FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University women's soccer hosts the University of Miami at 11 a.m. Sunday in an exhibition match at Pickering Field.
The exhibition match is free and open to the public. For weather updates, visit FGCU Women's Soccer on X, Facebook and Instagram. Miami went 3-10-4 and 2-7-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference a season ago. The Hurricanes failed to record a goal in their last four matches of the season but picked up a season-opening win at fellow Atlantic Sun Conference member Stetson 3-0.
In 2023, the Eagles capped their ASUN Championship-winning season 12-5-5 overall and 7-1-3 in the league, earning the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament to ultimately go back-to-back. In the ASUN Championship match, FGCU faced a daunting three-goal deficit against North Alabama, but Erika Zschuppe exploded for a hat trick in 14 minutes to send the contest to overtime.
The Eagles completed the thrilling come-from-behind win, advancing 3-2 on penalty kicks, to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in program history. FGCU held second-seeded Texas Tech scoreless for nearly 80 minutes in the first round before falling 1-0.
The Green and Blue landed on SportsCenter's Top 10 not once but three times in 2023. Goalkeeper Olivia Molina broke the FGCU single-season save record with a program-best 117 saves. Head coach Jim Blankenship recorded his 200th win at FGCU and now has emerged as the eighth active winningest coach in all of Division I women's soccer. Blankenship is just two wins away from 450 career victories, currently sitting at 448 at the start of the 2024 campaign.
Four Eagles earned First Team All-ASUN honors a season ago as midfielder Ashley Labbe, midfielder Zschuppe, defender Reese Mendenhall and midfielder Kendal Gargiula made the list – all of which return for the 2024 season. FGCU returned 19 Eagles from 2023. Midfielder Katharina Oelschlaeger landed on the Third Team, and goalkeeper Molina – both returners – appeared on the All-Freshman Team.
Zschuppe and Molina made the TopDrawerSoccer's Top 100 list, while Labbe earned United Soccer Coaches All-South Region Third Team honors and Scholar All-South Region recognition.
