FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Sunday afternoon match between the FGCU women's soccer team (1-0-0) and Auburn (0-1-0) was cancelled due to weather. The teams made it through the first half of play before a storm cell parked on top of the FGCU Soccer Complex. Because the Tigers had travel restrictions, the teams were forced to call the game.

Both FGCU and Auburn battled the weather conditions in Southwest Florida throughout the day. The game was originally scheduled for a 1 p.m. start time, but lightning in the area bumped kick-off back a little over an hour. Though the teams were able to start the game, the players had to deal with intermittent sprinkles throughout the opening 45 minutes.

"Obviously, it's unfortunate because any time we get an opportunity to play against this level of competition, we want to get the game in," said head coach Jim Blankenship. "I was really pleased to see the way that we came out and battled as a team. We talked to the players about maintaining possession and putting the pressure on and they did a great job at executing that. We will still watch film of the first half and learn from it before we head to Michigan to take on another top school next weekend."

The Eagles outshot their visitors 6-4 and dominated possession, owning a 64-36% advantage. The Tigers came out aggressively and tested goalkeeper Melissa Weck (Yorba Linda, CA/Esperanza HS) early in the match, as the senior came up with her first save just over two minutes into play. FGCU also had a few good chances, highlighted by a shot from redshirt-junior Megan Young in the 37th minute that bounced off the left post. A few minutes later, Young (White Lake, MI/Walled Lake Northern HS) had a breakaway shot that she tried to sneak through the side, but Auburn's keeper made the save. Senior Evdokia Popadinova (Hadzhidimovo, Bulgaria/Northwestern Ohio) also tested the Tigers' goalie with a one-on-one opportunity, but her shot was saved. The teams went into the break knotted up at 0-0 just before the second lightning delay went into effect.

Because the game did not progress to 70 minutes, it is incomplete. The NCAA rule book states that if conditions lead to a suspended game and the game is not resumed the same day, it is considered a "no contest".

Up Next
The Eagles will hit the road for the first time this season to head to Ann Arbor for a match against Michigan (1-0-0) on Friday, Aug. 30. Kick-off against the Wolverines is set for 5 p.m. at the U-M Soccer Stadium. It will be the second meeting between the two programs; FGCU claimed a 3-2 over Michigan at the FGCU Soccer Complex last season.

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 157-55-23 (.710) 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 397-126-34 (.741) 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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