Good morning. The Owls’ defense came alive, holding the Mustangs without a field goal for the first five minutes of the final 10. SMU shot just 32% from the field over the entire period. Florida Atlantic did not trail for the entire 20 minutes on their way to the double-digit victory in Thursday’s epic battle.

Phenom Vlad Goldin has recorded 20+ points in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.

This marks the fifth game of the season where at least two Owls score 20+ points (Goldin with 21 and Alijah Martin with 20)

The Owls head to Memphis on Sunday, Feb. 25, for their first game against their new AAC opponent since the opening round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament that kicked off a historic Florida Atlantic run for the ages. Tip-off will be at 2pm ET, airing on ESPN.
 
What else can you find mixed into today’s Brew?

🎾 Men’s Tennis heads home this weekend while women prep for road matches
⚾️ Mac’s Musings returns just in time for more baseball
🦉 And much, much more

📈 STOCK UP

Save Big with Go Solar Power! Attention FAU Owl fans: Grab your FREE Solar and Tesla Powerwall Savings Plan today and get a $2,000 rebate at installation. Join the sustainable energy movement now and enjoy the rewards!

🔼 Sliding Into Paradise. FAU baseball faces Towson for its home opener tonight at 6:30pm ET, with a full slate of activities happening in and around the ballpark.
 
Head coach John McCormack's squad opened the season last weekend in a competitive series at No. 6 Vanderbilt. The Owls won the middle game, 5-4, and nearly took the season opener before falling in a ninth-inning walk-off by the Commodores, 12-11. Bryan Boully got the win in relief Saturday, firing 3.2 shutout innings with six strikeouts, while John Schroeder hit .417 for the weekend with four doubles, two RBI and three runs.
 
Following Friday's home opener, the series continues versus Towson on Saturday at 4pm ET and Sunday at 12pm ET.

Go here for info on the new cabanas down the left-field line, the fan zone, and ticketing information, and here for more on the upcoming challenges.

🔼 BC Blip. Florida Atlantic softball (8-4) was held to two hits in a 2-0 loss to Boston College (7-4) on Thursday night.

The Owl Classic continues throughout the weekend. FAU will next play Rhode Island at 3 p.m. and FGCU at 5:30 on Friday. Columbia rounds out the tournament field, and all games will be played on Joan Joyce Field.

🔼 The Future is Fore! Told. Florida Atlantic women's golf is back in action this weekend for the Reynolds Lake Oconee Invite. The event features 18 holes per day, starting today and concluding Sunday.

The Owls opened the spring season two weeks ago, hosting the FAU Paradise Invitational. Clemence Cadeac was the Owls' best finisher in all four fall events, and she extended that streak at the Paradise Invite, recording a tie for 18th in difficult conditions.

Live hole-by-hole results can be found here.

🔼 Beach Bums Aces. Florida Atlantic beach volleyball's Ashleigh Adams, Julie Honzovicova, Courtney Moon, and Marketa Svozilova were named to the Conference USA Preseason All-Conference Team.
 
The CUSA beach volleyball preseason team consists of 10 all-conference honorees and one preseason player of the year, voted on by the league's head coaches.
 
2024 is the second consecutive season the Sandy Owls have earned a league-leading four CUSA preseason all-conference honors, marking back-to-back honors for Honzovicova, Moon, and Svozilvoa, and the first for Adams.
 
Florida Atlantic's 2024 season kicks off today and tomorrow (Feb. 23-24) as the Sandy Owls head to Tampa, Florida, to compete in the Tampa Invite.

🔼 Full Speed Ahead. The Florida Atlantic women's track & field team heads to Birmingham, Alabama, for their inaugural appearance in the indoor American Athletic Conference Championships. 
 
Beginning today, the two-day meet will put a bow on a successful regular season for the Owls that saw several personal bests and program records.

The Owls' outdoor season will begin on Mar. 15 with the two-day USF Alumni Invitational. For the full schedule, view HERE.

🔼 Saving the Seven-Streak. The Florida Atlantic women's tennis team will travel to Jacksonville, Florida, this weekend, playing one of seven road matches on the schedule and the last before a six-match homestand when the team faces North Florida on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 10am ET.

The Owls are 7-1 on the year and riding a seven-match winning streak. The two teams have met nine previous times, with FAU winning five, including the last three.

Home matches are played at the Kimberly V. Strauss Tennis Center and are free and open to the public. Seating is available, and cheering is encouraged.

🔼 ‘Runners Up. The Florida Atlantic men's tennis team (8-3) will return home for the first time since Feb. 3 to play host to fellow American Athletic Conference member UTSA on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 11am ET. The Owls were 2-1 on their latest road swing, with last weekend's matches at USF being canceled due to weather.

Ranked No. 41 in the latest ITA poll, FAU holds the all-time record versus UTSA at 4-2. However, the Roadrunners have won the last two meetings, including a 4-3 decision in the C-USA semifinals last April.

🔼 More of Mac’s Musings. This week’s episode of Mac’s Musings recaps the trip to Vanderbilt, previews matchups with Towson, UC, and UNF and a prospect watch with some fall high school signings.

Send your mailbag questions for Coach Mac to @FAUBaseball on X (formerly Twitter) or to [email protected].

Follow the podcast, give it a rating, and turn your notifications on so you don’t miss an episode.

🔼 Calling All FAU Fanatics. Have you renewed your 2024 football season tickets yet? Do it by Feb. 27 for field access at the Spring Game (Apr. 13), plus entry into a raffle for lower-level FAU Men’s Basketball tickets.

📣 CALL TO ACTION

The PowerOwls Club is an exclusive community dedicated to connecting FAU fans and student-athletes. Stay in the know about all they’re doing here.

We’re encouraging every fan to help the PowerOwls Club reach their 250-card goal by February 29th. Purchase a Collectible Card TODAY to support FAU student-athletes!

🦉 ONE BIG THING

Beautifying the Burrow. Spend hours watching HGTV? You’ll love this video of the crew getting the Elly in tip-top shape.

😋 IT STARTS WITH CHICKPEAS

If you’re looking to give your tailgate the kickstart it deserves, our friends at Cedar's Foods have got you covered.

Their chefs have life-long expertise in Mediterranean foods. Their unique ability to create authentic recipes like those found on the Mediterranean Sea coast is what sets us apart. And with every bite you take, you can be sure that you are tasting a small piece of the world's finest Mediterranean food.

📬 FORWARDED BY A FRIEND

Did someone send you the Paradise Brew? Well, the first thing you should do is thank them. The next thing you should do is subscribe here and get it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning just in time for your first cup of coffee!

The Week Ahead is brought to you by our friends at Sage Dental, who are creating a modern, family-friendly approach to dentistry with one thing in mind—you. From pediatric dentistry and orthodontics to teeth cleanings and oral surgery, they work to provide you and your family the best dental care all in one place.

📅 THE WEEK AHEAD

Friday 2/23

🌊 Swim & Dive @ Atlantic Sun Conference Championships

🌊 Swim & Dive @ American Athletic Conference Championships

⛳️ Women’s Golf @ Reynolds Lake Oconee Invite

👟 Women’s Track/Cross-Country @ American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships

🏝 Beach Volleyball vs. South Carolina @ Tampa Invite @ 3pm ET

🏝 Beach Volleyball vs. Georgia State @ Tampa Invite @ 9am ET

🥎 Softball vs. Rhode Island @ 3m ET - Owl Classic | Live Stats | Tickets

🥎 Softball vs. FGCU @ 5:30m ET - Owl Classic | Live Stats | Tickets

⚽️ Women’s Soccer vs. University of Miami @ 6pm ET

⚾️ Baseball vs. Towson @ 6:30pm ET | Watch on FAU TV | Tickets

Saturday 2/24

🌊 Swim & Dive @ Atlantic Sun Conference Championships

🌊 Swim & Dive @ American Athletic Conference Championships

⛳️ Women’s Golf @ Reynolds Lake Oconee Invite

👟 Women’s Track/Cross-Country @ American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships

🎾 Women’s Tennis @ UNF @ 11am ET | Live Stats

🏝 Beach Volleyball vs. Arizona State @ Tampa Invite @ 12pm ET

🏝 Beach Volleyball vs. TBD @ Tampa Invite @ 4pm ET

⚾️ Baseball vs. Towson @ 4pm ET | Watch on FAU TV | Tickets

🥎 Softball vs. Columbia @ 5:30pm ET - Owl Classic | Live Stats | Tickets

Sunday 2/25

🌊 Swim & Dive @ American Athletic Conference Championships

⛳️ Women’s Golf @ Reynolds Lake Oconee Invite

🎾 Men’s Tennis vs. UTSA @ 11am ET | Live Stats

🥎 Softball vs. Columbia @ 11:30am ET - Owl Classic | Live Stats | Tickets

🥎 Softball vs. Rhode Island @ 1:45pm ET - Owl Classic | Live Stats | Tickets

⚾️ Baseball vs. Towson @ 12pm ET | Watch on FAU TV | Tickets

🏀 Women’s Basketball @ UTSA @ 2pm ET on ESPN+ | Live Video | Live Stats 

🏀 Men’s Basketball @ Memphis @ 2pm ET on ESPN Fox Sports South Florida | Live Audio | Live Stats 

🦉 Click here to view the entire FAU Athletics Calendar

🦉 Have a great Friday, y’all