FORT MYERS, Fla. – FGCU head coach and five-time ASUN Coach of the Year Jim Blankenship has announced the signing of seven players for the 2020-21 academic year. Josie Curtis, Kait Esquivel, Camryn Gietl, Mia Krusinski, Ashley Labbe, Emma Schneider and Alyssa Wilson have all committed to join the Eagles' squad that captured the 2019 ASUN Regular Season title, the ninth in program history.

"It's always exciting when you bring in a class this big," Blankenship said. "We have players from all over the country and the world; each of them will add value in various ways for the upcoming season. We feel confident that our collective group is going to be stronger this year and that we have added a lot of depth to the roster. One thing we always pride ourselves in is how we represent our women's soccer program and our university on and off the field and they will do that well. This is a great accomplishment they have achieved and we want to thank them and their families for deciding to choose us as their family for the next four years. We are looking forward to August and getting the whole team together for a great season."

JOSIE CURTIS | D | 5'7" | Bradenton, Fla. | Lakewood Ranch HS
- First Team All-Area selection
- Won districts throughout her high school career
- National Honor Society member
- Chose FGCU because of the academics and the fit of the program
Coach Blankenship on Curtis: "Josie is another great in-state player coming to us from just up the road. She has been playing with Tampa Bay United, which is one of the top club teams in Florida. We have enjoyed watching her develop and think her athleticism will add value to the team."

KAITLYN ESQUIVEL | D | 5'8" | Park City, Utah | Park City HS
- Defender of the Year (2019), State All-Conference Defender, All-Region player
- Made it to Club Nationals three years in a row with LaRoca FC
- School record holder in the 60m, 100m and 200m events
- Chose FGCU because of the team environment, the coaching style and the beautiful campus
Coach Blankenship on Esquivel: "Kaitlyn is going to be a great asset all across our backline. She has shown that she is very versatile and a very hard-nosed defender. We are looking forward to having her join us in August."

CAMRYN GIETL | D |5'10" | Zionsville, Ind. | Zionsville Community HS
- ECNL All-Conference selection (Ohio Valley Conference)
- Made it to the Elite Eight at ECNL Nationals in 2019
- Served as captain of her club team, FC Pride 02 ECNL
- National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and Eagle Scholar student
- Chose FGCU because of the academics and athletics, as well as the facilities
Coach Blankenship on Gietl: "Camryn is a great person and already a proven leader on her club team as a captain. She has been named a top 11 player in the ECNL and we are excited to have her strengthen our backline this fall."

MIA KRUSINSKI | GK | 5'9" | Lewisville, Texas | Ursuline Academy of Dallas
- Two-time Texas state champion (2017-18)
- Three-time ECNL Texas Conference Champion (2017-19)
- 2019 ECNL National Semifinalist
- Three-time academic honor roll selection (2017-19)
- Chose FGCU because of the team dynamic and the location of the campus
Coach Blankenship on Krusinski: "Mia is a solid goalkeeper with a great attitude and approach to the game. She has been playing at the highest level with one of the top club teams in the nation. We are looking forward to seeing her competitive mentality on and off the field."

ASHLEY LABBE | MF | 5'5" | Lake Worth, Fla. | Suncoast HS
- All-County First Team selection (2019)
- Found the back of the net 21 times and notched 35 assists during her junior season
- Suncoast HS Team MVP (2018)
- A member of both the ODP State and Region teams (2014-18)
- National Honor Society and Psychology Honor Society student, as well as an AP Scholar Award winner
- Chose FGCU because of the experience of coach Blankenship and the academic opportunities
Coach Blankenship on Labbe: "Ashley is a very creative player that uses her speed and technical ability to create chances on the field. She is also an outstanding student that will represent us well on and off the field."

EMMA SCHNEIDER | D, MF | 5'8" | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | William Aberhart School
- Finished fifth at the 2019 Canada Soccer National Youth Championships
- Earned the Canada Soccer Regional Excel program's hardest-working player and most consistent player awards (2018-19)
- Co-captained her club team
- Made the academic honor roll throughout high school and earned top honors as a French Language Arts student during her sophomore year
- Chose FGCU because of the top-notch soccer program, strong academics, great facilities and beautiful campus
Coach Blankenship on Schneider: "Emma has been competing at the highest level in Canada and will bring good experience with her. She represented her country in training camps at the U-17 level. She is a fast-paced player that can be used in various spots and we are excited to have her coming to us this fall."
 
ALYSSA WILSON | F | 5'8" | Fort Myers, Fla. | Fort Myers HS
- Two-time All-County selection (2018-19)
- 2019 State Cup Champion
- Top goal scorer of the 2019 Regional Tournament
- Three-time honor roll selection, as well as a member of the National Honor Society and the History Honor Society
- Chose FGCU because of the coaching atmosphere, as well as the academic opportunities and the proximity to home
Coach Blankenship on Wilson: "We are excited for Alyssa to join us in the fall. She is another very talented player from SWFL that will do well in the college game. She has scored consistently for her club and high school team and is always dangerous in front of goal."
 
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, 2015 and 2019, has built FGCU women's soccer into a yearly contender in the ASUN Conference and a rising program in the South Region in just 13 seasons. Blankenship started the program in 2007 and has since guided the Eagles to 13 double-digit win seasons, culminating with ASUN Regular Season Championships in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019. 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 167-59-25 (.716) overall record through the first 12 seasons of the program's existence, including an 82-15-15 (.801) mark in the ASUN. Blankenship's impressive career record of 407-130-36 (.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 80 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 –