JACKSONVILLE — The Jax State soccer team remains home to take on Conference USA foe Florida International on Sunday at noon from the Jax State Soccer Complex.
Jax State is 6-4-2 through 12 games of the season, most recently falling 1-0 to Missouri State in Thursday night action at home. The Gamecocks and Bears were evenly matched in a defensive battle, but it was a Bears goal in the 50th minute that would be the difference in the match. The loss dropped Jax State to 0-2-0 in conference play.
The Panthers are 5-2-3 overall and 2-0-0 in conference play, leading the CUSA so far. The Panthers have taken down Delaware and Kennesaw State, both on the road, thus far.
The Panthers are also the defending CUSA Regular Season and Tournament Champions, earning the regular season crown last season in the 2-2 draw with the Gamecocks, then winning the tournament title with a 1-0 victory over Liberty. The CUSA tournament last season was hosted by FIU.
The Gamecocks and the Panthers meet for the fourth time in program history and the third time as conference opponents. The two first met in 2019, where the Gamecocks defeated the Panthers 2-0 in Jacksonville, with Cheyenne Carden and Cephana Deane both notching their first goals of the season. In the first meeting between the two as conference opponents in 2023, Jax State tied the match late with two goals, one in the 79th minute and one in the 83rd minute, but a goal by the Panthers seconds later in the 83rd minute earned FIU a 3-2 win. Last year, Jax State earned the draw with a 70th minute goal by Nanaka Inaba.
Through the season so far, Jax State has earned three Player of the Week honors, while the Bears just earned their first honor this week. Jax State had a back-to-back Defensive Player of the Week winner in Raegan Whitaker during the weeks of Sept. 9 and 16, while Amelia Jacobs earned the first weekly honor of her career with an Offensive Player of the Week honor on Sept. 16. FIU's only weekly honor so far this season was Chinatsu Kaio's Offensive Player of the Week honor in week two.
The match is scheduled to begin at noon (12 p.m.) from the Jax State Soccer Complex. Darren Spruill and Brian Roher will have the call on ESPN+.
