FORT MYERS, Fla. – Senior Evdokia Popadinova put in the game-winner in the 104th minute to push the top-ranked FGCU women's soccer team (10-3-1, 5-0-1 ASUN) past UNF (9-5-2, 3-2-1 ASUN) Thursday night at the Nest. The 1-0 win extended the Eagles' unbeaten streak to nine matches and clinched their spot in the ASUN Championship for the ninth consecutive season.

"That was the first golden goal we've had in a long time, so that was a special moment for our team," head coach Jim Blankenship said. "Weck made a clutch save in overtime to keep us in it and she always comes through for us. Special players made special plays and obviously those two (Popadinova and Weck) got it done for us when we needed it the most."

The Ospreys matched the Eagles' pressure in the opening 45 minutes of play and challenged the team on both ends of the pitch. Both sides were evenly matched in the opening stanza, as FGCU earned a slim 3-2 advantage in shots and Popadinova (Hadzhidimovo, Bulgaria/Northwestern Ohio) tallied the only on-frame attempt before the teams went into the break.

Senior keeper Melissa Weck, who made it through the first half without being tested, came up with a huge stop against UNF junior Thais Reiss, the Ospreys' top scorer, just minutes after the teams resumed play.

Throughout the second half, both teams struggled to string anything together on offense. Redshirt-junior Megan Young (White Lake, MI/Walled Lake Northern HS) tallied the Eagles' last solid attempt of regulation with a shot into the lower right corner that was corralled by UNF's goalkeeper. Weck (Yorba Linda, CA/Esperanza HS) had to make just one more save as the teams finished the first 90 minutes knotted up at 0-0.

Both teams' back lines limited the opposition's scoring chances in the first overtime period. With just about two minutes to go, UNF's Reiss threatened to end the match after earning a one-on-one opportunity against Weck, but the senior made an incredible stop that forced the match into the second overtime.

After battling it out in the first minutes of the second golden-goal period, the Eagles gained crucial momentum after earning a throw-in within the front third of the pitch. Senior Marjorie Boilesen (Sao Paulo, Brazil/West Florida) then passed a ball to sophomore Kara Kyramarios (Titusville, FL/Titusville HS) who sent a cross into the near post that set up Popadinova's heroics.

With their performances tonight, both Popadinova and Boilesen climbed into FGCU's all-time top five in goals and assists, respectively. Popadinova is now in a two-way tie for fifth in program history with 22 career goals, while Boilesen is in a three-way tie for fourth in program history with 22 assists. Weck (0.732 goals-against avg.) is mere decimal points away from claiming second all-time in career goals-against average.

Prior to the start of tonight's match, the Eagles had the chance to celebrate Faculty & Staff Appreciation Night. Each member of the women's soccer team selected an MVP to show their appreciation for his or her contributions to their development throughout their FGCU careers. For a full list of who the players honored, click here.

Up Next
The Eagles will hit the road to take on second-place Liberty (8-6-2, 4-2-0 ASUN) in Lynchburg, Va. on Sunday, Oct. 20. The match at Osborne Stadium is set for a 1 p.m. kick-off and will be the fifth meeting in the history between the programs, which the Eagles lead 4-0.



ASUN Standings
1. FGCU (16 points, 10-3-1, 5-0-1 ASUN)
2. Liberty (12 points, 8-6-2, 4-2-0 ASUN)
T-3. UNF (10 points, 9-5-2, 3-2-1 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
22 - Evdokia Popadinova- 2018-19 
7. 21 - Marjorie Boilesen- 2017-19 
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
22 - 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. 64 - Marjorie Boilesen (21g 22a) - 2017-19 
6. 57 - AMBER McCALL (24g 9a) - 2007-09
7. 53 - Ally KASUN (17g 19a) - 2012-15
53 - Evdokia Popadinova (22g 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. 239 - Melissa Weck (52 GA, 239 saves) - 2016-19 
4. 55 - Kirsi KEENAN (16 GA, 55 saves) - 2007-10

Most shutouts 
1. 37.1 - Brittany BROWN - 2012-15
2. 34.4 - 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. 0.731 - Stephanie POWERS (52 GA, 6401 min) - 2008-11
3. 0.732 - Melissa Weck (52 GA, 6395 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 166-58-24 (.717) overall record through the first 12 seasons of the program's existence, including an 81-14-15 (.807) mark in the ASUN. Blankenship's impressive career record of 406-128-35 (.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 –