FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU women's soccer team (5-3-0) will open up ASUN Conference play this week with a pair of matches on the road at North Alabama (4-5-0) and reigning league champ Lipscomb (6-4-0). The Eagles will face off against the Lions, who finished second in last year's conference tournament, in an 8 p.m. match on Thursday, Sept. 26. FGCU will then head up to Nashville for a 2 p.m. tilt on Sunday, Sept. 29 against the Bisons.
The match against North Alabama will be aired on ESPN + and the Lipscomb game will be streamed on YouTube Live.
The Green and Blue
Seniors
Melissa Weck and
Evdokia Popadinova were named
Defensive Player of the Week and Player of the Week, respectively, as announced by the league Monday afternoon.
Weck (Yorba Linda, CA/Esperanza HS) was selected for the fourth time in her career after picking up her fourth shutout of the season in the Eagles' 2-0 win over Marshall (Sept. 22).
Popadinova (Hadzhidimovo, Bulgaria/Northwestern Ohio) received the nod for the first time in her career after netting three goals and tallying one assist over FGCU's two-game stint against Creighton (Sept. 20) and Marshall.
The Eagles' 2-1 victory over Creighton marked head coach
Jim Blankenship's 400th career win. In his 26th season of coaching and 13th at the helm in Fort Myers, he became one of 16 active coaches to surpass the 400-win mark.
FGCU currently has the highest win-percentage in the league (.625) and the most shutouts (four). The Eagles have allowed just nine goals this season, the second-lowest in the league, and their 14 assists also check in at No. 2.
Though the Green and Blue begin ASUN play this week, the team has yet to shut the door on its non-conference slate. The Eagles recently added a match against ASA Miami to their schedule and are set to host the Silver Storm at the FGCU Soccer Complex in a 5 p.m. match on Friday, Oct. 25.
FGCU at North Alabama
Thursday's match will be the second between the two teams, as North Alabama joined the league last year in their inaugural season in Division I. Prior to 2018-19, the Lions were a Division II school in the Gulf South Conference. Last season, the Eagles blanked the Lions 2-0 at the FGCU Soccer Complex (Sept. 28).
North Alabama has won two of its last five matches, which includes victories on the road at Alabama State (4-1) and Jackson State (1-0). The Lions are currently 1-2 on their home field at the Bill Jones Athletic Complex; the lone victory was a 3-0 shutout over Jacksonville State in the beginning of September. Thursday's match will be North Alabama's first at home since Sept. 6.
Senior Shelby Wall leads both the Lions and the ASUN with nine goals this season. She has scored in all but two of the team's games this season. Three different players have started between the pipes for North Alabama this season. Senior Kate Webster has started the last three matches, allowing just two goals and making 10 stops.
FGCU at Lipscomb
The Eagles hold the advantage in the series history with the Bisons, a 10-3-3 edge. Since 2007, FGCU has outscored Lipscomb 31-13. Last year's ASUN title was the first in program history for the Bisons, snapping the Eagles' streak of four consecutive tournament crowns.
This season, the Bisons hold a 3-1 advantage on the road but are just 1-3 at the Lipscomb Soccer Complex. The team's only home victory so far is a 2-1 win over Belmont on Aug. 25. Prior to the match against FGCU, Lipscomb is slated to host Kennesaw State on Thursday, Sept. 26.
Senior Olivia Doak, who shared this season's ASUN Preseason Player of the Year title with
Popdinova, leads Lipscomb in goals (six) and points (14). She has netted three game-winners for the Bisons and has played in all 10 of their matches.
Nine different players have scored for Lipscomb so far this season and the team paces the league in goals (21).
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. 20 - Marjorie Boilesen- 2017-19
7. 18 - 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. 60 - Marjorie Boilesen (20g 20a) - 2017-19
6. 57 - AMBER McCALL (24g 9a) - 2007-09
7. 53 - Ally KASUN (17g 19a) - 2012-15
8. 44 - Gina PETRACCO (16g 12a) - 2008-11
44 - Evdokia Popadinova (18g 8a)- 2018-19
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. 223 - Melissa Weck (50 GA, 223 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 (50 GA, 5849 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 161-58-23 (.713) 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 401-128-34 (.742) 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 –
