­BOCA RATON, Fla. – A Marjorie Boilesen brace led the charge as the FGCU women's soccer team scored five times – four in the second half – Sunday against Eastern Michigan. The Eagles (3-1) took the lead on Boilesen's first of the match before EMU (1-2-1) brought the match level before halftime. Goals by Varin Ness, Lindsey Patton, Shay Jackson, and Boilesen's second helped FGCU pull away.

Following the conclusion of the tournament, Patton, Boilesen, and Nikki Hudson were named to the All-Tournament Team.

"I was very pleased with the weekend," said head coach Jim Blankenship. "Any time you can get six points on the weekend and on the road it's a good thing. I was very happy with the way we played today and it resulted in some great goals. It was big for us to bounce back after we gave up an equalizer late in the first half and we did and then some."

FGCU tried to get behind the EMU backline early but the referee whistled for offside within the first minute of action. From that point, Eastern Michigan was able to apply some pressure, forcing Melissa Weck (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) into an early save.

The Green and Blue then used two probing runs, sending Ness (Sogndal, Norway/Sogndal Vidaregåande Skule/Carson Newman) behind the backline. Ness attempted to chip the goalkeeper at the edge of the box to create an easy opportunity; however, Kaylin Williams kept the play in front of her near the edge of the box. The ball then rolled to Hope Van Wagner (Avon, Ind./Avon HS), who blasted a shot with her first touch. Her shot appeared to hit an EMU defender in the arm but the referee did not rule it to be a handball.

The Eagles continued to put Eastern Michigan on its heels, leading to the game's first goal. Ness gathered the ball on the left side of the field, picking out Boilesen (Sao Paulo, Brazil /Porto Seguro/West Florida) in the box. The Brazilian cleanly settled the ball, took a touch and beat the goalkeeper near-post for the 1-0 lead.

Pressure continued to mount in the attacking third when Hudson's (Baltimore, Md./Roland Park County School/Rutgers) shot sailed wide midway through the opening stanza. With 32 minutes gone, EMU earned a corner and capitalized, using a Mackenzie Etienne header that caught a bit of a deflection into the top corner to level the match.

Late in the half, Paige Law (Sanibel Island, Fla./Bishop Verot/Stetson) found a pocket of space and looked for the far post. As Law's chance was rolling wide, Meaghan Mulligan (Freehold, N.J./Colts Neck High School/Tennessee) attempted to tap it in, but she just missed making contact on a sliding effort.

Just a minute later, Cassidy Morgan (Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay HS) was played in behind the EMU backline. Morgan elected to go near post as Williams came out to cut down the angle. Morgan's shot beat the 'keeper but banged off the post and away from danger.

Still level at 1-1, FGCU struck 15 minutes into the second half thanks to a wonder strike from Ness. Holly Fritz (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS/Florida State) took the second of back-to-back corners and picked out Ness at the top of the box. Ness used her first touch to bring the ball down and her second to send a rocket into the top corner of the net from 25 yards out.

Twelve minutes later it was 3-1 in favor of the Eagles after Jackson (Parkville, Mo./Park Hill South HS) scored her first goal since the 2015 season. The junior was led into the box by Boilesen, turned and with the goalkeeper coming out, snuck the ball past her and into the back of the net.

The goals came quickly at this point. With 75 minutes off the clock, FGCU earned a free kick just inside the EMU half. Camille Knudstrup (Lakeland, Fla./George Jenkins HS) played a perfect ball into the box where Patton (Jacksonville, Fla./Oakleaf HS) was waiting to run onto it and head it into the net for her second in as many weeks.

FGCU was not finished with the offensive barrage. Less than 60 seconds later, Hudson and Boilesen connected with the latter gathering the ball near the top of the box, turning and bending the ball just inside the post to complete her brace.

FGCU's five goals are a season-high and the most since a four-goal effort against USC Upstate last September, which followed a 7-1 rout of Fairleigh Dickinson five days prior.

Boilesen ended the day with two goals and an assist, two days after collecting an assist on Silvana Gordon's (Medford, NJ/Shawnee HS) winner over Valparaiso.

Weck (3-1) ended the day with two saves, both coming in the first half.   

UP NEXT
FGCU opens its home schedule when Kent State and Liberty come to Fort Myers. The Eagles face Kent State Friday at 7 p.m. before a Sunday afternoon bout with Liberty at 1 p.m.

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 132-48-20 (70.7 W%) overall record through the first 11 seasons of the program's existence, including a 66-10-11 (81.8 W%) mark in the ASUN. Blankenship's impressive career record of 372-119-31 (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.