FORT MYERS, Fla. – One of the nation's high-scoring offenses from 2017 has gained another weapon for 2018. FGCU women's soccer head coach Jim Blankenship announced the addition of junior transfer Evdokia Popadinova, a two-time Bulgarian Player of the Year and two-time NAIA All-American at Northwestern Ohio.
 
In two seasons at the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH), Popadinova tallied 31 goals and added 25 assists for 87 points while leading the Racers to an NAIA National Championship in 2016 and a semifinal appearance in 2017. The striker joins the Eagles with two years of eligibility remaining, beginning immediately.
 
"We are very excited to add a player of Evdokia's caliber," stated Blankenship, the four-time ASUN Coach of the Year. "She has played at the highest level with her national team and has a great passion for the game. We are looking forward to what her experience can bring to the team this upcoming year."
 
Despite her young age, Popadinova has established a wealth of international experience along with her successes already at the collegiate level. Born in 1996, the forward made her Bulgarian National Team debut in 2013, entering as a substitute and scoring in a 4-2 victory over Macedonia.
 
Popadinova came to the United States in 2016 and immediately made an impact at UNOH, earning Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors as both a freshman and sophomore at the Lima, Ohio-based school.
 
Popadinova hopes to join a list of prominent transfers for FGCU over the last two seasons who helped Blankenship and his staff bring in the 17th-best recruiting class among all Division-I programs. Last season, transfers Varin Ness, Kiana Rugar, Marjorie Boilesen (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Porto Seguro HS/West Florida), Holly Fritz (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS/Florida State) and Petra Smetkova (Korycany, Czech Republic/Klvanovo Gymnazium Kyjov HS/Arkansas) arrived at FGCU and joined an experienced core to help the Eagles extend the nation's longest run of consecutive regular season titles to eight while also booking the program's sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in seven seasons of eligibility.
 
Popadinova joins an already potent attack for the Green and Blue that finished the 2017 season 4th in the country in scoring offense (2.61 goals per game), 7th in total goals (50), and 4th in total assists (54). Of those, the Eagles return 34 of 50 goals (68 percent), 37 of 54 assists (69 percent) and 105 of 154 points (68 percent) recorded in 2017.  
 
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 11 double-digit win seasons, culminating with ASUN Regular Season Championships in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. 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. A year later, the Eagles became the first ASUN women's soccer program to make four-straight NCAA Tournaments with another tournament title in 2017. Blankenship has guided FGCU to a 143-51-21 (71.1 W%) overall record through the first 11 seasons of the program's existence, including a 71-11-14 (81.1 W%) mark in the ASUN. Blankenship's impressive career record of 383-122-32 (74.2 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.