FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU women's soccer team (1-2-0) will look to snap a two-match skid as it takes on Northeastern (2-2-0) in a 5 p.m. match on Sunday, Sept. 8. The Blue Out game at the FGCU Soccer Complex will be streamed on YouTube Live and will be the second game of the Eagles Futbol Doubleheader. Fans who purchase tickets for the 1 p.m. match between the #18 FGCU men's soccer team and Georgia Southern will receive free entry to the women's game.
Sunday's game will mark the first meeting between not only the programs, but also the schools. As far as team sports go, Northeastern and FGCU have never played one another.
After shutting out FIU 2-0 in the season-opener (Aug. 22), the Eagles dropped a road contest to Michigan (Aug. 31) and a home game against La Salle (Sept. 5). So far, FGCU has tallied three goals through as many games; senior
Marjorie Boilesen (Sao Paulo, Brazil/West Florida) netted two against FIU and freshman
Louise Lillback scored her first career goal against La Salle.
Senior
Melissa Weck has started off her final season between the pipes for the Green and Blue by climbing the program record book. The keeper's 212 career saves put her at third all-time and she needs 50 more to overtake Stephanie Powers (2008-11) for second place. With a 0.75 goals-against average, she checks in at third in the FGCU ranks. Stephanie Powers comes in at second with a 0.73 average and former FGCU great Brittany Brown sits at the top with a 0.67 career average.
The Huskies will come to Fort Myers in pursuit of their first road win of the season. Northeastern suffered a 2-1 overtime loss on the road at Stony Brook in its season-opener before responding with back-to-back home wins over Albany (1-0) and Harvard (4-1). Most recently, Boston College downed the Huskies (Sept. 5) by a score of 1-0 on the Eagles' home pitch.
Junior Chelsea Domond leads the Huskies' offensive effort with two goals and one assist. Five different players have scored for the team so far. In the backfield, Northeastern has been splitting time between redshirt-sophomore Megan Adams and freshman Angeline Friel. Both keepers have been scored on twice and own 1-1 records.
Last Time Out
• The Eagles were defeated at the hands of La Salle by a score of 2-1 on Thursday, Sept. 5 at the FGCU Soccer Complex.
• FGCU owned the first half of the game, as
Lillback's (Stockholm, Sweden/Tibble Gymnasium) first career goal gave the home team a 1-0 advantage in the 11th minute, which they held into the break. Sophomore
Ashlee Brentlinger (Middletown, DE/Padua Academy) was credited with the assist.
• Though the Eagles' back line held the La Salle offense to just one shot in the first half, the Explorers were able to capitalize on a few one-on-one opportunities in the second stanza. La Salle found the back of the net twice within seven minutes to take the final 2-1 lead.
•
Weck (Yorba Linda, CA/Esperanza HS) totaled six saves, all of which came in the second half.
• Senior
Evdokia Popadinova and redshirt-junior
Megan Young each tallied four shots. Three of
Young's (White Lake, MI/Walled Lake Northern HS) were on-target and
Popadinova (Hadzhidimovo, Bulgaria/Northwestern Ohio) directly tested the keeper twice.
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. 18 - Marjorie Boilesen- 2017-19
7. 17 - Ally KASUN - 2012-15
8. 16 - Gina PETRACCO - 2008-11
9. 14 - Evdokia Popadinova- 2018-19
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. 19 - Ally KASUN - 2012-15
7. 18 - Melissa ARNOLD - 2011-14
18 - Marjorie Boilesen- 2017-19
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. 57 - AMBER McCALL (24g 9a) - 2007-09
6. 54 - Marjorie Boilesen (18g 18a) - 2017-19
7. 53 - Ally KASUN (17g 19a) - 2012-15
8. 44 - Gina PETRACCO (16g 12a) - 2008-11
9. 40 - Ashley CIESIELCZYK (6g 28a) - 2008-12
10. 37 - Holly FRITZ (11g 15a) - 2017-18
Saves
1. 274 - Brittany BROWN (56 GA, 274 saves) - 2012-15
2. 261 - Stephanie POWERS (52 GA, 261 saves) - 2008-11
3. 212 - Melissa Weck (44 GA, 206 saves) - 2016-19
4. 55 - Kirsi KEENAN (16 GA, 55 saves) - 2007-10
Most shutouts
1. 37.1 - Brittany BROWN - 2012-15
2. 31 - Stephanie POWERS - 2008-11
3. 28.4 - Melissa Weck - 2016-19
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. 0.75 - Melissa Weck (46 GA, 5534 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 157-57-23 (.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 397-127-34 (.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.
-- FGCUATHLETICS.COM –
