FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU women's soccer team (7-3-1, 2-0-1 ASUN) is preparing to host a pair of matches against two of the top-ranked teams in the conference. The Eagles will host fifth-place Kennesaw State (7-6-0, 2-2-0 ASUN) at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10 before facing off against second-place NJIT (5-3-3, 2-0-1 ASUN) at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13.
Entering this weekend's slate, FGCU is in a three-way tie with UNF and NJIT for second place in the conference standings.
Thursday night's match will be held during Cancer Awareness Night at the FGCU Soccer Complex. Fans are invited to participate in a pink out and will have the opportunity to purchase "Together, we are stronger than cancer" shirts for $15, with benefits going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. There will also be an Inflatable Fun Zone set up for fans just outside the complex.
Prior to the start of Sunday's white out game, head coach
Jim Blankenship and his staff will honor the eight members of the Class of 2020:
Marjorie Boilesen,
Opal Curless,
Silvana Gordon,
Emilie Olsen,
Lindsey Patton,
Evdokia Popadinova,
Petra Smetkova, and
Melissa Weck. Fans who purchase a ticket for the women's soccer match can get in to the 2 p.m. volleyball match against Kennesaw State for free.
Both matches will be streamed on YouTube Live.
The Green and Blue
The Eagles are one of just three teams that are undefeated in conference play and are currently on a six-match unbeaten streak.
Last weekend, FGCU defeated Jacksonville 3-0, marking the team's fifth shutout of the season.
Popadinova (Hadzhidimovo, Bulgaria/Northwestern Ohio) netted two goals and freshman
Louise Lillback added one to power the Eagles past the Dolphins. FGCU's back line stifled Jacksonville's offense, as the team did not record a single shot over the course of 90 minutes.
Popadinova leads the team with seven goals and one assist, good for 15 points.
Lillback (Stockholm, Sweden/Tibble Gymnasium) and
Boilesen (Sao Paulo, Brazil/West Florida) have each scored five and sophomore
Ashlee Brentlinger has contributed one.
Brentlinger (Middletown, DE/Padua Academy),
Lillback and redshirt-junior
Megan Young (White Lake, MI/Walled Lake Northern HS) are each tied for the team lead with three assists.
In this week's United Soccer Coaches poll, FGCU was ranked as the seventh team in the South Region.
Kennesaw State at FGCU
Thursday's match will be the 15th meeting in the series between the two schools. The Eagles hold a 9-4-1 all-time advantage against Kennesaw State, though the owls did claim a 1-0 victory in last year's contest.
The team's offense has been well-balanced, as four different players are tied for the team lead with three goals apiece. Junior Erin Harris leads the team with 11 points, which she has tallied from three goals and five assists.
Redshirt-junior Tiffany Sornpao owns a 7-6 record and has started all of the Owls' matches between the pipes. She has been scored on 16 times and has made 46 saves, the fifth-most of any keeper in the league.
Kennesaw State has a split 1-1 record in conference road matches and the team has not beaten FGCU at the Nest since 2010.
NJIT at FGCU
The match between the Highlanders and the Eagles will be the fifth in the history between the two teams. FGCU holds a 3-1 edge over NJIT and has outscored the team 13-1. Last season, the Highlanders defeated the Green and Blue by a score of 1-0 on their home pitch in Newark.
NJIT's redshirt-freshman keeper Molly Saylor has allowed just eight goals this season, the lowest of any ASUN player. She owns a .591 goals-against average, which is good for 30th in the national rankings.
Reigning ASUN Freshman of the Year Fiona Wright leads the team with three goals and two assists. As a whole, the Highlanders have found the back of the net 17 teams this season, five of which have come during conference play.
ASUN Standings
1. Liberty (7-5-2, 3-1-0 ASUN)
T-2. UNF (8-3-2, 2-0-1 ASUN)
T-2. FGCU (7-3-1, 2-0-1 ASUN)
T-2. NJIT (5-3-3, 2-0-1 ASUN)
5. Kennesaw State (7-6-0, 2-2-0 ASUN)
6. Lipscomb (7-5-1, 1-1-1 ASUN)
T-7. Stetson (2-8-2, 0-2-1 ASUN)
T-7. Jacksonville (0-9-3, 0-3-1 ASUN)
9. North Alabama (4-8-0, 0-3-0 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. 20 - Marjorie Boilesen- 2017-19
19 - Ally KASUN - 2012-15
7. 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. 62 - Marjorie Boilesen (21g 20a) - 2017-19
6. 57 - AMBER McCALL (24g 9a) - 2007-09
7. 53 - Ally KASUN (17g 19a) - 2012-15
8. 48 - Evdokia Popadinova (20g 8a)- 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. 229 - Melissa Weck (52 GA, 229 saves) - 2016-19
4. 55 - Kirsi KEENAN (16 GA, 55 saves) - 2007-10
Most shutouts
1. 37.1 - Brittany BROWN - 2012-15
2. 31.4 - 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. 0.77 - Melissa Weck (52 GA, 6112 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 163-58-24 (.714) overall record through the first 12 seasons of the program's existence, including a 78-14-15 (.801) mark in the ASUN. Blankenship's impressive career record of 403-128-35 (.743) 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 –
