FORT MYERS, FL – The FGCU men's soccer team will take a break from its non-conference slate and begin ASUN play on the road taking on NJIT Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.  
OPENING KICK
The matchup Saturday afternoon will be the third all-time meeting between both squads. In the two outings, the Eagles have outscored the Highlanders 9-1, winning the first meeting 4-1 in 2016 and 5-0 last season.

The Eagles will have both the reigning ASUN Player of the Week in Shak Adams (Antioch, Tenn./Cane Ridge HS)  and also the Defensive Player of the Week in Raheem Somersall (Basseterre, St. Kitts/Southern Durham/Appalachian State).  Adams became just the fifth member in program history to net a hat-trick last weekend against USF while Somersall was a force on the Eagle's backline disrupting 21 plays.

INSIDE THE FGCU LINEUP
Following his performance against Cal State Fullerton two days ago where he netted FGCU's lone goal, Adams has now produced a team-best 10 points, bumping his total to four goals and two assists. Freshman O'Vonte Mullings (Toronto, Ontario/ Northview Heights Secondary) is right there with him bagging three goals thus far with one assist. Through five matches, the Eagles boast six different scorers on their roster as junior Kareem Riley (Couva, Trinidad and Tobago/Presentation College San Fernando) leads the squad with three assists.

Vasconcelos – four starts this season in net – currently leads the ASUN in save percentage at .828 and has conceded just five goals, giving him a 1.18 goals against average (GAA) – second in the ASUN.

The Eagles are currently ranked 51st in the RPI standings.

ASUN OVERVIEW
FGCU was narrowly picked 2nd in the ASUN preseason coaches' poll earlier this month, making it the first time since 2012 the Eagles were not selected as the preseason league favorite. Senior Preston Kilwien (Pleasant Hill, Calif./College Park HS) was installed as league's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year while Adams and senior Dennis Zapata (Orlando, Fla./University HS) joined Kilwien on the preseason all-conference team as FGCU's three selections were the most of any team in the league.

The Green and Blue finished just behind defending tournament champion Lipscomb in the preseason poll with 41 points while the Bisons had 42 points. Lipscomb received four 1st-place votes, while FGCU had one, 3rd-place Jacksonville (28 points) also had one and 4th-place NJIT (25) additionally picked up a top vote. Stetson (5th, 23 points), league newcomer Liberty (6th, 22 points) and North Florida (7th, 15 points) rounded out the preseason poll.

ASUN DOMINANCE
FGCU owns a dominant record of 44-6-6 (.839 winning percentage) in all ASUN regular-season games since the start of the 2010 season. Out of a possible 168 points that could have been earned in that time, the Green and Blue have claimed an impressive 138 of them (82 percent).

AROUND THE ASUN

SCHOOL	PTS	ASUN	OVERALL
LIBERTY	1	0-0-1	3-3-1
STETSON	1	0-0-1	2-3-1
NJIT	0	0-0-0	5-2-0
FGCU	0	0-0-0	3-2-1
LIPSCOMB	0	0-0-0	1-5-0
UNF	0	0-0-0	1-6-0
JACKSONVILLE	0	0-0-0	0-7-0

 
SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
The Highlanders got off to a hot start winning their first four matches to start the season but have dropped their last two of three, most recently falling to George Washington, 1-0.

Rene White's six goals on the season currently ranks top-10 in the nation (as of September 19) and ranks second in the ASUN, matching his freshman output (six goals) from 2016 and points with 16.  He has scored six of NJIT's nine goals this season while adding one assist, totaling 13 points on the season.

Andrew Nino's four assists pace NJIT and the ASUN while keeper Victor Pujades has played every minute in goal, posting a 0.85 goals against average, which ranks first in the league and a .786 save percentage, which ranks second. Pujades has combined for three shutouts on the season, an ASUN best.

BUILDING A CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM
Since the program's first two seasons in 2007 and 2008, FGCU has posted a winning record each of the past nine years. All-time, the Eagles are 105-70-28 (.598) in 11 seasons, including a dominant 56-19-8 (.746) record in ASUN contests. In just seven 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. In 2017, the Eagles continued a stretch of never being seeded lower than 2nd and have reached at least the semifinals in all seven eligible seasons.

FGCU CAREER RECORDS
POINTS
1.         76 - Albert Ruiz (34g 8a) - 2014-17
2.         43 - Cristian Raudales (19g 5a) - 2008-11
3.         38 - Arion Sobers-Assue (12g 14a) - 2014-17
            38 - Felipe DeSousa (18g 2a) - 2012-14
5.         32 - Dylan Sacramento (12g 8a) - 2015-17
6.         31 - Josey Portillo (8g 15a) - 2008-11
7.         30 - Francesco DiStefano (9g 12a) - 2008-11
            30 - Scott Harrison (12g 6a) - 2008-11
9.         29 - Dennis Zapata (8g 11a) - 2015-Present
10.       28 - Deion Jones (9g 10a) - 2009-12
 
ASSISTS
1.         15 - Josey Portillo - 2008-11
2.         14 - Arion Sobers-Assue - 2014-17
3.         12 - Francesco DiStefano - 2008-11
4.         11 - Dennis Zapata - 2015-Present
            11- Andres Navas – 2009-12
6.         10 - Deion Jones - 2009-12
7.         9 - Skylar Wilks - 2013-15
            9 - Miguel Jaime - 2014-17
            9 - William Morse - 2009-12
10.       8 - Donovan Henry - 2010-12

INSIDE THE SCHEDULE
All told, the 2018 slate features 16 games, including 10 non-conference matchups to prepare the Eagles for what they hope is a fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in only eight seasons of eligibility. Of those 10 non-league contests, an incredible five are against NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago.

The FGCU Soccer Complex will host five upcoming contests, including in-state foe FAU on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m.

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 is in his second season as head coach of the FGCU men's soccer program after being hired in January of 2017 to become just the 2nd head coach in program history. Cormier has guided FGCU to a 11-8-4 (.568) record overall, including an 8-6-3 (4-1-1 ASUN) mark in his 1st season with the team in 2017. The Eagles reached the ASUN Tournament semifinals for the 7th-straight season (every year of eligibility), as Cormier coached a program-record 10 all-conference selections. Cormier was the head coach at his alma mater the University of Vermont for the previous 13 seasons. He 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 holds an overall 125-97-51 (.562) record as a head coach in his fourteen plus seasons at the helm.

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.