FORT MYERS, Fla. – Opening the 2016 season with a 1-1 mark, the FGCU women's soccer team starts its home slate with four-straight home contests, beginning with No. 9 North Carolina Friday at 7 p.m. and No. 21 Ohio State Sunday at 6 p.m. The span of four-straight games at the FGCU Soccer Complex wraps up next weekend with matches against FIU (Sept. 1) and Alabama (Sept. 4).

FGCU's meeting with the Tar Heels Friday marks the home-opener for the Eagles and fans are encouraged to wear green to the opening match. The 2015 season will be commemorated before the match with a banner ceremony, celebrating FGCU's fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in five seasons which led to the program's first ever NCAA Tournament win. Live stats will be available through FGCUathletics.com and the match can be seen on ESPN3 as well as the WatchESPN app.

In addition to the Green out, there is an official Dirty Bird tailgate beginning at 5:30 across from the FGCU Soccer Complex. The tailgate is open to current Dirty Birds only or current FGCU students who wish to register to become a Dirty Bird at the event.

The Buckeyes then visit the FGCU Soccer Complex Sunday to conclude the weekend and fans are encouraged to wear blue. Live stats will again be available through FGCUathletics.com with the match streaming live on ASUN.tv. Following the match, fans are invited to join the team for a post-match poster signing.

The two weekend matches are just the second and third time a ranked opponent will feature at the FGCU Soccer Complex.

Tickets for individual matches remain at $7 for adults and $5 for youth and military. An All Sports Pass is again available at $100, which gives fans admission to all ticketed FGCU home regular season events, excluding men's and women's basketball. Group rates are also available for matches. For more information, please call the FGCU Ticket Office at 239-590-7145. Tickets can also be purchased at FGCUTickets.com.

Special edition shirts will also be on sale at the marketing table during the UNC and Ohio State matches while supplies last.

LAST TIME OUT
The Eagles return home following a 1-1 weekend in San Francisco. FGCU found itself behind early against San Francisco in the season-opener following a penalty in the third minute. FGCU equalized in the second half thanks to an Ali Rogers (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS) goal only for the hosts to score five minutes later for a 2-1 final.

Rogers put the Green and Blue in front within the first 10 minutes against UC Davis Sunday, a goal that would stand for the duration of the match for FGCU's first win of the season.

Rogers' two goals through two games gives her the team lead while also putting her one goal shy of her career-high (3, 2015). Tabby Tindell (Ocala, Fla./Trinity Catholic HS) and Megan Young (White Lake, Mich./Walled Lake Northern HS) assisted on the goals for the Eagles.

The Green and Blue looked to true freshman Melissa Weck (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) in goal to open the campaign. Weck conceded two goals (one from the penalty spot) over 180 minutes. Weck now carries a 1.00 GAA following her first career win and shutout. The Californian made five saves last weekend.

SCOUTING THE TAR HEELS
At 2-0, North Carolina continues its trend of dominating non-conference play. The No. 9 Tar Heels are 23-2-3 in non-conference play since the 2012 season, conceding 10 goals in that time. UNC is outscoring opponents 5-0 this season, utilizing five different goal scorers during the opening weekend. Of those five, four are returners. UNC will be without the services of US U20 National Team members Jessie Scarpa (eight goals and eight assists in 2015) and freshman Taylor Otto for the 2016 season as both prepare for the U20 World Cup.

In goal, UNC relies on Lindsey Harris who combined for 10 shutouts last season and already has two under her belt in 2016.

The Heels are led by legendary head coach Anson Dorrance, who enters his 38th year at the helm. Dorrance has guided UNC to an NCAA-most 22 national championships and is closing in on 800 career wins (currently 794).

Friday will be the first meeting between the Eagles and Tar Heels. FGCU has two wins against current ACC foes with both coming over the previous two seasons. FGCU defeated Miami 2-1 in 2014 and Wake Forest by the same score in 2015.

SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State is a program on the rise, having made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances in 15 seasons. At No. 21, the Buckeyes enter the weekend 2-0 and faces Miami Friday prior to travelling to Fort Myers. Nine players have already tallied at least a point for Ohio State in 2016, including Nya Cason (two goals), Nikki Walts (one goal, two assists), and Lindsay Agnew (one goal, two assists). Ohio State may also receive a boast this weekend with the potential return of Canadian Nichelle Prince, who is returning from Olympic duty where she earned a bronze medal. Prince scored six goals last season and added seven assists to lead the team in both categories.

Jillian McVicker has started both games in goal for Ohio State this season after earning the majority of the playing time in 2015. McVickers has allowed two goals this season with one shutout to her name.

Led by Lori Walker, the Buckeyes are now annual contenders in the Big Ten. Walker has over 200 wins during her 20 seasons in Columbus.
Sunday not only marks the first meeting between the Eagles and Buckeyes, but also the first time FGCU will face a current Big Ten member.

PROTECT THE NEST
FGCU holds a 61-15-10 (.767) record all-time at the FGCU Soccer Complex. However since 2012, the Eagles boast a 33-4-2 (.897) mark at The Nest. FGCU has not lost more than one home contest in a single season since 2011, when the Green and Blue fell to Power 5 foes Syracuse and Miami. FGCU has wins at the FGCU Soccer Complex over Arizona (2014), Mississippi State (2013), and Arkansas (2010) as well as a tie against Ole Miss (2015).

#TABBYTRACKER
Already atop the FGCU record books in goals scored (52) and points (127), Tindell now has her sights set on FGCU's assists record and multiple ASUN records as well. The senior forward has one assist already in 2016 and is now five assists away from tying FGCU's assists record of 28, currently held by 2013 graduate Ashley Ciesielczyk.

Should Tindell score nine goals, the Ocala-native will be tied atop the ASUN record book with 61 career goals. Should she add another goal to break the record or tally two assists, Tindell will share the title of the ASUN's all-time points leader. Centenary's Shelley Marusak (1993-1995) is currently the all-time leading goal scorer in ASUN history while Jacksonville's Marit Foss (1997-2000) headlines the ASUN's points category.

2015 REWIND: HISTORY MADE
The 2015 season witnessed the Eagles earn not only their sixth-straight Atlantic Sun regular season title, but a fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in five eligible seasons behind a 14-6-2 record. Using two successful conversions from the penalty spot, FGCU knocked off then No. 22 South Florida in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament for the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament win. FGCU would lose to eventual national runners-up Duke, but would still re-write the record books once again.

The 2015 team broke three season records, two of which had just been set the year prior. The 2015 squad tallied 53 goals and 157 points, both besting marks set by the 2014 team (45 goals, 141 points). The Eagles also converted four penalties including the two in FGCU's 2-1 win over USF in the NCAA Tournament, a new single season record.

Tindell and Emma Blackwell (Jenks, Okla./Jenks HS) would earn ASUN Player and Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2015 while a total of eight Eagles were honored by the conference.

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 now 2015, 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 nine seasons. Blankenship started the program in 2007 and has since guided the Eagles to nine double-digit win seasons, culminating with Atlantic Sun 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 championships 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 host 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 116-43-19 (70.7 W%) overall record through the first ten seasons of the program's existence, including a 60-9-10 (76.2 W%) mark in the ASUN. Blankenship's impressive career record of 356-114-30 (74.3 W%) over 25 seasons has come while leading FGCU, the University of Miami, Lynn University and St. Thomas University.
 
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.