JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Playing without the ASUN Conference's all-time leading scorer, the FGCU women's soccer team claimed a 1-0 victory over UNF Saturday night to clinch sole possession of first place in the ASUN and improve to 12-4-1 overall and 6-0-1 in the ASUN.  The triumph secured the seventh-straight ASUN regular season title, which is the longest active title streak in the nation. The win also secures home field advantage throughout the ASUN Championships for the Green and Blue. The Ospreys dropped to 6-8-2 and 2-5 in conference play.

"I'm happy with the ladies and their effort tonight," said head coach Jim Blankenship. "I thought we came out in the second half and played with more urgency. Ultimately we got rewarded with a really nice goal off a corner. I'm really proud of this group and what they've accomplished. To win seven-straight titles isn't easy but this group continued to build upon a great tradition."

FGCU struggled to get many opportunities in the first half but also silenced the Ospreys for the better part of the half. The Eagles and Osprey spent the first minutes of the contest, conservatively testing each other's defenses with UNF getting a few good early chances. Mikki Olson threatened in the fifth minute with a shot from the top of the box, but FGCU's Yazmin Velez (Venice, Fla./Venice HS) deflected the shot wide. 

The Eagles best opportunity of the first half came in the 11th minute when Emilie Olsen (Frekhaug, Norway/Tertnes VGS) sent a cross to the near side of the net, but Paulina Speckmaier (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep/Florida) kicked it just wide. The next close opportunity came in the 16th minute, this time for UNF, when Melissa Weck (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) sent a ball straight up the middle to UNF's Katy Mixon. The sophomore failed to capitalize, putting the ball just over the bar, keeping it a 0-0 game.

Throughout the rest of the first half, the Green and Blue had a few set pieces that gave them an opportunity to strike, but the Eagles could not connect. UNF held a 2-1 first half shot advantage, while FGCU held a 3-0 advantage in corner kicks.

In the second half, the Eagles came out of the locker room firing away. The reigning conference champions peppered the UNF goal, sending nine shots on frame over the final 45 minutes.

In the 49th minute, Velez rocketed one just over the net. Then in the 50th minute, Speckmaier received a pass in the box and was able to fire two hard shots back-to-back, but Osprey defenders were there to block them both.

The Green and Blue threatened again in the 55th minute, when their strong attacking play resulted in three consecutive corner kicks. On the third corner, the Eagles nearly found the back of the net, but UNF's goalkeeper Victoria Ekeli made an aggressive play to snuff out the opportunity.

In the 66th minute, Olsen made a nice play to push it up to Ali Rogers (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS), who sent a cross through the middle to Lauren Knight (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township HS). Her off-balance shot nearly found the twine, but just missed wide right.

FGCU's hard work finally paid off, when in the 69th minute, the Eagles were awarded a corner kick. Meaghan Mulligan (Freehold, N.J./Colts Neck High School/Tennessee) sent a perfect cross into the center of the box, where Lindsey Patton (Jacksonville, Fla./Oakleaf HS) headed it on goal. The UNF keeper appeared to be in a position to make the save, but Lauren Greene (Lakeland, Fla./George Jenkins HS) deflected the ball with a header of her own to notch her third goal of the season.

The Ospreys nearly found the equalizer in the 72nd minute off of a corner as well. UNF's Gabrielle Liguori found a pocket of space on the right side of the box, but the senior kicked it just wide of a diving Weck. The Eagles held off the Ospreys for the rest of the half, limiting their chances en route to clinching their seventh consecutive regular season conference title.

Weck earned her ninth shutout of the season, moving her into a tie for sixth in the nation. The freshman is one of only two in the country to have notched as many as nine shutouts.

UP NEXT
The Eagles are back in action Nov. 4 in the semifinals of the ASUN Championships. FGCU will welcome either Kennesaw State or Jacksonville to the FGCU Soccer Complex as the Green and Blue now pursue a fifth trip to the NCAA Tournament in six seasons.
 
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 127-46-20 (70.6 W%) overall record through the first 10 seasons of the program's existence, including a 66-10-11 (81.8 W%) mark in the ASUN. Blankenship's impressive career record of 367-117-31 (74.2 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.