Wednesday, November 20, 2002

Men's Soccer prepares for NCAA showdown with UCF

FIU will face a familiar foe in UCF in the first round of the 2002 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship. The Golden Panthers and Golden Knights have squared off 28 times since 1973. FIU holds a 19-6-3 advantage in the 29-year rivalry; however, UCF has won four of the last seven matchups.

FIU ventured up Florida's Turnpike earlier this season and claimed victory in Orlando. In that game, Matias Asorey, Billy Boswell and Paul Kolovos each scored in the first period before UCF mounted a second half comeback that saw the them pull within a goal before FIU eventually held on to a 3-2 win.

The Golden Panthers qualified for the tournament by winning the Atlantic Soccer Conference regular season title with a 4-0-1 record while UCF made the tourney after winning the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament title on Sunday, Nov. 17.
FIU in the Big Dance

FIU in the NCAA Tournament
The Golden Panthers' men's soccer program has a rich history in the NCAA Tournament, winning Division II National Championships in 1982 and 1984 and finishing as Division I National Runner-Up in 1996.

This will be the 14th NCAA Tournament for the program with the first trip coming in 1977. The 2002 tourney will be the sixth for FIU as a member of Division I.

Eleven current Golden Panthers competed in last year's championship that saw FIU bow out in the first round with a 1-0 loss to New Mexico in Dallas.

Head Coach Karl Kremser
Karl Kremser has been at the helm of the FIU Men's Soccer program for 23 years and has established himself as the winningest coach in the FIU men's soccer program's history. His record at FIU currently stands at 284-141-34 (.656) while he boasts a career mark of 297-180-34 (.614) in 26 years as a head coach.

Kremser was FIU's coach in both of the school's NCAA title runs in 1982 and 1984 in addition leading the 1996 team to its second-place finish.

He was named the 2002 ASC Coach of the Year on Nov. 19 after guiding FIU to a 4-0-1 record in conference.

Be Our Guest
FIU is more than happy to host the first round of the year's tournament as the Blue & Gold finished perfect at home in the regular season with a 9-0-0 mark. The 2002 squad has gone 3-3-1 in away games and 0-2-0 at neutral sites.

Playing the Field
FIU is 1-4 this season against squads that were invited to the NCAA Tournament.
Date Opponent Result
Sept. 1 UCLA L, 1-0 (OT)
Sept. 6 St. John's L, 1-0
Sept. 7 William & Mary L, 2-1
Nov. 10 UCF W, 3-2
Nov. 17 South Carolina L, 2-1

FIU vs. Ranked Teams
This season, the Golden Panthers has challenged four teams that were ranked by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America at the time of the game, going 2-2-0 in those contests.

90+
FIU has gone the distance and more in four contests this year, registering a 2-1-1 mark in those games.

FIU in Close Games
All five of FIU's losses this season have been by one goal. The Golden Panthers have won six games by a one-goal margin.

Lucky 13
After starting the season with a disappointing 0-4-0 record, the Golden Panthers reeled off a 13-game unbeaten streak that included all 12 of the year's wins and the lone tie.
In that streak, FIU outscored its opponents 38-11.

And the Winner Is…
Part I
When the 2002 Atlantic Soccer Conference announced the league's annual award recipients on Nov. 19, FIU picked up most of the hardware.

Senior striker Matias Asorey earned his second ASC Player of the Year title in as many years while freshman attacking midfielder Lucas Scudeler was named Rookie of the Year and Karl Kremser garnered Coach of the Year accolades.

FIU was well represented on the league's first team as Asorey, forward John Pulido, attacking midfielder Oscar Gil and left back Zachary Peoples were all listed among the conference's best.

Joining Scudeler on the second team were midfielder Billy Boswell, sweeper Mark Stephenson and goalkeeper Roy Rosenberg.

The eight selections were the most ever all-conference selections for FIU in one season in the program's history.

And the Winner Is…
Part II
The abundance of Golden Panthers on the all-conference teams was not surprising considering that FIU had at least one student-athlete chosen as ASC Player, Rookie or Goalkeeper of the Week in all but one selection this season.

FIU Honorees of ASC Weekly Awards
Sept. 16 - Matias Asorey (Player)
Sept. 23 - Roy Rosenberg (Goalkeeper)
Sept. 30 - Roy Rosenberg (Goalkeeper)
Oct. 7 - Oscar Gil (Player)
Oct. 14 - Matias Asorey (Player); Sean Collins (Rookie)
Oct. 21 - Allen Handy (Player); Rosenberg (Goalkeeper)
Oct. 28 - None
Nov. 4 - Matias Asorey (Player)
Nov. 11 - Paul Kolovos (Player); Shawn Crowe (Rookie)

Asorey Soars
Striker Matias Asorey has etched his name in the record books with a strong senior campaign. Asorey has netted 13 goals this year and assisted on three others to lead the ASC with 29 points. That is the highest single-season points total since Tyrone Marshall (currently with the L.A. Galaxy) tallied 31 points in 1997. His 13 goals are the most for a Golden Panther since Ignace Moleka scored 21 goals en route to earning All-America honors in 1996.

Asorey was named the Atlantic Soccer Conference Player of the Year for the second-straight year and honored as the league's Player of the Week on three occasions this season.

He has had two hat tricks in his career with the second coming this season when he scored three goals in a seven-minute span against Oneonta State.At one point this season, the Miami-native recorded a goal or an assist in seven straight games.

Asorey is the lone captain on this year's team.

Golden Gil
Attacking midfielder Oscar Gil has breathed new life into the FIU lineup on several occasions. The sophomore has become the all-important 12th man for the Golden Panthers, igniting the FIU offense when entering the game in place of Lucas Scudeler.

Gil is one of seven Golden Panthers to play in all 18 contests this year, and, despite splitting time with Scudeler, is second on the team with six goals, seven assists and 19 points.

Although his numbers are noteworthy, Gil will be remembered for his overtime heroics in 2002. In both of FIU's overtime victories this season, Gil netted the "Golden Goal" that gave victory to FIU.

Offense Wins Games...Defense Wins Championships
The quintet of Allen Handy, Zachary Peoples, Roy Rosenberg, Mark Stephenson and Adam Wilson were key in the Golden Panthers' ASC Championship title in 2002. The defensive line - which features Wilson at stopper, Peoples at left back, Handy at right back and Stephenson at sweeper - teamed with the Rosenberg in goal to record three shutouts in conference play while allowing only four goals in five games.

The defense also helped out the offense this season as those five student-athletes combined to score four goals and record seven assists.