Paradise Brew 8/7: Owls Thrive Under Pressure

Sometimes, football coaches create chaos and bumps in the schedule or on the field to see how the players respond, and the Owls passed the test.

August 08, 2025

Good Morning, FAU Family. Football coaches will sometimes create chaos in the schedule or on the playing field to see how the players respond, as adjustments can separate the winners from the losers. On Tuesday, Head Coach Zach Kittley had the opportunity to watch his staff and team respond through several firsts, all of which happened organically.

It was the Owls' first scheduled night practice of the fall. It was also the first practice in which players donned full pads, and it was the first practice that required adjustments due to weather conditions. FAU responded positively by all accounts as the position battles waged on.

What else do we have mixed into today’s Brew? Check it out below!

⚽️ FAU Women’s Soccer EXH Game Tonight
🏈 Countdown to Kickoff Hits 2️⃣2️⃣ Days
🦉 And much, much more

Number of the Day: 2️⃣2️⃣

We’re counting down the days to the return of Florida Atlantic football on August 30 at Maryland! FAU football man of the hour Caden Veltkamp is 22 years old.

Veltkamp begins his first year at FAU after winning the 2024 Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year award at Western Kentucky, a season in which he threw for 3,108 yards and scored 32 total touchdowns. Over the summer, he was named second team on the Phil Steele Magazine all-conference preseason team, fourth team all-conference preseason honors by Athlon, and was selected to the Maxwell Award Watch List.

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🔼 Pitch Perfect in Paradise. The Florida Atlantic women's soccer team will begin its 2025 season in Paradise tonight with the Red vs. Blue exhibition scrimmage. The match is open to the public and will kick off at 6 p.m. at the FAU Soccer Stadium.

For the first regular season match of the 2025 season, the Owls will take on Loyola (MD) in the annual stadium game at the Flagler Credit Union Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 14, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+. FAU will have a total of six home matches on ESPN+ (Loyola MD, Florida State, Tulsa, Temple, UAB, and North Texas). The Owls will then face five in-state opponents over the next six games on the road.

⚽️ FULL RUNDOWN 📆


🔼 She Hatched the Perfect Summer Plan. Junior Jessica Hatch of the Florida Atlantic women's cross country and track & field team competed in the 2025 England Athletics Senior and U20 Championships in Birmingham, England.

Hatch did so after closing out her sophomore season in impressive fashion, finishing the year with a total of five top-10 program records throughout the indoor season and many career-bests in the three seasons (cross country, indoor, and outdoor) combined.

This summer, she won two medals, including the England Athletics Seniors and the U23, in the 3000-meter steeplechase. 


🔼 Nice to Meet You. Jessica Carter has been named an assistant coach for the Florida Atlantic women's track & field and cross country team, as announced by Head Coach Alex Smolka. 

Carter joins the staff after spending the past seven years at Charles Flanagan High School, where the boys' cross country team won the district title. She also coached the girls to back-to-back district titles in the last two years. Before coaching high school, Carter spent eight years at FIU as an assistant and head coach of the track and field program.

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🤓 How many seasons will this be for Florida Atlantic Head Coach of women’s soccer Patrick Baker?

Have a guess? Scroll to the bottom to find out!

Are You a Fan, Or Are You a Fan Fan? ICYMI! The ultimate fan experience is back on Aug. 16.

🦉 FAN FEST INFO ℹ️

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*All Times Are in ET

Thursday, Aug. 14
⚽️ Women’s Soccer vs. Loyola - Season Opener @ 7 p.m. | Live Stats | Tickets

Saturday, Aug. 23
🏐 Volleyball vs. Miami Dade - Season Opener @ 6 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 30
🏈 Football @ Maryland - Season Opener @ Noon TV: Big Ten Network | Radio: Fox Sports 640 South Florida

🦉 Go here for the complete Florida Atlantic University Athletics Calendar

Paradise Trivia is brought to you by Choice Mortgage Group, the Official Mortgage Lender of Florida Atlantic Athletics.

The Answer: 13!

Head Coach Patrick Baker is entering his 13th season at the helm of the Owls and 34th overall as a head coach. Baker is one of the top 40 winningest active Division I women's soccer head coaches. 

🦉 Happy Friday, Owl Fam!