FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU women's soccer team (6-2-2, 4-2-0 ASUN) is preparing for the start of the postseason, as the second-seeded Eagles are set to host No. 3 Jacksonville (1-9-1, 1-4-1 ASUN) this Saturday, April 10 in the ASUN Quarterfinal at the FGCU Soccer Complex. Kick-off against the Dolphins is slated for 1 p.m. and the game will be open to approximately 500 fans, all of whom must remain masked and socially distanced. There will also be a live stream for those who cannot attend in person.
In the event that No. 1 UNF beats No. 4 Stetson, the winner of this weekend's game will go on to face either No. 1 Lipscomb or No. 4 Liberty. If there is an upset, the winner of the FGCU-Jacksonville game will take on the lowest remaining north seed. Each of the Final Four games will be played in Kennesaw, Ga. at the Owls' Fifth Third Bank Stadium. For further information regarding the 2021 ASUN Women's Soccer Championship, click
here.
FGCU will enter this weekend in search of its seventh ASUN Tournament Championship title in 10 years. The Eagles are 14-1-2 all-time in ASUN postseason play, which includes a 2-0-1 mark against Jacksonville.
The team is coming off a 1-0 win over Stetson, which was earned on the road in DeLand (April 2). Freshman
Ashley Labbe (Lake Worth, Fla./Suncoast HS) boosted the Green & Blue to the victory with her second goal in as many games. The rookie is tied with junior
Kara Kyramarios (Titusville, Fla./Titusville HS) for the team and ASUN lead with three assists.
Freshman
Mia Krusinski (Lewisville, Texas/Ursuline Academy of Dallas) picked up her sixth shutout of the year during the match against the Hatters, an effort that is unmatched by any other player in the league. The keeper leads the league in save percentage (.833) and ranks second in goals-against average (0.58). Her six shutouts are three shy of tying former Eagle Brittany Brown's (2012-15) freshman record of nine.
Sophomore
Louise Lillback (Stockholm, Sweden/Tibble Gymnasium) also checks into the ASUN leaderboard, as she is tied for second in goals (seven) and ranks third in regular-season points (14). As a team, the Eagles are second in assists (19) and third in goals (16). The seven goals that the team has allowed are the second-lowest of any other program in the league.
Jacksonville will head into Saturday's match looking to snap its three-game losing streak. Most recently, the Dolphins suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of UNF (April 3). All four of the Ospreys' goals were scored in the second half of play, while the Dolphins finished the 90 minutes of action credited with just one shot.
As a team, the Dolphins have found the back of the net just twice over the course of their last five games. One of those was notched during a 2-1 loss at FGCU (March 28), while the other was netted during a 2-1, double-overtime loss at UNF (March 20). Sophomore Shelby Brim and freshman Gabby Holtrop are tied for the team lead with two goals apiece and are two of three players to have scored for the team this year. Three different players have been credited with assists in the team's 10 games.
Though sophomore Courtney Green has earned the start between the sticks in all 10 of Jacksonville's outings, three different goalkeepers have made appearances for the squad. Green's 51 saves are the third-most of any other keeper in the league and she also checks in at third in save percentage (.773). The Eagles have scored five times on her this year.
FGCU is 2-0 against the Dolphins this year, having defeated the team on March 6 (4-0) and on March 28 (2-1). With the victories, the Eagles extended their all-time regular season advantage over the team to 8-2-5.
For complete coverage of FGCU women's soccer, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_WSoccer and online at
www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU women's soccer or other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting
www.fgcuathletics.com/email.
ASUN Roundup
South Division Final Standings
| School |
ASUN |
Points |
Overall |
| No. 1 UNF |
5-0-0 |
15 |
8-1-0 |
| No. 2 FGCU |
4-2-0 |
12 |
6-2-2 |
| No. 3 Jacksonville |
1-3-1 |
4 |
1-8-1 |
| No. 4 Stetson |
0-5-1 |
1 |
1-6-1 |
North Division Final Standings
| School |
ASUN |
Points |
Overall |
| No. 1 Lipscomb |
6-0-2 |
19 |
7-2-2 |
| No. 2 Kennesaw State |
5-3-0 |
15 |
6-7-0 |
| No. 3 Bellarmine |
2-3-3 |
9 |
2-5-3 |
| No. 4 Liberty |
2-3-3 |
9 |
3-5-5 |
| No. 5 North Alabama |
0-6-2 |
2 |
1-8-2 |
Recent Results
Wednesday, April 7
No. 4 Liberty 4, No. 5 North Alabama 1
Upcoming Games
Saturday, April 10
No. 3N Bellarmine at No. 2N Kennesaw State - Noon
No. 3S Jacksonville at No. 2S FGCU - 1 p.m.
No. 4S Stetson at No. 1S UNF - 1 p.m.
No. 4N Liberty at No. 1N Lipscomb - 2 p.m.
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, 2015 and 2019, has built FGCU women's soccer into a yearly contender in the ASUN Conference and a rising program in the South Region in just 13 seasons. Blankenship started the program in 2007 and has since guided the Eagles to 13 double-digit win seasons, culminating with ASUN Regular Season Championships in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019. 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 173-61-27 (.716) overall record through the first 13 seasons of the program's existence, including an 86-17-15 (.801) mark in the ASUN. Blankenship's impressive career record of 413-132-38 (.743) over 26 seasons has come while leading FGCU, the University of Miami, Lynn University and St. Thomas University.
E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April 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 85 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 13+ seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just nine seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 40 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 21, 2020-21), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2021) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. 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. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.50 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 23 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall, 2020 Spring, and 2020 Fall semesters each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 - being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
--FGCUATHLETICS.COM--
