DeLAND, Fla. — Three straight wins have changed the complexion of Stetson men's soccer's season. On Tuesday night, the Hatters will look to keep that momentum moving against a Florida Atlantic side that has proven exceedingly difficult to beat.

Stetson welcomes the Owls to the Athletic Training Center for a 6 p.m. kickoff after extending its winning streak to three with Saturday's thrilling 3-2 ASUN victory over Jacksonville. The Hatters enter at 5-6-2 overall after scoring 11 goals during the streak, while Florida Atlantic arrives at 3-1-6 with just one loss through its first 10 matches.

Tuesday briefly takes Stetson away from conference play following a stretch that has pushed the Hatters back towards the front of the ASUN race, but it presents another significant challenge against an FAU team that has earned results in nine of its 10 matches this fall.

What began with a breakthrough in Nashville has quickly developed into Stetson's best stretch of the season.

The Hatters enter Tuesday riding a three-match winning streak after defeating Lipscomb 4-1, South Florida 4-2 and Jacksonville 3-2. Stetson has scored 11 goals during the run after producing nine over its first 10 matches of the season.

The three victories have also required three different types of performances. Stetson jumped on Lipscomb with three first-half goals, broke open a tied match with two goals in 23 seconds late at South Florida and then showed its ability to respond Saturday after Jacksonville erased an early 2-0 deficit.

Junior Essengue supplied the answer against the Dolphins, scoring shortly after halftime off a cross from Benjamin Donato to break a 2-2 tie. Stetson protected the one-goal advantage the rest of the way to earn its third consecutive victory and move to 5-6-2 overall.

Afonso Conde has been at the center of Stetson's offensive turnaround.

The graduate has scored three goals during the current winning streak, beginning with his first multi-goal performance of the season in the 4-1 victory at Lipscomb. After earning ASUN Player of the Week honors for that performance, Conde added another goal Saturday against Jacksonville.

Conde opened the scoring in the 18th minute against the Dolphins and later added an assist, finishing the night with three points. He now leads Stetson with five goals and 11 points while sharing the team lead with 18 shots.

His efficiency has stood out as well. Conde has placed nine of his 18 attempts on target and converted five into goals. Three of those goals have opened the scoring, while he has recorded two game-winning goals this season.

More importantly, his production has translated directly to results. Stetson is unbeaten in every match in which Conde has scored this season, with the graduate finding the net against West Florida, Presbyterian, Lipscomb and Jacksonville.

While Conde has led the way, Stetson's recent offensive surge has been built around far more than one scorer.

Eight different Hatters have found the back of the net during the three-match winning streak. Conde scored twice at Lipscomb, where Donato and Zsombor Pall also found the net. Matthew Perez, Mauricio Restrepo, Justin Blanco and Valentin Fontaine supplied four different scorers three nights later at South Florida before Conde, Fontaine and Essengue struck against Jacksonville.

Fontaine has emerged as one of the latest contributors. After converting from the penalty spot late at South Florida, the sophomore scored again Saturday, firing from just outside the corner of the box to give Stetson an early 2-0 advantage against Jacksonville. His goals in consecutive matches have moved him to five points on the season.

Essengue then became the latest Hatter to join the scoring column. The freshman defender pushed forward immediately after halftime and finished Donato's cross for his first collegiate goal and the eventual game-winner.

Stetson now has 10 different goal scorers this season. Conde leads with five, Perez follows with three and Fontaine, Blanco, Restrepo and William Mills have two apiece.

Saturday's victory showed another element of Stetson's progression during its recent run.

The Hatters appeared to be in complete control early against Jacksonville. Conde opened the scoring in the 18th minute before Fontaine doubled the advantage less than six minutes later. The Dolphins responded with two goals before halftime, however, sending the teams into the break even at 2-2.

Instead of allowing the momentum to carry into the second half, Stetson answered almost immediately. Donato delivered a cross into the area and Essengue finished the chance to restore the lead.

The Hatters then made it stand. Jacksonville continued to push for an equalizer late, but Stetson held the Dolphins scoreless throughout the second half to secure three points. Both teams finished with 15 shots, while Stetson held a 9-5 advantage in shots on goal.

The win improved Stetson to 3-2-1 at the Athletic Training Center this season and continued a stretch in which the Hatters have begun to turn both chances and leads into results.

Stetson's recent run has dramatically changed its offensive numbers.

The Hatters have scored 20 goals through 13 matches and are averaging 1.54 per game. Stetson has generated 162 shots, including 57 on goal, while holding a 162-143 advantage in total attempts over its opponents.

Stetson has scored exactly 10 times in each half this season, but the Hatters continue to generate their heaviest pressure after the break. Of their 162 attempts, 94 have come in the second half compared with 68 in the opening 45 minutes.

The balance is also evident throughout the individual statistics. Conde leads with 11 points, Perez has eight and Fontaine and Blanco have five apiece. Donato, Essengue and Israel Daniels each have four points, with Daniels' four assists leading the team.

After scoring multiple goals only twice in its first 10 matches, Stetson has now scored at least three in three consecutive games.

Florida Atlantic brings one of the more unusual records Stetson will see this season to DeLand. The defending American Conference regular-season and tournament champions enter Tuesday at 3-1-6, having earned a result in nine of their first 10 matches while playing six draws.

After finishing 12-4-2 and sweeping the American's regular-season and tournament titles in 2025, the Owls have proven difficult to separate from their opponents this fall. FAU opened the season with victories over Mercer and North Florida while earning draws against UCF, NC State and Cleveland State. Conference play brought additional draws against Charlotte and Memphis before a 4-3 road victory at Tulsa. The Owls suffered their lone defeat against Temple on Oct. 2 before responding with a 1-1 draw at FGCU.

That most recent result offered another example of Florida Atlantic's ability to find late answers. Trailing FGCU after an 87th-minute goal, the Owls pulled level when Enzo Rabot scored with just 47 seconds remaining. It marked the fourth time this season FAU has scored a tying goal in the final 10 minutes of regulation, highlighting a team that has consistently found ways to stay in matches.

Florida Atlantic has scored 17 goals while allowing 12, averaging 1.70 goals and 13.4 shots per match. The Owls have also recorded four clean sheets and generated 51 corner kicks through their first 10 contests.

Michel Tentchou leads the attack with four goals and nine points despite appearing in nine matches. Three of his four goals have been game-winners. Xavi Csato follows with seven points on two goals and three assists, while DJ Koulai and Francesco Aiello have each produced two goals and two assists. Enzo Rabot leads FAU with four assists.

Csato will be a familiar face at the Athletic Training Center. Before joining Florida Atlantic, he played at Stetson under head coach Emmett Rutkowski and was named the ASUN Freshman of the Year during his time with the Hatters. He has started nine of FAU's 10 matches this season and enters Tuesday with two goals, three assists and a team-high 10 shots on goal.

Alfred Mikkelsen has played every minute in goal for the Owls this season, recording 28 saves, a 1.20 goals-against average and a .700 save percentage. The senior has registered four clean sheets in 2026, bringing his career total to 10 in 27 appearances. His next shutout would move him into third place in Florida Atlantic program history.

If Florida Atlantic's record says anything, Tuesday could require patience.

Six of the Owls' first 10 matches have ended level, including four consecutive draws from Aug. 30 through Sept. 20. FAU has played scoreless draws against UCF and Cleveland State, 1-1 matches against Charlotte and FGCU, a 2-2 draw at Memphis and a 3-3 result against NC State.

Eight of FAU's 10 matches have either ended in a draw or been decided by a single goal. The exceptions came in shutout victories over Mercer and North Florida.

That consistency has traveled as well. Florida Atlantic is unbeaten away from home at 2-0-3, earning wins at Mercer and Tulsa along with draws at Cleveland State, Memphis and FGCU. The Owls have also been particularly successful against in-state competition, carrying an 11-1-3 record against Florida opponents in regular-season matches since 2024.

Stetson, meanwhile, has developed its own ability to deliver in decisive moments. The Hatters scored twice in 23 seconds late at South Florida to break a 2-2 tie before responding to Jacksonville's first-half comeback with an early second-half winner on Saturday. With both sides showing an ability to answer when challenged, Tuesday presents an intriguing matchup between two teams that have made a habit of finding important goals.

Tuesday's meeting renews a series that stretches back more than four decades, with Stetson and Florida Atlantic having faced one another 44 times since their first matchup on Sept. 29, 1984.

Florida Atlantic holds a 25-16-3 advantage in the all-time series, although recent meetings have been considerably more balanced. The Hatters are 5-4-1 against the Owls over the last 10 matchups, including a 4-3 victory in DeLand on Sept. 19, 2023.

Stetson is 12-8-1 against Florida Atlantic at home and 4-15-2 in Boca Raton. The two programs have split their last four meetings, with each side claiming two victories since 2021.

The most recent encounter came under unusual circumstances in 2024. Florida Atlantic held a 3-1 advantage in Boca Raton on Aug. 29 when lightning halted play with 37 minutes remaining. The teams reconvened nearly two months later, on Oct. 22, to complete the contest, with the Owls ultimately earning a 5-1 victory.

Current Florida Atlantic forward Xavi Csato scored Stetson's lone goal in that match. Csato, who previously earned ASUN Freshman of the Year honors while playing for head coach Emmett Rutkowski, returns to the Athletic Training Center on Tuesday as one of the Owls' leading offensive contributors.

Tuesday gives Stetson another opportunity to build on an increasingly productive stretch at the Athletic Training Center.

The Hatters are 3-2-1 in DeLand this season and have earned a result in four of their last five home matches. Stetson defeated West Florida 2-0 and Presbyterian 4-1 before drawing UCF 1-1. After a 1-0 setback against Queens interrupted that stretch, the Hatters returned home Saturday and defeated Jacksonville 3-2.

Stetson has scored 10 goals across its last five home matches while allowing five. The Hatters have also won both of their home ASUN matches against West Florida and Jacksonville during that stretch.

Tuesday will be Stetson's second consecutive match at the ATC before the Hatters return to conference play later in the week.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET Tuesday at the Athletic Training Center in DeLand, Florida. Live coverage information and live statistics will be available through GoHatters.com.

Stay up-to-date on all things Stetson Men's Soccer by following the team on social media or by visiting GoHatters.com for the latest news.