KALMAR, Sweden – Former FGCU women's soccer standout Tabby Tindell has signed a professional contract with IFK Kalmar in the Swedish Second Division's Elitettan League. Tindell recently arrived in Sweden and has already made a handful of appearances, including a two-goal starting debut.

"I'm super excited to be playing over in Sweden with IFK Kalmar," Tindell said. "The experience has been amazing so far and everyone has been very welcoming. I'm beyond thankful for the help I received from the FGCU women's soccer staff, especially (head coach) Jim Blankenship. The support that he and the rest of the FGCU soccer community have given me helped me get to where I am today."

A Florida native, Tindell remains FGCU's and the ASUN's all-time leader in goals (66) and points (162). The forward wrapped up her historic career with the second-most game-winning goals in NCAA career history (31) and also stands as FGCU's all-time assists leader (30). Tindell led the Eagles to four ASUN regular season championships, four ASUN Tournament titles and four NCAA Tournament appearances including the 2-1 win over USF in 2015 – the first NCAA Tournament win in program history.

"I am so excited for Tabby and proud of her for everything she has done to get to the professional level," Blankenship said. "Tabby remains one of the best soccer players this league has ever seen and she definitely left her mark on our program. She led her teammates by example during her time with us and every time she stepped on the field, we knew she was going to compete. We are thrilled that she has earned this opportunity and we're excited to watch her pro career."

A four-year starter for the Green and Blue, Tindell burst onto the national soccer scene in 2013 and put together one of the strongest seasons in program history. In her first year with the Eagles, she broke the single-season records in points, goals and goals per game – all of which she rewrote throughout her career. At the end of her freshman campaign, she was named ASUN Freshman of the Year and received both All-Freshman Team and First Team All-Conference nods.

Tindell continued to find success during her sophomore year and was ranked in the nation's top five in game-winning goals (11, first), points (48, third), goals (20, third), points per game (2.40, fourth) and goals per game (1.000, fourth). At the end of the season, she was named ASUN Player of the Year.

As a junior, Tindell was named the ASUN Tournament MVP and collected ASUN Player of the Year honors for the second year in a row after pacing the league in goals, assists and points. She earned NSCAA Second Team All-Region accolades and established herself as FGCU's all-time points leader with one season of eligibility left.

The star offensive player ended her FGCU career with a bang, earning Third Team All-American recognition and the ASUN Player of the Year title for the third consecutive year. In addition, Tindell was one of five seniors in America named to the Senior CLASS First Team. In her final year, she scored in 10-straight matches, which is tied for the eighth-longest streak in NCAA Division I history. Throughout her four seasons in Fort Myers, she was named ASUN Player of the Week 12 times.

Tindell still holds FGCU single-season records in points (48, 2014), goals (20, 2014), and game-winning goals (11, 2014). She becomes the fifth player in FGCU women's soccer history to sign professionally, following in the footsteps of former teammates Ali Rogers, Shannen Wacker, Julia Roddar and Emily Dolan.

Founded in 1970, IFK Kalmar has recently climbed up the rankings in the Elitettan standings. The club has won four of its last five games to secure 37 points, good for fifth in the league. Hammarby IF currently stands at the top with 41 points.

Current FGCU freshman Louise Lillback spent the summer playing with Hammarby IF and contributed four goals in eight appearances. Lillback (Stockholm, Sweden/Tibble Gymnasium) and the Eagles will take on FIU this Thursday to kick off the 2019 season. The Eagles face the Panthers in a 7 p.m. match at the FGCU Soccer Complex. To purchase tickets, click here.

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 156-55-23 (.716) overall record through the first 12 seasons of the program's existence, including a 76-14-14 (.798) mark in the ASUN. Blankenship's impressive career record of 396-126-34 (.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.
 
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