FORT MYERS, Fla. – Two smartly headed goals from Marjorie Boilesen and Lauren Greene gave the FGCU women's soccer team a 2-0 victory over defending MAC champions Kent State late Friday night. The pair of goals brought FGCU to 4-1 on the season while Kent State moves to 1-3.

"When you play quality teams it gets hectic at times," said head coach Jim Blankenship. "They've been good for a long time and we knew we were going to have our hands full tonight. I thought the first seven to ten minutes were a little concerning just because of their quickness but I thought out guys stepped up and met the challenge. And that's what you want as a coach."

FGCU's impressive home record of 70-18-10 was put to the test against the preseason MAC East favorites who returned eight started from a 15-win 2016 season. Lightning however delayed the earlier scheduled neutral game between FAU and Liberty twice – before Liberty claimed a 1-0 victory – resulting in the home opener to start more than two hours late at nearly 9:15 p.m.

With lightning still flashing well off in the distance, Kent State applied pressure early in the contest, forcing Melissa Weck (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) to make a routine save a minute into the match. About eight minutes in, the Eagles found their rhythm resulting in Holly Fritz (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS/Florida State) sending a shot toward goal though it missed high.

FGCU countered a brief spell controlled by Kent State with the game's first goal. Ashley Parks (St. Louis, Mo./Lafayette HS) split the Kent State backline with a perfectly weighted through ball to Varin Ness (Sogndal, Norway/Sogndal Vidaregåande Skule/Carson Newman) on the left side of the field. The Norwegian picked out Boilesen (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Porto Seguro/West Florida) and the reigning ASUN Player of the Week headed home her fourth of the season and third in two games.

The Green and Blue dominated the remainder of the half as the Eagles allowed just one shot over the final 25 minutes. Meanwhile, at the other end, FGCU searched for a second. Ness attempted to score her second sensational goal of the week but a Kent State defender knocked down her strike from distance before it could test the goalkeeper. 

Moments later Boilesen was back in on the action, testing Kent State goalkeeper Katie Kingsbury. The 'keeper was unable to cleanly control the shot, conceding a corner. On the ensuing set piece, Fritz got her head to the ball but sent it wide of goal and FGCU went into the break leading 1-0.

Weck was much busier in the second half, recording the first of five saves in the 52nd minute and then she produced her biggest save of the night in the 53rd minute. The sophomore made a reaction save following a corner to deny Vital Kats a potential equalizing goal.

Kent State continued to put FGCU on its heels but Weck remained up to the task, corralling a Donavan Capehart header in the 57th minute.

The Green and Blue began to settle back in when Kiana Rugar (New Fairfield, Conn./New Fairfield HS/Albany) entered the match. Fresh off the bench, Rugar and Ness almost connected four minutes into her appearance following a turnover at midfield only for the Golden Flashes to cut in at the last second to intercept the pass deep in their defending third.

FGCU's next substitution proved to be a difference-maker. Greene (Lakeland, Fla./George Jenkins HS) came on in the 77th minute and immediately helped FGCU's efforts. The Eagles earned two corners within two minutes of the senior's arrival, the first resulting in a Camille Knudstrup (Lakeland, Fla./George Jenkins HS) shot that was deflected for the second corner. With the second attempt, Greene was in the right spot and almost put the home side in front 2-0 but a Kent State defender cleared it off the line.

Greene had one more chance though and she properly buried it. After Nikki Hudson (Baltimore, Md./Roland Park County School/Rutgers) was fouled around midfield, Fritz delivered a fantastic service into the box where Greene won the aerial duel and beat the goalkeeper at the far post.

Weck (4-1) made one more save in the final five minutes to preserve the shutout and close out the 2-0 victory. The shutout was FGCU's third of the season and it was the first time this season Kent State has been held scoreless this season.

UP NEXT
The Eagles wrap up the weekend with a 1 p.m. match against Liberty Sunday.

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 133-48-20 (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 373-119-31 (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.