WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – In a battle of top-20 teams, the No. 19 FGCU men's soccer team (0-0-1) hits the road for the first time in 2015 as it travels to face No. 20 Wake Forest (2-0-0) on Saturday at 7 p.m.
 
OPENING KICK
Saturday's match will mark the first time in FGCU program history that both the Eagles and their opponent are nationally ranked. After beginning the year unranked, Wake Forest moved up to No. 20 in the NSCAA/Continental Tire poll following a pair of wins last weekend. Meanwhile, FGCU also moved from unranked to No. 19 in the Top Drawer Soccer poll after it played to a scoreless draw with then-No. 3 Georgetown (now No. 4).
 
FGCU will be looking to win its initial road game of a season for the first time since 2010 when the Eagles opened not only their road schedule but season slate as well with a 2-1 win at No. 13 USF, snapping the Bulls' 30-game home unbeaten streak. Also, by virtue of Wednesday night's contest versus UCF being declared a "no contest," Saturday will mark the second time in program history that FGCU will begin a season with consecutive nationally-ranked opponents. The first came in 2012 when the Eagles traveled to No. 2 Akron and No. 16 Georgetown.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
The game will not be video streamed. Live stats are available by following the link at the top of this release or by clicking here. Additionally, fans can track updates on Twitter by following @FGCU_MSoccer.
 
SCOUTING WAKE FOREST
The Demon Deacons opened their season with a pair of home wins last Friday and Sunday, claiming a 1-0 victory against Santa Clara and following it up with a 3-2 triumph over FIU.
 
Wake Forest was picked to finish 3rd in the ACC Atlantic Division in the preseason poll and received one of the 12 first-place votes. The Demon Deacons return 10 starters and their top-nine scorers from last year's team which went 10-7-2 and qualified for the program's 18th NCAA Tournament. The returning talent is complimented by an incoming class which College Soccer News ranked as the 7th-best in the nation and Top Drawer Soccer ranked 9th.
 
A tradition-rich program, Wake Forest has made four College Cup (NCAA Tournament semifinals) since the program started in 1980, and won the 2007 National Championship.
 
ONE OF THREE
Not every school in the nation has had both its men's and women's soccer teams play a game so far this year, but most have, and of those institutions FGCU is one of only three which has had both its men's and women's teams yet to allow a goal. The women are off to a 3-0-1 start and are one of only seven teams in the nation which have played four games and yet to allow a goal (Auburn, Duke, North Carolina, Rutgers, St. John's, Lipscomb).
 
NATIONAL RANKING
On Monday, Top Drawer Soccer – one of the most reputable and recognized soccer media outlets in the country – released its Division-I poll and FGCU moved up 10 spots from unranked at No. 29.
 
This is the highest FGCU has been ranked during the regular season in any national poll since 2010 when it also checked in at No. 19 in the Soccer America poll on Nov. 2 and Nov. 9. The following year in 2011, the Green and Blue was ranked No. 14 in the country by Goal.com in its preseason poll. After opening last year unbeaten through its first three games, FGCU was ranked No. 24 in the Soccer America and NSCAA/Continental Tire national polls.
 
FGCU's All-Time National Rankings
10/5/2010: No. 25 Soccer America
10/12/2010: No. 24 Soccer America
10/14/2010: No. 24 Top Drawer Soccer
10/19/2010: No. 21 Soccer America
10/26/2010: No. 23 Soccer America
11/2/2010: No. 19 Soccer America
11/9/2010: No. 19 Soccer America
11/16/2010: No. 20 Soccer America (Final Poll)
8/2/2011: No. 14 Goal.com (Preseason Poll)
8/30/2011: No. 22 Goal.com
9/27/2011: No. 25 Goal.com
9/9/2014: No. 24 NSCAA/Continental Tire
9/9/2014: No. 24 Soccer America
8/31/2015: No. 19 Top Drawer Soccer
 
INGHAM CHASING HISTORY – Watch A Feature Video On Ingham
Nathan Ingham (Keswick, Ontario/Keswick HS) earned his 20th career shutout last Friday against Georgetown, setting the FGCU program record and moving him within five of tying and six of breaking the all-time A-Sun mark. Additionally, Ingham – who was named the PDL Championship MVP this summer – is also closing in on the A-Sun record for lowest career goals-against average. A-Sun men's soccer history dates back to 1979.
 
A-Sun Career Shutouts
1) Ryan Coulter: 25 (ETSU, 2011-13)
2) Jeff Cassar: 23 (FIU, 1992-95)
3) Aaron Johnson: 21 (Campbell, 2005-08)
4) Nathan Ingham: 20 (FGCU, 2011-Present)
 
A-Sun Career Goals-Against Average (minimum 2,000 minutes)
1) Ryan Coulter: 0.95 (ETSU, 2011-13)
2) Kyle Roelke: 1.00 (Belmont, 2004-05)
3) Nathan Ingham: 1.01 (FGCU, 2011-Present)
 
RECAPPING UCF
With FGCU leading 2-0 Wednesday evening at the FGCU Soccer Complex against UCF, a second lightning delay of the night occurred with 26:33 remaining in the second half and the game was officially declared as a "no contest." By being deemed a "no contest," it is as if the game never occurred, and the statistics which were recorded became null and void. If another 6:33 had been played and the game had reached 70 minutes, the contest would have been declared as official.
 
A 1-hour and 43-minute lightning delay near the end of the first half prevented any play from occurring from 7:47 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Once action resumed, Miguel Jaime (Denver, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) converted a penalty kick with 1:35 remaining in the first half, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead at the break.
 
After an abbreviated seven-minute halftime, Rielee Mohsin (Stuart, Fla./Nichols College/Martin County HS) tallied FGCU's second penalty kick of the evening in the 61st minute after he was pulled down in the box, prompting a red card and forcing UCF to play with 10 men. Shortly after, the horn blew again as lightning was in the area.
 
Since more than three hours had passed since the start of the game, both teams must have agreed to re-start the contest following the lightning leaving the area. That did not occur, and the "no contest" ruling was officially rendered by the head referee at 10:11 p.m.
 
DID YOU KNOW?
The Eagles have an incredible overall record of 32-4-3 in all A-Sun regular-season games since the start of the 2010 season. All four of those conference losses have come on the road, and out of a possible 117 points that could have been earned in that time, the Eagles have claimed an impressive 99 of them.
 
Additionally, FGCU owns the longest home regular-season conference unbeaten streak in the nation. FGCU has not lost a home regular-season A-Sun game since 2008, a stretch of 26 in a row in which the Eagles are unbeaten (23-0-3). Included in that run is a 19-game winning streak. FGCU's last home regular-season A-Sun loss came to Jacksonville, 2-0, on Oct. 19, 2008.
 
NEXT UP
FGCU returns home for a weekend set of matches against Ivy League members Princeton and Penn on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Both matches are scheduled for 7 p.m. starts from the FGCU Soccer Complex. Princeton opens its season Friday night at St. John's, while Penn also commences its campaign Friday evening by hosting No. 7 Washington.
 
TICKET INFORMATION
Season- and single-game tickets are available for the 2015 campaign, with season tickets starting at just $35. More information, including special discounts and group rates, can be accessed by logging on to FGCUAthletics.com/tickets or by clicking here. To purchase tickets, or for additional inquiries, call the FGCU Ticket Office at 239-590-7145 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the minute information and a behind-the-scenes look at the FGCU men's soccer program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_MSoccer, Instagram @FGCU_MSoccer and Facebook /FGCUMSoccer.
 
COACH BUTEHORN
FGCU is led by Bob Butehorn, who has coached 45 A-Sun All-Conference selections since FGCU started its program in 2007. In just four years of postseason eligibility, Butehorn has guided FGCU to three A-Sun Tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearances – in 2011, 2012 and 2014 – and has won an unprecedented five-straight A-Sun regular-season championships. His teams have been ranked nationally on several occasions by multiple media outlets. Now in his 13th season as a head coach, Butehorn has a 108-87-23 overall record, 74-55-19 mark in his 9th season at FGCU and 44-17-5 record in A-Sun contests.
 
SUPPORT THE CAUSE
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.