FIU’s nationally ranked men’s soccer team hosting conference tournament this week
Two different leagues in two years … and two championships.
That’s what the 22nd-ranked FIU’s men’s soccer team has accomplished. After Conference USA disbanded its soccer league last year, FIU found a new home in the American Athletic Conference.
The result was a second straight regular-season title under coach Kyle Russell.
“I’m very happy,” Russell said. “It’s difficult learning about a new league and still winning the trophy. The AAC is the third-toughest league in the nation behind the ACC and the Pac-12.”
This week, FIU will host the AAC postseason tournament. On Thursday at 7 p.m., top-seeded FIU (11-4-1) will face Memphis (9-4-4).
FIU beat Memphis 3-2 in the regular season, on Oct. 1. FIU trailed that game, 2-1, until Joao Domingues scored in the 83rd minute. Bernardo Dos Santos scored the winner in the 88th minute.
“They are a tough, blue-collar team,” Russell said of Memphis. “They will be coming to us on a high because they beat Tulsa (2-1 in overtime on Sunday in the AAC quarterfinals). Tulsa had been the reigning league champion.”
The other semifinal – which will be played Thursday at 4 p.m. -- will feature South Florida (7-5-4) against SMU (10-4-1).
USF, which tied FIU 3-3 on Oct. 16, has won four straight matches.
SMU, which was at home, beat FIU 6-4 on Sept. 23.
The title game is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
“It’s a massive advantage to play at home,” Russell said. “We’re excited.”
With an RPI of 17, FIU should already be in the NCAA Tournament, Russell said. The 48-team NCAA field will be announced Monday at 1 p.m.
On Wednesday, the AAC will announce its individual awards. Stephen Afrifa, who is third in the conference in goals with nine, could be the Player of the Year. Russell could be the Coach of the Year. Dos Santos could be first-team All-AAC, and Domingues could be on the All-Freshman team.
THIS AND THAT
▪ Barry (NCAA Division II) scored a huge upset in women’s volleyball, knocking off the nation’s fourth-ranked Tampa Spartans, 3-2. Barry (24-3), which is ranked 18th nationally, got a big performance from 6-1 outside hitter Diana Akopova, a Syracuse transfer. She had 42 kills in the match, breaking a school record that had lasted 27 years.
Barry’s men’s soccer team (10-3-3) on Monday qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. This is Barry’s 11th tournament bid, and the third-seeded Bucs will open play at home on Saturday at 6 p.m. against sixth-seeded Christian Brothers (11-2-6). The winner advances to the round of 16.
▪ Nova Southeastern University’s men’s basketball team, ranked fourth in the nation in NCAA Division II, started its season with a 101-81 win over 24th-ranked Alabama-Huntsville. Dallas Graziani, in his first year as NSU’s starting point guard, had 20 points and a game-high 11 assists.
▪ Miami Dade College’s women’s volleyball team has qualified for the 16-team national junior-college championships, set for Nov. 17-19 in Missouri. The seventh-ranked Sharks (21-8) are seeking their 11th national title, and their first since 2017. The Sharks qualified for nationals by going 2-1 at the state championships this past weekend in Melbourne, and three MDC players made the all-tournament team: Romina Cornelio, Alexandra Koleva and Ana Tevdoradze.
▪ St. Thomas’ football team is 8-2 and has won four straight games. The 19th-ranked Bobcats, bidding for an NAIA playoff berth, will close their regular season on Saturday in Lakeland against unranked Southeastern.
STU’s men’s soccer team (9-0-4) is primed to play in the NAIA national playoffs, starting Nov. 17.
▪ Florida Memorial, an NAIA program, is off to a 3-0 start in men’s basketball, scoring more than 100 points in each game.