FORT MYERS, Fla. – Two second half goals gave the FGCU women's soccer team an emotional 2-0 Senior Night victory over Jacksonville Saturday night in ASUN Conference play. The Eagles (10-4-1, 4-0-1 ASUN) honored six seniors prior to the contest, and two played key roles in both goals against the Dolphins (3-10-1, 1-4-1).
"I like the way we played tonight," said head coach
Jim Blankenship. "I felt like we had a good start, Ali had a really nice look early on but hit the post. Credit to them, their keeper made some really good saves and they were really well prepared. It was scoreless at half but we had a chance to get our feet underneath us again and we were able to talk more about how to break them down. We got rewarded with two really nice goals. Tonight was a big night for us, it's one of the senior's last nights in front of their friends and Dirty Birds so it's good to get a win."
Goals from
Tabby Tindell (Ocala, Fla./Trinity Catholic HS) and
Lauren Greene (Lakeland, Fla./George Jenkins HS) in the second half secured the win for FGCU, with
Ali Rogers (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS) tallying an assist as well on the night. The careers of Tindell, Rogers,
Paulina Speckmaier (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep/Florida),
Lauren Knight (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township HS) and
Yazmin Velez (Freehold, N.J./Colts Neck High School/Tennessee) were honored before the game.
Despite producing seven corners and 10 shots in the opening 45 minutes, the Eagles went into the break level with the Dolphins. Rogers had the best effort of the opening frame, hitting the post with a 30-yard strike in seventh minute. Coming out of the break, Tindell got the Eagles going with what proved to be the 30th game-winning goal of her career when the senior headed home a cross from fellow-senior Rogers. After a penalty kick was saved in the in the 72nd minute by JU, Greene scored her first goal of the season in the 83rd minute as FGCU closed out the win.
Consecutive corners in the sixth minute led to a near-highlight reel goal from Rogers. From 30 yards, the senior was left open and unleashed a strike that hit the post and careened away from goal.
The pressure continued as FGCU maintained possession in the Eagles' attacking third. Tindell had a shot blocked and the rebound fell to
Emilie Olsen (Frekhaug, Norway/Tertnes VGS). The freshman had a clean look at goal, but goalkeeper Sara Wicks was up to the task.
Melissa Weck (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) recorded her first save in the 31st minute and another ten minutes later to keep the Dolphins off the board.
FGCU tested JU early in the second half before breaking through in the 57th minute of play. Tindell gathered the ball in the middle-third of the field and switched the point of attack to Rogers on the right side. Rogers dribbled to the endline and found Tindell who was wide open at the far post. The forward headed it home with ease, scoring for the 10th-straight game and the 13th time this season.
The match reached a potential turning point in the 72nd minute when
Meaghan Mulligan (Freehold, N.J./Colts Neck High School/Tennessee) was brought down in the box. Rogers stepped up to the spot and almost found the lower corner but Wicks stuck her foot out and kept the score at 1-0.
FGCU waited for the 83rd minute to produce the game' second goal. Mulligan and Tindell combined around the penalty area with the latter laying the ball off to Greene who hammered her first goal of the season into the back of the net from 18 yards out.
The Eagles closed out their 2-0 win with ease to extend their unbeaten run to eight matches.
UP NEXT
FGCU faces Stetson Monday at 6 p.m. in what could decide the ASUN regular season title.
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.
COACH JIM BLANKENSHIP
A veteran of over two decades in collegiate coaching, head coach
Jim Blankenship, who was named the ASUN Coach of the Year in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, has built FGCU women's soccer into a yearly contender in the ASUN Conference and a rising program in the South Region in just 10 seasons. Blankenship started the program in 2007 and has since guided the Eagles to nine double-digit win seasons, culminating with ASUN Regular Season Championships in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. In 2011 and 2012 he also led the Eagles to back-to-back ASUN Tournament titles and became the first team in the history of the university to make it to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles went on to win the 2014 ASUN Tournament and hosted the first NCAA Championship event on campus. The Eagles earned their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance with the 2015 ASUN Tournament Championship and won their first NCAA game at USF in 2015, while finishing 24th in the nation. Blankenship has guided FGCU to a 125-46-20 (70.5 W%) overall record through the first 10 seasons of the program's existence, including a 64-10-11 (81.7 W%) mark in the ASUN. Blankenship's impressive career record of 365-117-31 (74.1 W%) over 25 seasons has come while leading FGCU, the University of Miami, Lynn University and St. Thomas University.
#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.
