FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU men's soccer team steps outside ASUN action on Tuesday with a challenging non-conference matchup as the Eagles welcome #24 Omaha to the FGCU Soccer Complex for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
 
OPENING KICK
After opening the season 1-3-0, FGCU is unbeaten in its last four matches (3-0-1). The Eagles have won three-straight games, and with a victory over Omaha will be tied for the 7th-longest winning streak in the nation at four in a row.
 
Also with a victory on Tuesday, FGCU will secure its 100th all-time win. The Eagles are 99-66-25 (.587) in 10+ seasons, including a dominant 54-18-7 (.728) record in ASUN contests. Since the program's first two seasons in 2007 and 2008, FGCU has posted a winning record each of the past eight years, including double-figure victory totals in half of those campaigns.
 
IRMA RELIEF DONATIONS
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, many individuals and families throughout Southwest Florida are still in desperate need of assistance. To aid in those relief efforts, FGCU Athletics will be collecting donations at all Eagle home games for the immediate future. Donation items most needed include: non-perishable food, clothing, household items and first-aid supplies. Additionally, those unable to attend upcoming home games can drop off donations in canisters located in the Alico Arena lobby. All donations will be given to those hardest hit in Lee and Collier counties.
 
ABOUT OMAHA
FGCU will be facing a stiff test trying to secure that 100th all-time victory as Omaha is ranked #24 in this week's College Soccer News National Poll after appearing at #17 in the same poll last week. The Mavericks opened the season with six-straight wins and were 7-1-0 through the middle of last month, but are winless in their last three matches (0-1-2).
 
Omaha – which fielded its first men's soccer team in 2011 – has quickly ascended on the Division-I landscape with three-straight winning seasons and double-figure victories in two of those (nine in the other). Omaha finished at 53 in the RPI last year with a 10-5-4 record and lost in the Summit League Tournament Final to eventual national semifinalist Denver, 2-1.
 
LOCKING IN DEFENSIVELY
FGCU is unbeaten in its last four games due largely to its defensive effort as the Eagles have not allowed a goal in 297 minutes and 14 seconds, going back to a 2-2 double-overtime draw with Loyola Marymount on Sept. 15.
 
The Green and Blue have shut out three-straight opponents for the first time since the 2014 season when they blanked four-consecutive foes. Two of those clean sheets came in the ASUN Tournament, so this marks the first time the Eagles have shut out three-straight opponents in the regular season since the 2013 season.
 
The only time in program history that an FGCU team has shut out four-straight opponents in the regular season came in 2010. That club, along with the aforementioned 2014 squad are the only two occurrences in program history of four-straight shutouts at any point in a single season.
 
Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Connor Gavigan (Aurora, Colo./Creighton/Grandview HS) has posted the three-straight shutouts, but it has been in large part to the FGCU backline. In those three matches, the Eagles have only allowed four total shots on goal (1.3 per game). Prior to the stretch, the Green and Blue had allowed 32 shots on target through the first five contests of the season (6.4 per game).
 
SCOUTING OMAHA
^ The Mavericks have already played a pair of nationally-ranked teams this year, defeating then-#17 Virginia Tech on Aug. 27, 5-1, and falling to then-#25 Creighton last Tuesday, 1-0.
^ Omaha is led offensively by Elvir Ibisevic with six goals and an assist for 13 points. He is one of three players with double-figure points as Emmanuel Hamzat has 11 points off five goals and an assist, while Xavier Gomez has 10 points thanks to three goals and a team-best four assists. Both Ibisevic and Hamzat have three game-winning goals each already this year, which is tied for the 7th-most in the nation.
^ The Mavericks have not allowed more than one goal in a game this year; both of their losses have been by 1-0 margins. Joseph Ghitis's 0.67 goals-against average ranks 21st in the nation.
 
LAST TIME OUT
FGCU went on the road Saturday night and took down last year's league regular-season champion North Florida with a decisive 2-0 victory. FGCU received a penalty-kick goal from Robert Ferrer and a team-high-tying 3rd goal of the season from Shak Adams.
 
The PK came about after Chris Clement (Mallorca, Spain/Lycee Francais de Palma) broke through the midfield and found Dylan Sacramento (Winnipeg, Manitoba/York University/Bill Crothers S.S.) in the midfield. Sacramento then delivered a pass up the right side to Adams (Antioch, Tenn./Cane Ridge HS), whose cross was knocked down by a hand ball by the UNF defense.
 
Ferrer (Barcelona, Spain/Brevard College/IES Calamot) stepped up and deliberately buried the game-winning goal in the 56th minute as the senior converted his first career PK with the Green and Blue.
 
The insurance strike came in the 78th minute as once again it was Clement starting the play by breaking through the middle third of the UNF defense. Adams again used his blistering speed to get behind the Ospreys' backline, and his cutting, left-footed shot beat UNF goalkeeper Tord Peterson.
 
ASUN DOMINANCE
The victory extended FGCU's dominant record to 42-5-5 in all ASUN regular-season games since the start of the 2010 season. Out of a possible 156 points that could have been earned in that time, the Green and Blue have claimed an incredible 131 of them (83.9 percent).
 
INSIDE THE FGCU LINEUP
Despite missing the last four games with a hamstring injury, Dennis Zapata (Orlando, Fla./University HS) is one of three players tied for the team lead with seven points along with Ferrer and Adams.
 
Defender Preston Kilwien (San Francisco, Calif./College Park HS) has scored three goals and just trails the leaders with those six points. Eleven different players have secured at least one point so far this year for the Eagles, who have battled back from a tough start and are still down several key players and starters with injuries.
 
After not playing in FGCU's season opener, Gavigan has earned the start in net in each of the past seven contests, posting a 0.97 goals-against average in that timeframe to check in 3rd among ASUN goalkeepers. He also ranks 4th in the conference with a .759 save percentage.
 
SLOW START … GREAT FINISH?
Despite the slow start to the season, FGCU can look back to just a year ago for motivation to continue to turn things around. The Eagles began the 2016 campaign 0-2-1 before rattling off a program- and nation-best 10-straight wins en route to a 14-4-3 overall record, an ASUN Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament Second Round appearance.
 
TOUGH STARTING STRETCH
The Eagles have been injury-plagued early in the season, and have also played a challenging schedule as FGCU opened the year at then-#3 Denver, now-#18 Air Force and Vermont. Denver, Air Force and Vermont combined to go 48-15-5 last year and win four NCAA Tournament contests. FGCU led the nation in points last year with 179, Air Force was 4th (133), Denver was 5th (128) and Vermont was 8th (120).
 
Additionally, in all eight games this year, FGCU has been without several key players and starters because of injuries, including last year's MAC Hermann Trophy Finalist and ASUN Player of the Year Albert Ruiz (Barcelona, Spain/ CE L'Hospitalet/UE Cornella), and ASUN Preseason Team member Kamar Marriott (Tampa, Fla./Heritage HS).
 
RECORD-SETTING 2016 CAMPAIGN
FGCU led the country in nearly every offensive category a season ago, including goals with 62 – nine more than any other team. The club reached record heights as it secured a program-record 14 wins.
 
The Eagles advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round for the first time after claiming a 3-0 triumph in penalty kicks at USF in the opening round following a 2-2 double-overtime tie. FGCU went on to face North Carolina, and the Green and Blue had a 2-1 lead until an 86th-minute goal by the Tar Heels. FGCU played the final 52 minutes of the match with 10 men, and UNC finally tallied a double-overtime goal to emerge victorious, 3-2. The Eagles return nearly every player from 2016, including 10 starters.
 
NATIONALLY RANKED
The Eagles began the year ranked #15 in College Soccer News Preseason Poll. It marked the fourth-straight season that FGCU has been nationally ranked. The Eagles finished last year #20 in the NSCAA Poll (now United Soccer Coaches) after being ranked for the final nine weeks of the season and climbing to a program-best #11 in mid-October.
 
FGCU NATIONAL RANKING HISTORY
10/5/2010: #25 Soccer America
10/12/2010: #24 Soccer America
10/14/2010: #24 Top Drawer Soccer
10/19/2010: #21 Soccer America
10/26/2010: #23 Soccer America
11/2/2010: #19 Soccer America
11/9/2010: #19 Soccer America
11/16/2010: #20 Soccer America (Final Poll)
8/2/2011: #14 Goal.com (Preseason Poll)
8/30/2011: #22 Goal.com
9/27/2011: #25 Goal.com
9/9/2014: #24 NSCAA and Soccer America
8/31/2015: #19 Top Drawer Soccer
10/13/2015: #22 Top Drawer Soccer
10/20/2015: #22 Top Drawer Soccer
9/27/2016: #15 NSCAA
10/4/2016: #12 NSCAA
10/11/2016: #12 NSCAA
10/18/2016: #11 NSCAA
10/25/2016: #20 NSCAA
11/1/2016: #22 NSCAA
11/8/2016: #21 NSCAA
11/15/2016: #18 NSCAA
12/13/2016: #20 NSCAA (Final Poll)
8/3/2017: #15 College Soccer News (Preseason Poll)
 
ALBERT RUIZ
Ruiz was named to the 2017 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List as one of the nation's top players after finishing runner-up for the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy a season ago. The lethal striker – who was also one of just three forwards on Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason Best XI list – destroyed single-season program records in goals (22) and points (49) en route to being named an NSCAA First Team All-American – the first ASUN Conference representative since 1997.
 
The senior – the only unanimous selection to the ASUN Preseason All-Conference Team – scored five more goals and totaled nine more points than any other player in the country in 2016. He also led all Division-I players in goals per game (1.10; next closest: 0.89) and points per game (2.45; next closest: 1.95). By himself, Ruiz scored more goals than 74 teams – more than one-third of the 203 D-I men's programs – and secured more points than 43 teams last season.
 
BUILDING A CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM
FGCU has produced six professional players – including two current MLS members in Rodrigo Saravia (Columbus Crew) and Aaron Guillen (FC Dallas) – and 63 ASUN All-Conference selections. In just six years of D-I postseason eligibility, FGCU has won four ASUN Tournament championships and made four NCAA Tournament appearances – in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2016 – and won an unprecedented six-straight ASUN regular-season championships from 2010-15.
 
NEXT UP
The Eagles resume ASUN action on Saturday, Oct. 7, by welcoming Lipscomb to the FGCU Soccer Complex for a 7 p.m. kickoff in a rematch of last season's ASUN Tournament semifinal.
 
FGCU Career Records

	GOALS				POINTS
1	Albert Ruiz (14-Present)	30		1	Albert Ruiz (14-Present)	67
2	Cristian Raudales (08-11)	19		2	Cristian Raudales (08-11)	43
3	Felipe DeSousa (12-14)	18		3	Felipe DeSousa (12-14)	38
4	Henry Penagos (10-14)	13		4	Arion Sobers-Assue (14-Present)	37
5	Arion Sobers-Assue (14-Present)	12		5	Josey Portillo (08-11)	31
	Scott Harrison (08-11)	12
	ASSISTS
1	Josey Portillo (08-11)	15
2	Arion Sobers-Assue (14-Present)	13
3	Francesco DiStefano (08-11)	12
4	Andres Navas (09-12)	11
5	Deion Jones (09-12)	10

 
FGCU Single-Season Records

	GOALS				POINTS
1	Albert Ruiz (2016)	22		1	Albert Ruiz (2016)	49
2	Arion Sobers-Assue (2016)	11		2	Arion Sobers-Assue (2016)	33
3	Albert Ruiz (2015)	7		3	Deion Jones (2010)	17
	Felipe DeSousa (2012)	7			Scott Harrison (2008)	17
	Cristian Raudales (2011)	7		5	Albert Ruiz (2015)	16
	Deion Jones (2010)	7
	ASSISTS
1	Arion Sobers-Assue (2016)	11
2	Josey Portillo (2011)	7
3	Deion Jones (2011)	6
	Donovan Henry (2010)	6
	William Morse (2011)	6

 
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, Facebook /FGCUMSoccer and YouTube /FGCUAthletics.
 
HEAD COACH JESSE CORMIER
Jesse Cormier was hired in January 2017 to become just the 2nd head coach in program history. The head coach at Vermont for the previous 13 seasons, Cormier won 14 games with the Catamounts in 2016 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round. During his time with Vermont, Cormier guided the program to the America East Tournament in 12 of 13 seasons, making five title game appearances, winning two tournament crowns, claiming a regular-season championship and advancing to three NCAA tournaments, including a pair of Second Round appearances. Cormier has a 118-92-48 (.550 winning percentage) overall record as a head coach.
 
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.