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Despite a slow start and an
early 1-0 deficit, the FIU men’s soccer team battled back
to win their NCAA Tournament first-round match-up with Central
Florida 2-1 Nov. 22 at FIU-University Park. The Golden Panthers
(13-5-1) now advance to the second round, where they will face
Southern Methodist University (10-8-3) in Dallas on Wed., Nov.
27.
“I thought we were nervous, and we didn’t play as
well as we could have early on,” Head Coach Karl Kremser
said. “We were never able to get in an offensive rhythm
in the first half, and that’s a credit to Central Florida.
It was a war out there.”
Junior midfielder Billy Boswell scored FIU’s first goal
37 seconds before halftime, courtesy of an assist from junior
defender Adam Wilson. Early in the second half senior midfielder
Juan Rivera added FIU’s second goal on a pass from sophomore
forward Oscar Gil. The win was the first earned by freshman goalkeeper
Shawn Crowe.
“It wasn’t our best game, but it was a significant
game in that it allowed us to move on to the next round,”
Kremser said. “I think UCF backed off once they got the
lead, and that allowed us to get our bearings and come back.”
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