STATESBORO, Ga. – With 13 newcomers and 15 returners there will be a healthy mixture of fresh faces and veterans when the FGCU women's soccer team takes the field to open the 2017 campaign. The Eagles have an opportunity to make a pair of road statements out of the gate, featuring in contests against Georgia Southern (Fri.) and #4 South Carolina (Sun.) in the opening weekend.

The 2017 season begins with a contest opposite Sun Belt foe Georgia Southern at 7 p.m. Friday night. From there the Eagles travel north to South Carolina to meet the #4 Gamecocks at 7 p.m. Sunday.

RETURNERS
While the Green and Blue will have to replace two-time All-American Tabby Tindell, FGCU returns a large portion of both its midfield and backline, as well as its goalkeeper.

The midfield features Preseason All-Conference selections Meaghan Mulligan (Freehold, N.J./Colts Neck High School/Tennessee) and Nikki Hudson (Baltimore, Md./Roland Park County School/Rutgers). Mulligan is coming off a career-high 10-assist season in 2017. The New Jersey native enters the year with 12 career assists, good for 10th in program history.

Hudson missed a portion of the season due to injury but returns to help control the middle of the field. While she did not tally a point in 2016, Hudson bagged five goals in her first season in Fort Myers (2015).

In the back, the Eagles return three of their four starters including All-Conference selections Ashley Parks (St. Louis, Mo./Lafayette HS) and Lindsey Patton (Jacksonville, Fla./Oakleaf HS). In addition, Camille Knudstrup (Lakeland, Fla./George Jenkins HS) figures to once again play a large role in a defensive unit that allowed an ASUN-leading 17 goals last season.

Following the departure of FGCU record-holder Brittany Brown, true-freshman Melissa Weck (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) rose to the challenge and posted 10 clean sheets for a 0.85 goals against average.

NEWCOMERS
A slew of transfers will don the Green and Blue in addition to seven incoming freshmen.

Notable transfers include Jocelyn Nelson (Bansdall, Okla./Bartlesville HS/Florida), Mariner High School product Holly Fritz (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS/Florida State), Division II All-American Marjorie Boilesen (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Porto Seguro/West Florida), Norwegian international Varin Ness (Sogndal, Norway/Sogndal Vidaregåande Skule/Carson Newman) and Kiana Rugar (New Fairfield, Conn./New Fairfield HS/Albany). Czech international Petra Smetkova (Korycany, Czech Republic/Klvanovo Gymnazium Kyjov/Arkansas) rounds out the transfers.

Nelson, who transferred shortly after the season ended, was joined by freshman Hope Van Wagner (Avon, Ind./Avon HS) in December after the latter graduated high school early and enrolled at FGCU for the spring semester. Van Wagner is one of seven incoming freshmen on the squad. The remaining newcomers include Naples-native Zoey Spitzer (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS), Guatemalan international goalkeeper Natalie Schaps (Guatemala City, Guatemala/American School of Guatemala), Cassidy Morgan (Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay HS), Lauren Moss (Boulder, Colo./Boulder HS), Canadian international Kavina Ganeshan (Pickering, Ontario/Pickering HS), and Morgan Hawes (Coconut Creek, Fla./North Broward Prep).

PRESEASON FAVORITES
With 13 newcomers on the roster in 2017, the expectations remain the same for FGCU. The Green and Blue received five of the eight first-place votes in the annual coaches' poll released just one week ago.

Should FGCU fulfill those expectations, the Eagles would extend their current run of consecutive regular season conference titles to eight years. The longest streak in NCAA history was 15 years, secured by Penn State.

THE GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES
Now in its fourth season in the Sun Belt, Georgia Southern is attempting to replicate its inaugural season in the conference. The 2014 season witnessed Georgia Southern finish 11-6-2 but since then the Eagles have posted a combined 12-21-3 mark. The Eagles return leading goal-scorer Sarah Price who found the back of the net eight times last season.  

In goal, Lauren Karinshak returns after posting a 1.71 goals against average.

The 2017 season opener is the first meeting all-time between FGCU and Georgia Southern.

THE GAMECOCKS
Sunday's task will be a difficult one when the Eagles take the field against the #4 Gamecocks. The 2016 South Carolina squad became the first to run through SEC play undefeated, finishing the year 11-0-0. The only blemish on South Carolina's regular season was a draw against Oklahoma to begin the year. The Gamecocks' season ended with a 1-0 loss to UNC in the Elite 8, but the 2017 squad appears to be on track for another deep run.

All-American Savannah McCaskill, who tallied 17 goals and 11 assists last season, leads South Carolina offensively. Dominique Babbitt and Lindsey Lane also present threats from the midfield.

Mikayla Krzeczowski posted an impressive 0.43 goals against average, helped along by 11 clean sheets.

Sunday's meeting with South Carolina marks the second time FGCU meets a Top 5 opponent. The Eagles met #4 West Virginia on Sept. 20, 2015, and suffered a 1-0 loss. The Eagles and Gamecocks have met once, a 2-0 defeat in 2014.

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, and 2016. 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. In 2016, the Eagles made it three-consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament with a third-straight ASUN Tournament title. Blankenship has guided FGCU to a 129-47-20 (70.7 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 369-118-31 (74.3 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.