FORT MYERS, Fla. – The top-ranked FGCU women's soccer team (9-3-1, 4-0-1 ASUN) has its sights set on a regular season title as the team heads into the last two weeks of conference play. The Eagles will host UNF (9-4-2, 3-1-1 ASUN) at the FGCU Soccer Complex in a 7 p.m. match on Thursday, Oct. 17 before hitting the road to take on Liberty (8-6-2, 4-2-0 ASUN) in a 1 p.m. clash on Sunday, Oct. 20.
Riding an eight-match unbeaten streak, the Eagles are the only program without a loss in ASUN play entering the weekend. That streak of success has also bolstered FGCU in the NCAA RPI ranking with the Eagles leading the league with a No. 72 RPI with the next best ASUN team, North Florida, checking in at No. 109.
Prior to the start of Thursday's match, members of the women's soccer team will celebrate Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night by recognizing members of the FGCU community specifically invited by the players for their positive impact. The game against the Ospreys will be streamed on YouTube Live, while the tilt against the Flames will be carried on ESPN+.
FGCU, UNF and Liberty are at the top of the current league standings. The Green and Blue are first in the rankings, while the Flames check in at second and the Ospreys are tied for third with reigning ASUN champ Lipscomb.
The Eagles have been dominant at the Nest throughout program history highlighted by a 79-17-8 record over the past 10 seasons. This year, the team is 8-1-0 at home, which is the best home mark since 2014 when the Green and Blue went 11-1-0.
The Green and Blue
On Monday, senior keeper
Melissa Weck earned
ASUN Defensive Player of the Week honors for the sixth time in her career.
Weck (Yorba Linda, CA/Esperanza HS), who was also selected
earlier this season, posted back-to-back shutouts in the Eagles' 2-0 wins over both Kennesaw State (Oct. 10) and NJIT (Oct. 13). She faced 15 shots and made five stops over the two-match stretch, helping bump FGCU to first place in the ASUN.
Weck paces the league in goals-against average (0.81) and has allowed just 10 goals this season, which ties for the lowest of any ASUN keeper. She also leads the conference in solo shutouts (six) and wins (nine). Her six Defensive Player of the Week selections are the second-most of any player in conference history; the record currently stands at seven.
Freshman
Louise Lillback (Stockholm, Sweden/Tibble Gymnasium) has established herself as one of FGCU's largest threats up top and leads the team with 18 points (seven goals, four assists). She leads all conference rookies in points, goals and assists.
The Eagles have jumped up to sixth in the most recent United Soccer Coaches South Region poll. As a team, FGCU leads the ASUN in assists (23), shutouts (seven) and conference goals (11).
UNF at FGCU
The Eagles hold a 10-1-2 all-time advantage over the Ospreys and have won six of the last seven meetings between the programs. FGCU has never lost to UNF in Fort Myers and has not allowed the team to score since 2012.
The Ospreys dropped a 1-0 decision to Lipscomb (Oct. 13) in their most recent conference match. The Bisons scored in the final four minutes, marking UNF's first loss in ASUN play.
Junior Thais Reiss leads the team with nine goals and 21 points, which are both good for second in the league. She started the season with a five-match scoring streak, but has not found the back of the net since the team's 1-0 victory over Liberty (Sept. 29).
UNF has posted a strong 5-1-1 record on the road this year. The only match the Ospreys have dropped outside their home stadium was a 2-1 loss at FAU (Sept. 8).
FGCU at Liberty
Sunday's match will be the fifth in the history between the Eagles and the Flames, which FGCU leads 4-0. In the previous four meetings combined, FGCU has outscored Liberty 7-3. The last time the Eagles traveled to Lynchburg was 2016 and the team claimed a 1-0 victory.
Junior keeper Melody Jayroe paces the ASUN in saves (86) and has started between the pipes in all 14 of Liberty's matches. She has been scored on 20 times, the second-most in the league, but has posted three shutouts in conference play.
Senior Gabrielle Farrell leads the team with 18 points (eight goals, two assists) and has found the back of the net three times against ASUN opponents.
Liberty's only two conference losses have come in overtime. The Flames fell 1-0 to both UNF (Sept. 29) and Kennesaw State (Oct. 13).
Overall, Liberty is 5-1-1 within the confines of its home stadium.
ASUN Standings
1. FGCU (13 points, 9-3-1, 4-0-1 ASUN)
2. Liberty (12 points, 8-6-2, 4-2-0 ASUN)
T-3. UNF (10 points, 9-4-2, 3-1-1 ASUN)
T-3. Lipscomb (10 points, 9-5-1, 3-1-1 ASUN)
5. Kennesaw State (9 points, 8-7-0, 3-3-0 ASUN)
6. NJIT (7 points, 5-4-3, 2-1-1 ASUN)
7. North Alabama (3 points, 5-9-0, 1-4-0 ASUN)
T-8. Stetson (1 point, 2-9-2, 0-3-1 ASUN)
T-8. Jacksonville (1 point, 0-11-3, 0-5-1 ASUN)
Career records of note:
Goals
1. 66 - Tabby TINDELL - 2013-16
2. 28 - Shannen WACKER - 2011-14
3. 24 - Amber McCALL - 2007-09
4. 23 - Lindsey HAW - 2007-10
5. 22 - Paulina SPECKMAIER - 2013-16
6. 21 - Marjorie Boilesen- 2017-19
21 - Evdokia Popadinova- 2018-19
8. 17 - Ally KASUN - 2012-15
9. 16 - Gina PETRACCO - 2008-11
10. 12 - Olivia ELIAS - 2008-11
12 - Ali ROGERS - 2012-16
Assists
1. 30 - Tabby TINDELL - 2013-16
2. 28 - Ashley CIESIELCZYK - 2008-12
3. 27 - Shannen WACKER - 2011-14
4. 22 - Lindsay HAW - 2007-10
22 - Paulina SPECKMAIER - 2013-16
6. 21 - Marjorie Boilesen- 2017-19
7. 19 - Ally KASUN - 2012-15
8. 18 - Melissa ARNOLD - 2011-14
9. 15 - Holly FRITZ - 2017-18
15 - Caytlan MACKENZIE - 2007-10
15 - Meaghan MULLIGAN - 2015-17
15 - Camille KNUDSTRUP - 2015-18
Points
1. 162 - Tabby TINDELL (66g 30a) - 2013-16
2. 83 - Shannen WACKER (28g 27a) - 2011-14
3. 68 - Lindsay HAW (23g 22a) - 2007-10
4. 66 - Paulina SPECKMAIER (22g 22a) - 2013-16
5. 63 - Marjorie Boilesen (21g 21a) - 2017-19
6. 57 - AMBER McCALL (24g 9a) - 2007-09
7. 53 - Ally KASUN (17g 19a) - 2012-15
8. 51 - Evdokia Popadinova (21g 9a)- 2018-19
9. 44 - Gina PETRACCO (16g 12a) - 2008-11
10. 40 - Ashley CIESIELCZYK (6g 28a) - 2008-12
Saves
1. 274 - Brittany BROWN (56 GA, 274 saves) - 2012-15
2. 261 - Stephanie POWERS (52 GA, 261 saves) - 2008-11
3. 236 - Melissa Weck (52 GA, 236 saves) - 2016-19
4. 55 - Kirsi KEENAN (16 GA, 55 saves) - 2007-10
Most shutouts
1. 37.1 - Brittany BROWN - 2012-15
2. 33.4 - Melissa Weck - 2016-19
3. 31 - Stephanie POWERS - 2008-11
4. 8 - Kirsi KEENAN - 2007-10
Goals against avg.
1. 0.67 - Brittany BROWN (56 GA, 7511 min) - 2012-15
2. 0.73 - Stephanie POWERS (52 GA, 6401 min) - 2008-11
3. 0.74 - Melissa Weck (52 GA, 6292 min) - 2016-19
4. 0.84 - EMILY BARRETT (5 GA, 538 min) - 2007-09
FALL SPORTS SINGLE-GAME, SEASON AND GROUP TICKETS ON SALE
Single game tickets for volleyball, men's soccer and women's soccer are on sale now. Prices are $7 for adults and $5 for military/veterans (with ID) and youth (age 15 and under).
Season tickets (entry to each home game) are $55 for volleyball and women's soccer and $40 for men's soccer. Group tickets are $7 for groups of 15 or more and will include reserved seats, group recognition, a group activity and choice of FGCU gear or food. Fall Frequent Flyer passes, which includes a total of 30 entries to all three sports, are just $99.
For all inquiries, you can visit FGCUtickets.com, call 239-590-7145 or stop by the ticket office, which is open daily Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and one hour prior to all home events.
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 12 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 as they 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 165-58-24 (.715) overall record through the first 12 seasons of the program's existence, including an 80-14-15 (.803) mark in the ASUN. Blankenship's impressive career record of 405-128-35 (.744) over 26 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.
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 78 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 11+ seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just seven+ seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 36 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including both men's soccer, women's soccer, and women's basketball again in 2018-19. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in spring 2018 and have outpaced their institution's undergraduate student body GPA each of the past 20 semesters. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours - being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl in 2017.
-- FGCUATHLETICS.COM –
