MEET ME ON THE PITCH
Ahead for FIU this weekend
Who: UCF Knights (3-2-2, 0-0-0 C-USA)
When: Wednesday, Oct. 3 – 7:00 p.m. (ET)
Where: Orlando, Fla.
Watch: UCFAthletics.com –– Live Video/Audio – Live Stats

LAST TIME OUT

The Panthers (6-1-2) played the Gamecocks to a 1-1 draw last Saturday evening. After a defensive battle in the first half, USC struck first in the 74th minute off a corner kick. The Panthers responded with the equalizer in the 87th minutes when Daniel Gonzalez took a free kick from 40 yards out that found Quentin Albrecht for the header in front of the goal. The goal was Albrecht’s team-leading seventh goal of the season. The assist was the third of the season for Gonzalez. The draw was the third all-time between the two teams. 

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 nine games into the season, FIU has already eclipsed its win total of five from last year. The Panthers sit at 6-1-2 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. They earned their sixth win eight games into the season.

ON THE ROAD ... AGAIN

The Panthers hit the road for the eighth time this season when they play UCF on Wednesday. This year, FIU has a 5-1-1 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 11th in the county (1st in C-USA) when it comes to passing the pebble. The Panthers have 23 assists as a team. Freshman Lyle Lindquist  leads the squad with four and is ranked T-40th in the country (T-1st in C-USA) while Nicolas Rodriguez, Daniel Gonzalez and Colby Burdette each have three and are ranked T-92nd 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 seven goals, eclipsing his season total of five from a year ago. His seven goals put him in the top 20 in total goals, and 2nd in Conference USA. He also ranks 25th in the country and 3rd in the conference with 15 (7g, 1a) total points.

SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS

The Knights open their Conference USA schedule against the Panthers. This will be the final C-USA matchup against the two teams, as UCF will make the move to the BIG EAST in 2013. The Knights are 3-3-2 (0-2-1 at home) on the year and are coming off a 4-0 victory at North Florida. UCF is led by Deshorn Brown, their leading scorer with seven goals. Like the Panthers, the Knights have scored a total of 15 goals on the year, but have allowed 14 compared to eight by FIU.

NEXT UP

The Panthers will return home for the third time this season when they take on UAB on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 7:00 p.m., at the FIU Soccer Stadium.

• Double Panther Points Game

• International student “Wear Your Flag” night

• Drawstring bags for the first 50 fans

• International student halftime game

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 two goals in the second half of games. Freshman Robin Spiegel has been excellent between the pipes this season, allowing only eight goals through nine matches.

YOUTH MOVEMENT

Nine underclassmen have seen time significant time so far this season for the Panthers. Twelve of FIU’s 15 goals have been scored by sophomore Quentin Albrecht (7), sophomore Colby Burdette (3), Daniel Gonzalez (1) and freshman Patrick Ramdial (1) with freshman Robin Spiegel starting all nine matches between the pipes. Eight newcomers have also played significant minutes for the Panthers.

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.

PANTHERS IN THE PROS

• Robin Fraser - Fraser is the head coach of Chivas USA. Chivas USA holds a 7-16-7 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 2,750 minutes of playing time with two goals and one assists in 31 starts. His Dynamo are in fifth place with a 13-8-10, 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 9-18-4 in the Western Conference.

• Juan Guerra - Guerra is a midfielder for Caracas Fútbol Club in Venezuela. The club has won eleven First Division titles making it the most successful in Venezuelan football history. Caracas is 6-1-1 in 2012 with Guerra appearing in seven 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.

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.
 

###

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/.

 

 

--- www.FIUSports.com ---