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The No. 14 FIU men’s soccer team will take on the University
of Central Florida in the first round of the NCAA Men’s
Soccer Tournament at 7 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 21, at FIU-University
Park.
The choice of venue was welcomed by the Golden Panthers, who
have won 19 of their last 21 home games.
The two rivals last met Nov. 9, with
the Golden Panthers cruising to a 3-1 victory over the Golden
Knights. FIU leads the all-time
series 21-6-3 and has won five of their last six meetings – including
a 2-1 win in the first round of last year’s NCAA tournament.
“I am thrilled we’re in the NCAA Tournament. It’s a
great opportunity to host the first round, and we have the chance
to host the second round,” said Karl Kremser, who is in his
24th year as head coach of the FIU men’s team.
Both teams earned automatic berths
to the NCAA Tournament after winning their second straight conference
championships. FIU won
the Atlantic Soccer Conference with a 4-0-1 conference record.
The winner of the FIU-UCF game advances
to the second round of the tournament on Wed., Nov. 26, to face
Cal-State Northridge
at a site to be determined. The Matadors earned the 16th
seed in the
48-team field, with the top 16 schools receiving first-round
byes.
FIU is making its third straight
appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Tickets to the FIU-UCF game are available
for $7 and can be purchased by calling the FIU Ticket Office
at 305-FIU-GAME
in Miami-Dade
or toll-free at 866-348-4263. They can also be purchased
online
at www.fiusports.com.
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