FORT MYERS, Fla. – Going into his third season at the helm of the Green and Blue soccer program, head coach Jesse Cormier has finalized the 2019 slate.

The schedule features 17 games, including 10 non-conference matchups to prepare the Eagles for what they hope will be their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in only nine seasons of eligibility. Of those 10 contests, an incredible six – one more than last season – are against squads that earned a berth into the NCAA Tournament in 2018. The Nest will play host to eight teams this season, highlighted by three of the aforementioned six NCAA Tournament teams such as in-state rival UCF (second round), Charlotte (second round) and Lipscomb (third round).

"Our non-conference schedule is going to be highly challenging us," said Cormier. "We feel that by playing numerous NCAA Tournament teams who not only qualified but also won their matches will help us learn what it takes to play and be successful at that elite level. It all comes down to building a team chemistry, an understanding and unflappable identity that is non-negotiable regardless of who or where we compete."    
  
Non-Conference Road Docket
For the fourth-straight season, the Eagles will begin their campaign on the road with two games in three days facing Big 10 opponents Michigan (Aug. 30) and Michigan State (Sept. 1). The Wolverines capped off their season going 12-5-4 with a second round NCAA Tournament showing. Meanwhile, the Spartans boasted a 14-5-4 record and made a run into the semifinals.

A west coast road swing out to California is on tap for the Eagles as they square off against Cal State Fullerton (Sept. 13) and UC Riverside (Sept. 15), another NCAA Tournament participant from a year ago.

The Green and Blue conclude its non-conference road slate facing a pair of in-state foes, beginning with FAU in Boca Raton (Sept. 25). FGCU will ring in October with the latest edition of the I-75 rivalry against USF (Oct. 1) in Tampa, four days before the start of ASUN play.

Home Sweet Home
Seton Hall (Sept. 6) will be the first to step into The Nest under the lights at 7 p.m. Two days later, Georgia Southern comes in for a Sunday 1 p.m. first-kick. Barring postseason play, this will mark the first time since October of 2013 (vs Northern Kentucky) the Eagles play in a 1 p.m. home match. UCF (Sept. 18) makes the trip down from Orlando for a 7 p.m. contest, the sixth-straight year both clubs meet. All-time, FGCU leads the series, 4-2-1.

FGCU begins conference play hosting Lipscomb (Oct. 5), who is coming off a 10-10-1 record and a third round appearance in the NCAA Tournament. FIU (Oct. 8) will be the Eagles' last non-conference matchup as Jacksonville (Oct. 12, Cancer Awareness Night - Pink Out), Charlotte (Oct. 22) and NJIT (Oct. 26, Senior Night) round out the eight-game home schedule. All these games are set for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

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.

ASUN Overview
@ UNF | Saturday, Sept. 22 | 7 p.m.
Lipscomb | Saturday, Oct. 5 | 7 p.m.
Jacksonville | Saturday, Oct. 12 | 7 p.m.
@ Liberty | Saturday, Oct. 19 | 2 p.m.
NJIT | Saturday, Oct. 26 | 7 p.m.
@ Stetson | Saturday, Nov. 2 | 7 p.m.

Home Overview
Seton Hall | Friday, Sept. 6 | 7 p.m. | Green Out, 2018 Championship Celebration
Georgia Southern | Sunday, Sept. 8 | 1 p.m. | Dunkin Donuts Giveaway
UCF | Wednesday, Sept. 18 | 7 p.m. | Blue Out
Lipscomb | Saturday, Oct. 5 | 7 p.m. | White Out, Stars & Stripes Night
FIU | Tuesday, Oct. 8 | 7 p.m. | Multicultural Night
Jacksonville | Saturday, Oct. 12 | 7 p.m. | Cancer Awareness Night, Pink Out
Charlotte | Tuesday, Oct. 22 | 7 p.m. | Blue Out
NJIT | Saturday, Oct. 26 | 7 p.m. | Senior Night, White Out

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 completed his second 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 17-11-5 (.594) record overall, including a 9-2-2 mark (.773) in ASUN play. The Eagles have reached the ASUN Tournament semifinals for 8th-straight seasons (every year of eligibility), as Cormier has coached 16 all-conference selections since his arrival (program-record 10 in 2017). 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 131-100-52 (.553) record as a head coach in his fourteen plus seasons at the helm.

#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.
 
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