Alejandro Solana/ Staff Writer
The Panthers (1-2-1) will travel to Johnson City, Tennessee to take on the East Tennessee State Buccaneers on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
Panthers will look for their first win since defeating the Michigan Wolverines, their opening game of the season. Since defeating Michigan, Head Coach Scott Calabrese’s team has had difficulties finding the back of the net, scoring on only one goal in the past three games they have played. The lone goal came in their home opener loss to Stetson.
The Panthers are looking at a must win game if they want to consider their two-game road trip a success, after their tough 0-0 draw against a strong Elon team.
Each of the last two games have resulted in disappointing efforts due to the lack of goals scored from the team. THe University has outshot their opponents 34-16 in the last two outings, but have not been able to meet the target or pass the oppositions goal keeper. Calabrese has spoken on experimenting with different line ups on the attacking side of play, so a different starting 11 for the Panthers could be seen in upcoming games.
Another position that has seen a few changes throughout the first four games of the season has been the goalkeeper position. Junior Robin Spiegel and redshirt freshman David Mitchell, both international players, have shared time as goalie for the Panthers. Spiegel, a German native, started the teams first three games against Michigan, Michigan State, and Stetson. Mitchell, a Jamaican native, started in the teams last outing against Elon and recorded a shutout after playing the whole game, which went into extra time.
So far this season, ETSU sports, a 2-1 record, with their most recent game being a 1-0 loss to Radford, following an unbeaten weekend to start their season at the Virginia Commonwealth University Invitational.
The Bucs will enter the game relying on sophomore Joao Ramalho, a redshirt forward and their leading scorer. Ramalho, a native of Monte Santo, Brazil, scored four goals in the Bucs’ first two games of the season, helping his team defeat two opponents who made the NCAA men’s soccer tournament last season.
Homecoming for Calabrese
Tuesday’s matchup against the Bucs will hold a bit more weight than just any regular-season away game for one member of the FIU coaching staff, as he will return back to Tennessee, this time on the other side of the pitch.
Before being introduced as the sixth ever men’s soccer head coach at FIU, Calabrese spent the previous six years at ETSU, acting as the first-ever coach in the programs history. Calabrese elevated the soccer program at ETSU from non-existent to a team worth watching, and Panther fans are hoping he can do the same for FIU. During his tenure with the Bucs, Calabrese enjoyed great success, winning two conference championships along with two trips to the NCAA Tournament.
The Panthers will return home after their matchup against the Bucs for a three game home stand, beginning Sept. 19 against San Diego State.
Photo by Maria Lorenzino/ The Beacon
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