOU SHALL NOT PASS

FIU’s back-line of Anthony Hobbs, Joseph Dawkins along with Lyle Lindquist and Christopher Moffett, have helped limit opponents to only one goal in the second half. Freshman Robin Spiegel has been excellent between the pipes this season, allowing only seven goals through eight matches.

YOUTH MOVEMENT

Nine underclassmen have seen time significant time so far this season for the Panthers. Eleven of FIU’s 14 goals have been scored by sophomore Quentin Albrecht (6), sophomore Colby Burdette (3), Daniel Gonzalez (1) and freshman Patrick Ramdial (1) with freshman Robin Spiegel starting all eight matches between the pipes. Eight newcomers have also played significant minutes for the Panthers.

PANTHERS IN THE PROS

• Robin Fraser - Fraser is currently the head coach of MLS team Chivas USA. Chivas USA holds a 7-15-7 overall record in 2012 in the Western Conference. Fraser became the club’s 10th head coach on January 4, 2011, taking the role after a distinguished 10-year MLS playing career and four successful seasons as an assistant coach with Real Salt Lake.
• Bobby Boswell - Boswell is in his fifth season as a defender for the MLS team Houston Dynamo after spending his first three seasons with D.C. United. In 2012, Boswell has logged 2,660 minutes of playing time with two goals and one assists in 30 starts. His Dynamo is in fifth place with a 12-8-10, hanging on to the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
• Tyrone Marshall - Marshall is in his second season with the MLS team Colorado Rapids, his 17th overall. In 2012, Marshall has two goals in 16 games played while his Rapids have an overall record of 9-18-3 and are a game back of the 5th playoff spot in the Western Conference.
• JUAN GUERRA - Guerra is a midfielder for Caracas Fútbol Club in Venazuela. The club has won eleven First Division titles making it the most successful in Venezuelan football history. Caracas is 5-1-1 in 2012 with Guerra appearing in five matches.
• STEVE RALSTON - All-time Major League Soccer assist leader Ralston is in his second full season as an assistant coach with the Dynamo in 2012, having joined the club immediately following his retirement in July 2010. Ralston retired as the all-time MLS leader in assists (135), games (378), starts (372), and minutes played (33,143). As a midfielder, he played in four MLS Cup finals for New England, including two against the Dynamo in 2006 and 2007. Ralston was named an MLS All-Star seven times and to the MLS Best XI three times. He is the only three-time recipient of the MLS Fair Play Award. He was the first-ever recipient of the MLS Rookie of the Year award in 1996 with the Tampa Bay Mutiny.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

FIU freshman goalkeeper Robin Spiegel was named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending on Sept. 10. Spiegel has been spectacular for the Panthers between the posts this season. He helped FIU to a perfect 2-0-0 weekend with wins over Wisconsin (3-1) and UIC (2-1).

USA! USA! USMNT TRAINS AT FIU

The U.S. Men’s Soccer National Team (USMNT), which includes international superstars Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur), Tim Howard (Everton) and Carlos Bocanegra (Racing Santander), trained at FIU Soccer Stadium in preparation for their two matches against Jamaica.

PLAYING FOR HIS COUNTRY

FIU junior goalkeeper Eric Reyes represented his country of Puerto Rico in the first and second rounds of the 2012 Caribbean Cup in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Reyes started in goal and earned his sixth cap in a 2-1 loss to Haiti on Sept. 11. Reyes carries on a great tradition of FIU players who have played for their country’s national teams, such as FIU standouts Robin Fraser (27 caps with USA), Steve Ralston (34 caps with USA), Tyrone Marshall (81 caps for Jamaica) and Bobby Boswell (3 caps with USA). Most recently, FIU senior defender Anthony Hobbs helped his home country of New Zealand qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

“OUT OF THE CAGE” WITH QUENTIN ALBRECHT

FIUSports.com recently went “Out of the Cage” with the Panthers’ leading scorer, Quentin

Albrecht. Did you know that before coming to FIU, Albrecht had only been to the United States once (two weeks in Boston), and loves to cook. Find out Albrecht’s favorite dish and more by visiting www.FIUSports.com.

NEXT UP

The Panthers will travel to Orlando, Fla., to take on the UCF Knights on Wednesday, Oct. 3, at 7:00 p.m., before returning home for a Saturday, Oct. 6 match against UAB at 7:00 p.m.

For tickets to FIU home matches, call the FIU Ticket Office at 305-FIU-GAME or log onto www.FIUSports.com. Fans can follow @FIUMensSoccer on Twitter and find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FIUMensSoccer. Fans can also watch all FIU men’s soccer home matches live on FIUSports.com on our free webcasts.

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About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports. Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including U.S. Century Bank Arena and Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium.

About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. Its colleges and schools offer more than 180 bachelors, masters and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida’s anchor institutions, FIU is worlds ahead in its local and global engagement, finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission and enrolls nearly 48,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. More than 140,000 alumni live and work in South Florida. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.

 

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