KANSAS CITY, Mo. - FGCU junior forward
Louise Lillback (Stockholm, Sweden/Tibble Gymnasium) has been named to the 2022 MAC Hermann Trophy watchlist. The Hermann Trophy, presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club, is the nation's highest individual honor recognizing the National Player of the Year as determined by the voting of Division I coaches who are members of United Soccer Coaches.
Lillback is one of 61 players nationally on the list and is one of three from the ASUN to receive the honor. Lipscomb's duo of Shelby Craft and Katia Hanger also made the list.
"It's wonderful for her," said head coach
Jim Blankenship. "She definitely had a year that deserves this kind of recognition and just knowing Louise and how she's been this preseason, she is excited about the season and helping us be better."
Lillback is the reigning ASUN Player of the Year and was picked to do so again this season by the league's coaches. In 2021, she led the Eagles 12 goals, the sixth-most in a season in FGCU history. When the calendar turned to ASUN play, she turned it up as she scored 11 of her goals against conference opponents to lead to the ASUN. She also had four multi-goal games including a hat-trick against North Florida.
The junior is the fourth Eagle to be named to the Hermann watchlist, joining former women's players
Evdokia Popadinova and
Marjorie Boilesen as well as men's standout
Albert Ruiz, who was named one of the three finalists in 2017.
Lillback enters the 2022 season third in FGCU history with 26 goals and eighth in points with 56. With another big season, she could climb all the way to second in both categories, only behind Tabby Tindell.
Most Career Goals
| 1. |
66 |
Tabby Tindell |
2013-16 |
| 2. |
28 |
Shannen Wacker |
2011-14 |
| 3. |
26 |
Louise Lillback |
2019-Present |
| 4. |
25 |
Evdokia Popadinova |
2018-19 |
| 5. |
24 |
Amber McCall |
2007-09 |
Most Career Points
| 1. |
162 |
Tabby Tindell |
2013-16 |
| 2. |
83 |
Shannen Wacker |
2011-14 |
| 3. |
68 |
Lindsey Haw |
2007-10 |
| 4. |
67 |
Marjorie Boilesen |
2017-19 |
| 5. |
66 |
Paulina Speckmaier |
2013-16 |
| 6. |
59 |
Evdokia Popadinova |
2018-19 |
| 7. |
57 |
Amber McCall |
2007-09 |
| 8. |
56 |
Louise Lillback |
2019-present |
| 9. |
53 |
Ally Kasun |
2012-15 |
| 10. |
44 |
Gina Petracco |
2008-11 |
Fifteen men's players and 15 women's players become Hermann Trophy semifinalists on Nov. 30 following completion of Division I All-America voting following the fall season. Then on Dec. 7, the top three players from a final round of voting are the 2021 finalists. The 2022 winner is revealed on Jan. 6, 2023, at a ceremony at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo.
Lillback and the rest of the Eagles will kick off the 2022 campaign tonight against Detroit Mercy. Kickoff from Pickering Field at the FGCU Soccer Complex is set for 7 p.m.
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.
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!
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 184-69-27 (.705) overall record through the first 15 seasons of the program's existence, including an 93-19-15 (.791) mark in the ASUN. Blankenship's impressive career record of 424-140-38 (.736) over 31 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 92 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 15 seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 11 seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 45 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. In 2022, the men's golf team became the first program to earn at at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 20, 2021-22), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as four 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 26 consecutive semesters. The past five semesters (Fall 2019 – Spring 2022) saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher cumulative 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.
