FIU defeats Old Dominion and returns to C-USA finals

Alejandro Solana//Staff Writer

The No. 3 seed FIU men’s soccer team will return to the Conference USA championship game after defeating the No. 7 seed Old Dominion University 2-0 on Friday, Nov. 11 in the semi-finals of the conference tournament.  

Junior defenseman and all-conference first team selection, Paul Marie, scored both goals in the match as the Panthers continue their eight-game unbeaten streak and extend their winning streak to seven games.

After a scoreless first half, Marie broke the nil-nil draw in the 57th minute when he received a one-touch pass from senior, Ismael Longo, just outside the 18-yard box and found the back of the net for his second goal of the season.

Only nine minutes later, in the 66th minute, the French native, Marie, beat the ODU keeper once again off his own rebound to put the game away and for his third goal of the season, sending the Panthers back to the C-USA finals for the second year in a row.

“In the second half, the game opened up a little bit and fortunately for us we were able to generate a couple of good chances,” said head coach Scott Calabrese after the game.

In only his third season at FIU, Calabrese will have the opportunity to reach the NCAA tournament for the fourth time in his career as a head coach. Calabrese reached the NCAA tournament with FIU last season after the Panthers defeated Kentucky in the conference championship game, and also made two appearances at his previous job – head coach of the East Tennessee State University men’s soccer program.

FIU has not lost a game since Oct. 4, when the team lost its fourth game in a row to Florida Gulf Coast University. Since the loss to the Eagles, FIU has scored 15 goals and only conceded four on the journey to the team’s eighth-straight win, the longest streak since last season when the team won seven straight.

“Defensively, this has been a big focus for us in proving from the first half of the season what we did,” Calabrese said. “I think the effort was there, we executed well and we performed well.”

Awaiting the defending conference champions in the finals will be the No.5 seed New Mexico Lobos after defeating the No. 1 seed Charlotte 49ers 2-1 in the other semi-final. The Lobos defeated FIU in September 4-1 handing the Panthers their third loss in a row at the time.

“I’m thrilled at the chance to be back in the Conference USA finals and make history with such a special group of guys.” Longo said.

The 2016 Men’s soccer Championship game will be played Sunday, Nov. 13, at 2 p.m. in Huntington, West Virginia. The finals will be broadcasted on ESPN 3.