FORT MYERS, Fla. – On Saturday afternoon the nationally ranked FGCU women's soccer team (17-3, 7-0 A-Sun) will welcome Auburn (11-6-3, 5-3-3 SEC) to the FGCU Soccer Complex in the first round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, marking the first time in school history that an NCAA Division I Championship event will take place on campus. The Eagles own the nation's longest winning streak (13 games) and will be competing in their third NCAA Tournament. They are 11-0 this season at home with a 17-match unbeaten streak at the friendly-confines dating back to Sept. 27, 2013.  

Thirty-two, two-team First Rounds will be conducted at non-predetermined campus sites (Nov. 14-16) with eight, four-team Second/Third Rounds (Nov. 21-23) being conducted at campus sites as well. The Quarterfinals (Nov. 28-30) will be the final round of matches taking place at campus sites before the tournament shifts to Boca Raton, Fla. for the Women's College Cup, Dec. 5 and 7 at FAU Stadium.

The Eagles are 0-2 all-time in NCAA Tournament matches, losing to Florida in Gainesville in back-to-back seasons (2011, 2012). Should the Eagles advance past Auburn they will face the winner of third-seeded Texas Tech and Prairie View A&M who play on Friday night at 7 p.m. If Texas Tech advances the Eagles will hit the road in the second round and likely head to Florida where the second-seeded Gators would host the second and third rounds.

CHECKING IN
FGCU's new RPI following the release of the bracket checks in at No. 26 while its opponent, Auburn, has the No. 29 RPI in the nation. The Tigers fell, 2-1, to Kentucky in the opening round of the SEC Tournament last weekend. FGCU and Auburn both went 0-2 against the only common opponents the programs shared this season in Texas A&M and South Carolina. The Eagles fell at then-No. 12 Texas A&M, 2-1, before going down to No. 16 South Carolina, 2-0, on a neutral field. The Tigers also went on the road and lost to No. 6 Texas A&M, 3-1, and fell to No. 14 South Carolina, 2-1, at home in overtime earlier in the year. Texas A&M is now ranked No. 4 in the nation and South Carolina checks in at No. 18.

The magical, record-shattering season continues for the Green and Blue who have now won a program record 17 games. Since dropping a 2-0 result to No. 16 South Carolina on Sept. 14 on a neutral field, the Eagles have won a program record 13 consecutive matches, outscoring their opponents 36-6 with seven shutouts, including a 15-2 advantage against A-Sun competition during the regular season. The Eagles are now 7-0-1 all-time in the A-Sun Tournament and 3-0-1 in the Championship match. The Eagles have outscored opponents in the A-Sun Final, 5-1, and have outshot the opposition 80-33.

The Eagle offense is clicking at the right time, having scored three goals in back-to-back matches for the first time this since doing so in five-straight matches from Sept. 19-Oct. 3. This is already the highest scoring season in program history with 45 goals on the board to go with 141 points which are 11 more than the previous record set just last season. The team is averaging 7.05 points per game against Auburn's 2.45. The Tigers have managed 49 points this season while FGCU's Tabby Tindell (Ocala, Fla./Trinity Catholic HS) has produced 48 by herself.

AUBURN
Auburn is paced offensively by five individuals who gathered double-digit point totals during the season including Kristen Dodson who leads the way with 16 points (3 goals, 10 assists). Four players have scored four goals to lead the team while three others have scored three goals each. The Tigers will be making their 12th trip to the NCAA Tournament.

LAST TIME OUT - A-SUN CHAMPIONSHIP
The two greatest goal-scorers in program history guided FGCU to the A-Sun Championship last Sunday afternoon. Tabby Tindell scored twice and Shannen Wacker (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa HS) added the insurance to propel the Eagles to the victory over Kennesaw State, making the women's soccer team the first program of any at FGCU to advance to a third NCAA Tournament.

Tournament Most-Valuable Player, Tindell scored twice in the first half, picking up her nation-leading 11th game-winning goal and her sixth multi-goal game of the season while becoming the first player in program history to register a 20-goal season. She wasn't done there however as the sophomore would assist Wacker's goal in the second half to tie her season-high of five points. Tindell will now play in her first NCAA Tournament.

Wacker had memorable afternoon of her own, not only scoring her seventh goal of the season but also handing out her program single-season record 15th assist on Tindell's first goal. The senior now has a career-high 29 points in her final season and has assisted more goals this season than she had in her previous three seasons combined. Wacker will play in her third NCAA Tournament for the Green and Blue.

NATIONALLY RANKED #25 – TopDrawerSoccer.com
For the third week in-a-row the FGCU women's soccer team is nationally ranked; checking in at No. 25 in this week's TopDrawerSoccer.com Women's DI Top 25 Poll. The Eagles became the first A-Sun program to complete an undefeated and untied conference regular season since the year 2000.

The Eagles fall in behind No. 20 Kansas (15-5, 5-3 Big 12), No. 21 BYU (13-4-3, 7-1-1 WCC) No. 22 South Carolina (13-5-3, 5-3-3 SEC), who were the last team to beat the Eagles, No. 23 Rutgers (12-5-1, 8-4-1 B1G) and No. 24 Washington State (10-4-4, 5-4-2 Pac-12). La Salle (14-5-2, 8-0 A10), who the Eagles defeated 3-2 on the road, checks in at No. 29. FGCU is one of four ranked teams from the state of Florida along with No. 2 Florida State (18-1-1, 9-0-1 ACC), No. 11 Florida (14-4-1, 9-2 SEC) and No. 17 UCF (16-4, 8-2 American). Only California has as many schools listed in the Top 25. The Women's Top 25 poll in its entirety can be found here.

RECEIVING VOTES - NSCAA
The Eagles received 15 votes in National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll on Tuesday afternoon, falling into the No. 28 spot. It is the fourth time this season that the Green and Blue have been considered in this poll. FGCU sits behind UConn (29) and Michigan (21). Everyone is chasing No. 25 Rutgers who received 51 votes this week. The entire NSCAA Top 25 poll can be found here.

TABBY TINDELL – 2014 A-SUN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tindell, the preseason A-Sun Player of the Year, has been as good as advertised this season. She ranks top five in the nation in five offensive categories including game-winning goals (11 – First), points (48 – Third), Goals (20 – Third), Points Per Game (2.40 – Fourth) and Goals Per Game (1.000 – Fourth). Her 20 goals and 48 points both led the A-Sun by wide margins over her own teammates and both are also FGCU single-season records. Her 20 goals have come on just one more shot than she took all of last season. She has set the FGCU all-time goals record with 35 in her career and is second only to Wacker with 82 points. Tindell has also showed a pension for distribution by handing out eight assists, which rank second in the A-Sun behind Wacker's 15.

She opened up the season with a bang by scoring two goals against Pac-12 foe Arizona then scored again five days later at Miami to give the Eagles a 2-0 start. She would score multiple goals in a match three more times before heading north to La Salle where she would score twice more to guide the Eagles to a 3-2 shootout victory in overtime. She has collected 12 points against A-Sun opponents this year with five goals and a pair of assists. During the Eagles record 11-game winning streak she has scored at least one point in each match. She was named the A-Sun Player of the Week three times this season and chosen to the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the Week three times while also being ranked by TopDrawer as the No. 92 player in the nation. She is the first Player of the Year for FGCU since KC Correllus in 2010.

SHANNEN WACKER – 2014 ALL-A-SUN FIRST TEAM
Shannen Wacker has had a senior year to remember. The Parker, Colo. native has contributed a career-high 29 points this season, scoring seven goals and handing out an FGCU single-season record 15 assists. Those 29 points rank second only to her teammate Tindell in the A-Sun and her 15 assists lead the league and are sixth in the nation.

She assisted at least one FGCU goal in four of the first five matches, including a pair of helpers in a 4-0 win over Murray State. Her first goal of the season came on the road at nationally ranked Texas A&M then, the following weekend, scored two goals against UNF then handed out two assists against La Salle two days later to earn an A-Sun Player of the Week nod, the fourth of her career. She has picked up nine points against A-Sun opponents and assisted the game-winning goal in overtime against Stetson that clinched a perfect record for FGCU against A-Sun opponents. Wacker has started all 20 matches for the Green and Blue and has become the FGCU all-time points leader with 83 in her career and is second all-time with 28 goals and 27 assists. She has now appeared on an All-Conference roster in each of her four seasons at FGCU.

EMMA BLACKWELL – 2014 A-SUN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Blackwell, the preseason A-Sun Defensive Player of the Year, is the anchor of the FGCU defense that has allowed just 13 goals this season and only two to A-Sun opponents during the regular season. The Jenks, Okla. native is consistently asked to mark the top offensive threat of the opposition for a defense that has shutout 10 opponents. She has started all 20 matches and left just one with an injury, otherwise playing every minute of every match for a total of 1734. She picked up her first point of the season in the form of an assist at home against CSU Bakersfield. She scored her first goal against Palm Beach Atlantic on a shot that she fired from approximately 40 yards outside the goal mouth. Her three points from the back line match her 2013 season total.

BRITTANY BROWN – 2014 ALL-A-SUN FIRST TEAM
Brown ranked atop in the A-Sun in save percentage (.835) and led the league in goals-against average (0.66) after being named the A-Sun Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. Since taking over the starting role during her freshman campaign, Brown has collected 41 wins, which rank second all-time in FGCU history (42), against just nine losses and seven ties. She is currently the FGCU career leader in three goalkeeping categories including goals-against average (0.70), saves per game (3.70) and save percentage (.841). She was named A-Sun Defensive Player of the Week once this season following a pair of stellar performances against the No. 2 and 3-seeds in the A-Sun Tournament, Lipscomb and Jacksonville. She has collected nine shutouts this season which tie a career high and are just three shy of the FGCU single-season record of 12.

PAULINA SPECKMAIER – 2014 ALL-A-SUN FIRST TEAM
Speckmaier completes the most dangerous scoring trio in the league. She moved from consistently finding time off the bench as a forward a year ago to starting 19 of 20 matches this season as the attacking midfielder for the FGCU program that has won a fifth-consecutive A-Sun Regular Season Championship and completed the first perfect record against A-Sun opponents since the year 2000. Speckmaier has contributed career-highs with eight goals and five assists for a career best 21 points which ranked third in the A-Sun behind teammates Tindell and Wacker. She also leads the team and the league with an FGCU single-season record 75 shots. She scored her first goal of the season opposite Miami then added goals in back-to-back matches against FIU and Murray state. She has scored two goals and handed out three assists against A-Sun competition.

ALLY KASUN – 2014 ALL-A-SUN FIRST TEAM
Kasun is the field general for the FGCU women's soccer program. She is constantly described by head coach Jim Blankenship as the engine that makes the team go. The Lancaster, Pa. native assumed a less offensive role this season as the defensive midfielder but that has not stopped her from lighting up the scoreboard, especially lately with six of her nine points coming against A-Sun opponents. After handing out an assist in the A-Sun opener against UNF, Kasun exploded for two goals against Northern Kentucky then assisted a goal against JU. She would add a goal and assist against Palm Beach Atlantic before helping hold Stetson scoreless over 99 minutes in a match that clinched the Eagles an unblemished record in A-Sun play.

A-SUN POSTSEASON AWARDS
The Eagles matched their own A-Sun record, set a season ago, with six individuals named to the A-Sun All-Conference First Team. Alongside Player of the Year Tabby Tindell and Defensive Player of the Year Emma Blackwell (Jenks, Okla./Jenks HS), Brittany Brown (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena HS), Paulina Speckmaier (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep/Florida), Ally Kasun (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield HS) and Shannen Wacker all received recognition on the A-Sun First Team. Melissa Arnold (Sicklerville, N.J./Timber Creek Regional HS) was the lone FGCU representative on the Second Team, giving the Green and Blue a league-best seven honorees.

*PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Tabby Tindell, FGCU
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Emma Blackwell, FGCU
GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR – Anna Buhigas, Lipscomb
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – Macy Hamblin, Northern Kentucky
COACH OF THE YEAR – Jim Blankenship, FGCU

FGCU OPPONENTS RPI
3 – Texas A&M
11 – South Carolina
21 – USF
25 – La Salle
26 – FGCU
29 - Auburn
30 – Arizona
134 – Kennesaw State
160 – FIU
161 – Jacksonville
166 – Miami
186 – Lipscomb
187 – Murray State
233 – Wofford
239 – Northern Kentucky
269 – North Florida
278 – Stetson
295 – CSU Bakersfield
321 – USC Upstate

NATIONAL RANKS (As of Nov. 10)
1 - Game-Winning Goals – Tabby Tindell (11)
3 – Points – Tabby Tindell (48)
3 - Goals – Tabby Tindell (20)
4 – Points Per Game – Tabby Tindell (2.40)
4 – Goals Per Game – Tabby Tindell (1.000)
6– Assists – Shannen Wacker (15)

A-SUN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The Eagles can boast a league-best seven Player of the Week selections this season.
Aug. 25 – Tabby Tindell – Player of the Week
Sept. 2 – Ashley Parks – Defensive Player of the Week
Sept. 8 – Tabby Tindell – Player of the Week
Sept. 22 – Tabby Tindell – Player of the Week
Sept. 29 – Shannen Wacker – Player of the Week
Oct. 6 – Melissa Arnold – Defensive Player of the Week
Oct. 20 – Brittany Brown – Defensive Player of the Week

JIM BLANKENSHIP – 2014 A-SUN COACH OF THE YEAR
A veteran of over two decades in collegiate coaching, head coach Jim Blankenship, who was named the 2012 and 2013 A-Sun Coach of the Year as well, has built FGCU women's soccer into a yearly contender in the Atlantic Sun Conference and a rising program in the South Region in just eight seasons. Blankenship started the program in 2007 and has since guided the Eagles to eight double-digit win seasons, culminating with Atlantic Sun Regular Season Championships in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. In 2011 and 2012 he also led the Eagles to back-to-back A-Sun tournament championships and became the first team in the history of the university to make it to the NCAA Tournament. Blankenship has guided FGCU to a 101-35-17 overall record over the first eight seasons of the program's existence, including a 54-9-9 mark in the A-Sun.

TICKETS
Tickets prices for the event are as follows:
$1 (children 5 years and under)
$3 (seniors, children under 12)
$5 (per ticket for groups of 10 or more)
$7 (public)
FGCU students will be admitted for free with valid student I.D.

The FIRST 300 kids currently a member of a 12 and under team will receive one (1) free ticket at the Will Call gate. To secure your tickets with this special offer: email women's soccer Assistant Coach Ben Boehner (bboehner@fgcu.edu) by no later than Noon on Saturday with the following information (full name, parent email, cell phone number and club/age affiliation).  

PREGAME EVENT
The FGCU Athletic department will host a pregame event outside Alico Arena with various food vendors such as Moe's Southwest Grill, Franks for the Memories, Tropical Smoothie and Tropical Taffy attending. Moe's will be offering a junior burrito combo with salsa, chips and a drink for $5. A portion of the proceeds will go to support of the Harry Chapin Food Bank.

Fans will have the opportunity to donate canned goods during FGCU home events in the month of November. Boxes will be posted at the marketing tables of each venue, and fans who donate will receive a buy-one-get-one-free ticket for an upcoming FGCU home event (excluding men's basketball). Additionally, fans who donate will receive a voucher for a free box of popcorn, generously donated by Aramark, a partner in the #FEEDFGCU initiative. That box of popcorn can be redeemed at any volleyball or women's basketball game.

CREDENTIALS
All media members and photographers who wish to cover the event will need to formally request a credential through Matt Moretti III (mmoretti@fgcu.edu). Credentials will be available for pickup at the Alico Arena ticket office during the men's basketball game at 2 p.m. or at the FGCU Soccer Complex after the gates open at 4:30 p.m.

#WINGSUP
Fans are encouraged to download the brand-new Wings Up mobile app in conjunction with SuperFanU. The fully-customized loyalty-rewards platform allows fans to check in at each of FGCU's sporting events to earn points throughout the school year toward exclusive prizes that can't be offered anywhere else.

FOLLOW ALONG
For constant, news, photos, videos and updates you can follow the women's soccer team on Twitter @FGCU_WSoccer, on Instagram @FGCU_WSoccer or on Facebook: Facebook.com/FGCUWSoccer. You can also find FGCU athletics on YouTube by visiting YouTube.com/FGCUEagles.

#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.