FGCU Women's Soccer Game Notes & Information
Match	FGCU (0-0, 0-0 ASUN) at Tennessee (0-0, 0-0 SEC)
Date // Time	Thursday, August 19 // 7 p.m.
Location	Knoxville, Tenn. // Regal Soccer Stadium
Live Statistics	StatBroadcast
Live Stream	SECN+
Twitter	@FGCUEagles // @FGCU_WSoccer
Instagram	FGCU Women's Soccer
Facebook	FGCU Women's Soccer

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Despite last season ending just four months ago, the FGCU women's soccer team is set to open the 2021 season this Thursday at Tennessee. The contest is set to kick off at 7 p.m. from Regal Soccer Stadium in Knoxville.

The Eagles, who were picked third this year in the ASUN Preseason Coaches' Poll, finished second in the South Division in the ASUN last year with a 4-2 conference record. The season came to an end in the ASUN Semifinals when the Eagles dropped a tough 1-0 double-overtime contest against Kennesaw State. With the addition of Jacksonville State, Central Arkansas, and Eastern Kentucky, the ASUN will be split into East and West Divisions in 2021. FGCU will be in the East division along with Jacksonville, Stetson, Kennesaw State, Liberty, and North Florida. In addition to the division games, FGCU will also play EKU, JSU, Bellarmine, and North Alabama from the West Division this season.

Now in his 15^th season at the helm of FGCU women's soccer, five-time ASUN Coach of the Year Jim Blankenship returns 23 student-athletes from last year's team, including Preseason All-ASUN players Kajsa Lang (Kalmar, Sweden/Stagneliusskolan) and Louise Lillback (Stockholm, Sweden/Tibble Gymnasium). Lang is coming off a sparkling freshman season in which she was named to the ASUN First and All-Freshman Team, as the defender logged the second-most minutes on the squad while helping to hold opponents to just seven regular-season goals. Lillback, meanwhile, led the Eagles with 14 points and seven goals en route to being named the ASUN Second Team.
The Eagles also return 2020-21 All-ASUN players Alyssa Abbondandolo (Cape Coral, Fla./Oasis HS), Ashley Labbe (Lake Worth, Fla./Suncoast HS), Zoey Spitzer (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS), and Mia Krusinski (Lewisville, Texas/Ursuline Academy of Dallas).

This year's returning players are going to be joined by a small, but talented, class of five newcomers, including freshmen Savannah Larsen (Arlington Heights, Ill/Buffalo Grove HS) and Rosa Horskjaer (Copenhagen, Denmark/Falkonergardens Gymnasium) as well as transfers Katie Sullivan (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North HS/Creighton), Grace Paradis (Kingston, N.H./Sanborn HS/St. John's), and Courtney Coleman (Antioch, Ill./Antioch Community HS/UMass Lowell).

Tennessee also returns a veteran team as nine starters from a squad that went 8-6-1 (4-3-1 SEC) and won the SEC East, will be back for the Volunteers this season, including the leading goal scorer in the SEC from a year ago, Jaida Thomas. Their newcomers are also strong as they bring in the #17 signing class as rated by Top Drawer Soccer which includes the 2020 National High School Player of the Year, Taylor Huff.

Thursday's match will be the first in the history between the Volunteers and the Eagles. It is the second-straight season the Eagles will open the campaign against a first-time opponent as they opened last year against Utah Valley. It is also the first of two SEC opponents for FGCU in 2021 as they will host in-state rival Florida on September 5. Overall, FGCU is 4-9 against SEC opponents. The team has picked up wins against Mississippi State (2009, 2013, 2015) and Alabama (2018).

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.

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 174-62-27 (.711) overall record through the first 14 seasons of the program's existence, including an 86-17-15 (.801) mark in the ASUN. Blankenship's impressive career record of 414-133-38 (.740) 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 14+ seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just ten seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 42 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--