FGCU W. Soccer: Conference Championship and National Tournament Update

Before I get to the A-SUN Conference Women's Soccer Tournament, there were teams that have punched their ticket to the national tournament automatically. All 30 teams in their respective conferences have secured a spot for the national tournament:

1. IUPUI will represent the Horizon League after defeating the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee 4-3 in penalty kicks.

2. Monmouth University will represent the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) after defeating Manhattan College 5-1.

3. San Diego State will represent the Mountain West Conference (MWC) after defeating New Mexico 3-0.

4. Denver will represent the Summit League after defeating North Dakota State 2-1.

5. Stony Brook will represent the America East Conference (AEC) after defeating Vermont 2-1.

6. USF will represent the American Athletic Conference (AAC) after defeating #8 UCF 5-3 in penalty kicks.

7. La Salle University will represent the Atlantic 10 (A10) after defeating VCU 1-0 in double overtime.

8. Baylor defeated TCU 2-1 in overtime to represent the Big 12.

9. #4 UNC defeated #2 Duke 1-0 to represent the ACC.

10. In the Big Sky, Eastern Washington defeated Northern Colorado 3-0 to secure their spot.

11. High Point University defeated Longwood 1-0 to represent the Big South.

12. #15 Penn State defeated Northwestern 2-1 to secure their spot and represent the Big Ten.

13. Cal State Fullerton defeated Cal State Northridge 1-1 (4-3 in penalty kicks) to represent the Big West.

14. Hofstra defeated Northeastern 2-1 to represent the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

15. North Texas defeated Charlotte 2-1 in penalty kicks to represent Conference USA (C-USA).

16. Toledo defeated Bowling Green 2-1 in overtime to represent the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

17. Representing the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), Missouri State defeated Northern Iowa 1-0.

18. Saint Francis will represent the Northeast Conference (NEC) after defeating Fairleigh Dickinson 3-2 in penalty kicks.

19. Murray State will represent the Ohio Valley Conference after beating Eastern Kentucky 1-0 in overtime.

20. Representing the Patriot League will be Bucknell after defeating Navy 3-2.

21. Representing the SEC will be #11 Texas A&M after they defeated Arkansas 2-1.

22. Representing the Southern Conference will be UNC Greensboro after defeating Western Carolina 1-0.

23. Lamar University will be representing the Southland Conference after defeating Stephen F. Austin 2-0.

24. Representing the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) will be Alabama State after defeating Grambling State 4-2 in penalty kicks.

25. Representing the Sun Belt will be South Alabama after defeating Coastal Carolina 5-0.

26. Representing the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) will be Utah Valley after they defeated Seattle 1-1 (3-1 in penalty kicks)

#13 Princeton will represent the Ivy League, #1 Stanford will represent the Pac-12 and #12 Pepperdine Univeristy will represent the West Coast Conference (WCC). All three teams do not have a conference tournament, for they automatically qualify for the national tournament based on winning their season championship.

FGCU will be facing Lipscomb for the third straight time in the A-SUN Championship. Now the last two times both teams faced each other, FGCU came out on top and punched their ticket to the national tournament. During the 2015-16 year, FGCU won 5-0 at FGCU. One year later, FGCU won 2-0 at FGCU once again.

Goal-wise, the players for both teams to keep sharp eyes out for are sophomore forward and A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Marjorie Boilesen of FGCU and redshirt senior forward and A-SUN Player of the Year, A-SUN First Team All-Conference and A-SUN All-Academic Team member Ellen Lundy. Both Boilesen and Lundy lead their teams in goals (Boilesen (10), Lundy (7)).

In the semifinal games, FGCU beat JU 2-0 to make it to the finals while Lipscomb beat Kennesaw 1-0 to do the same. The winner goes on to the national tournament as an automatic bid to represent the A-SUN Conference.

Let's fast forward to the second half at the 60 minute mark of the championship game. FGCU (14-3-1, 5-1-1 A-SUN) was down 2-0 in the first half after goals from sophomore Hannah Torbertt and Lundy. 

It looked like their journey to the national tournament was slipping from their fingers, but then a miracle happened. Junior midfielder and A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Holly Fritz tapped in the first goal for FGCU and her fifth of the season, but it didn't stop there. Nearing the edge of the game ending, junior defender and A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member, Camille Knudstrup, tied the game with her fourth goal of the season. The miracle was still in FGCU's grasp.

After the second half ended, the game went into a first overtime, but no one won yet and it would go into double overtime. Heading into the 105th minute of double overtime, the miracle FGCU was hoping for did indeed happened. Senior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member, Varin Ness, scored the game-winning goal and secured FGCU's spot in the national tournament and defeated Lipscomb (8-7-3, 5-1-1 A-SUN).

"It wasn't easy but sometimes that makes it feel even better," said head coach Jim Blankenship following his program's 13th A-SUN Tournament match victory. "I'm proud of our guys. It wasn't the start we wanted but we talked a lot about trust at halftime and staying within the system. I challenged them by saying this was the first team to have to go on the road, so let's be the first to come back. Our character and mentality were phenomenal tonight."

After the championship game, the A-SUN All-Tournament Team was announced:
Representing Lipscomb was Lundy, senior midfielder and A-SUN All-Conference First Team member, Jade Abarca and redshirt senior and A-SUN All-Conference First Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team member Niamh Rawlins.

For FGCU, it was redshirt seniors, A-SUN Defender of the Year, A-SUN All-Conference First Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team member Ashley Parks and A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Nikki Hudson, Fritz and Ness. Ness was also named A-SUN All-Tournament Team MVP.

Senior forward and A-SUN All-Conference Second Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team member Sope Akindoju and junior Brittany Hundley represented Jacksonville, while senior A-SUN All-Conference First Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team member Abby Roth and A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Tiffany Sornpao of Kennesaw were also recognized on the A-SUN All-Tournament Team. Akindoju, Hundley, Roth and Sornpao were not in attendance due to being eliminated from the tournament.

According to the FGCU athletics page, there will be a selection show on November 6 at the Alico Arena where the public are invited to attend. The selection show will determine who FGCU will play, and determine the other teams that automatically qualified and at-large bid teams for the tournament based on their RPI ranking.

It's probably no doubt that some top 10 teams in the top 25 like #2 Duke and #3 South Carolina will be in the tournament because of their high RPI rankings. In fact, Duke despite the loss to UNC, will be in the national tournament as an at-large bid. Nonetheless, FGCU has secured their spot and will be in the national tournament.

FGCU W. Soccer: ASUN Awards and Postseason Update

As the regular season comes to a close, the journey is not yet over. After going 12-3-1 with a 5-1-1 conference record, the FGCU women's soccer concluded the season with numerous postseason awards.

Listed are 11 individuals who won awards/mentions to represent FGCU:
Defensively, redshirt senior defender Ashley Parks earned the honor of the A-SUN Defender of the Year while sophomore goalkeeper Melissa Weck earned A-SUN Goalkeeper of the Year.

Parks started and played all 16 games. In 15 of the 16 games, Parks played all 90+ minutes. The St. Louis native logged in 1,437 minutes with an assist while allowing only eight goals to pass by with nine clean sheets.

Weck allowed only nine goals throughout the season. The Yorba Linda, California native had 50 total saves including a season-high 10 against Arizona.

Parks and Weck also joined sophomore defender Lindsey Patton, junior midfielder Holly Fritz, redshirt senior midfielder Nikki Hudson and sophomore forward Marjorie Boilesen on the A-SUN All-Conference First Team with Parks and Boilesen being unanimously selected.

Patton, a prospect out of Jacksonville, logged in 1,431 minutes came in clutch with Parks allowing only eight goals to be scored. Patton also finished with one assist and four goals, including a goal at the final home game against UNF.

Since transferring from Florida State, Fritz has made impact with FGCU. The Cape Coral native has four goals and nine assists while logging in 1,328 minutes in the regular season.

After recovering from a knee injury that occurred last season, Hudson recovered with ease as the former Rutgers player and Baltimore native scored two goals with four assists while logging in 1,290 minutes.

Since transferring from DII West Florida, Boilesen made it clear that she was here to stay. The Sao Paulo native and former Gulf South Conference Player and Freshman of the Year leads the team with 11 goals, including four game-winners and six assists while logging in 1,231 minutes.

Meanwhile junior defender Camile Knudstrup and senior forward Varin Ness were named on the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team.

Knudstup played majorly on the right side for defense. The Lakeland native had three goals and six assists while logging in 1,226 minutes and allowing only eight goals to pass by.

Since transferring from DII Carson-Newman, Ness, a product out of Sogndal, Norway, came with great strides offensively and defensively. Ness has six goals and two assists while logging 997 minutes.

Three freshman that represented FGCU as part of the A-SUN All-Freshman Team are Cassidy Morgan, Hope Van Wagner and Zoey Spitzer.

Starting seven of her 11 games played, Morgan scored four goals and had three assists while logging in 508 minutes of playing.

As an early high school graduate to freshman, Van Wagner, a native of Avon, Indiana, scored two goals and logged in 786 minutes.

Spitzer is one of five players to start all 16 games of the season. The Naples native played primarily as a defender and had one goal and one assist while logging in 1,333 minutes.

In addition, Parks and Patton were also named to the A-SUN All-Academic Team.

Congrats to all the players that earned the awards.

In the beginning of the A-SUN postseason, the conference standings were as noted:

No. 1 Lipscomb* 16 (5-1-1 A-SUN) 8-6-3 overall
No. 2 FGCU* 16 (5-1-1 A-SUN) 12-3-1 overall
No. 3 Stetson* 14 (4-1-2 A-SUN) 9-4-3 overall
No. 4 Kennesaw State* 10 (3-3-1 A-SUN) 8-6-4 overall
No. 5 North Florida* 9 (3-4-0 A-SUN) 9-6-1 overall
No. 6 Jacksonville* 6 (2-5-0 A-SUN) 5-10-0 overall

NJIT (9-8, 2-5 A-SUN) and USC Upstate (6-10-1, 1-5-1 A-SUN) did not qualify for the conference tournament because of their conference records.

Since Lipscomb is the No. 1 seed, they will host the conference tournament in Nashville.

As a sits now in the tournament, there are now four teams remaining in the tournament: No. 1 Lipscomb, No. 2 FGCU, No. 4 Kennesaw and No. 6 Jacksonville.

JU defeated and upset No. 3 seed Stetson 2-0 while Kennesaw tied in double overtime, they defeated No. 5 seed UNF in a shootout by a score of 4-3 in penalty kicks.

Lipscomb and FGCU both received a first round bye because they were the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds

FGCU will face JU at 5 p.m. while Lipscomb face Kennesaw at 8 p.m. Both games are scheduled to occurred on November 3.

The winners of both games will face each other in the championship and the chance for an automatic bid for the national tournament  on November 5 at 2 pm.

FGCU Women's Soccer vs Webber Recap

After a lot of hype, the FGCU women's soccer took it to the limit and shutout NAIA Webber 8-0. This was the first time the Eagles (7-2) and the Warriors (2-0) faced each other, but it was also the second time the Eagles have faced an NAIA team.

Of course for Webber, because they are NAIA and are playing against an NCAA DI team, the game did not count as a season game and was listed as an exhibition game. For FGCU, the game is listed as a season game, but will not effect their RPI ranking.

Sophomore Melissa Weck was the starting goalkeeper for FGCU while senior Sarah McKinney started for Webber.

FGCU had four goals in both halves and were effective offensively and defensively.

24 minutes into the first half, junior Camille Knudstrup started with a header for the first goal of the game with an assist from sophomore Marjorie "Ma" Boilesen. Knudstrup's goal was her first goal of the season.

It took 23 seconds later for the second goal to occur as senior Varin Ness got a touch pass and scored the second goal, her third goal of the season, with assists from Boilesen and graduate student Kiana Rugar.

After a Webber yellow card was issued to freshman Isabella Aviolla, and a blocked penalty shot attempt from senior Lauren Greene, redshirt senior Nikki Hudson scored the third goal of the match, her first of the season, with an assist from Knudstrup.

45 seconds later, junior Holly Fritz would score the fourth goal of the match, her third of the season, with assists from Greene and redshirt freshman Jocelyn Nelson before the end of the first half.

Before the second half, Weck was replaced by redshirt junior Elyse Hansen to play the entire second half.

14 minutes into the second half, Ness would score the fifth goal, her fourth of the season and second in the game with an assist from freshman Cassidy Morgan.

One minute later, Boilesen would scored the sixth goal of the game on a penalty kick. The goal for the West Florida transfer was her sixth goal of the season.

Three minutes later, senior Meaghan Mulligan would pass to an open redshirt senior Paige Law for a chipper for the seventh goal of the game and Law's first goal of the season.

With 10:25 left in the second half, the most eye-catching moment happened with sophomore Silvana "Silv" Gordon. As she got the ball, two warriors started chasing her to get the ball. As Gordon attempted a cross shot, she then finessed and faked out the two players not once, but twice. I haven't seen that in a long while since senior men's soccer player Jiro Barriga Toyama's finess goal shot last year. It was awesome.

With less than 10 minutes left in the game, Rugar would seal the deal with the final goal, her second of the season, with assists from Morgan and freshman Hope Van Wagner.

Afterwards, the whole bench was emptied for FGCU as Greene, Gordon, fellow sophomores, Petra Smetkova and Emilie Olsen, freshmen Zoey Spitzer, Kavina Ganeshan and Lauren Moss, and juniors Shay Jackson and Ashley Blanchard entered/reentered the game. Redshirt senior Ashley Parks was the only Eagle that remained in the second half.

Both Weck and Hansen did not give up any goals in 45 minutes each.

McKinney gave up all eight goals and had 13 saves.

Ness would be the only Eagle to score more than one goal in the game. Ness shot three times with all of them on goal.

Boilesen and Morgan finished with two assists each. Knudstrup, Rugar, Nelson, Greene, Mulligan, and Van Wagner had one assist each.

The Eagles took 45 shots, which is now a program record while the Warriors took only two. Freshman Marianna Scine and junior Luiza Oliveira had the Warriors lone shots in the match.

The eight goals FGCU produced was the third highest in program history and the highest amount since 2011.

"This weekend was all about getting back to normal," said head coach Jim Blankenship. "A little bit was trying to get back and assess what was going on at home and get back to a normal life. On the bright side, we had this game on Monday otherwise we may not have got this in. I'm very happy with the effort tonight. They came out with a purpose and once they connected some passes and got the goal we felt like more would come."

The Eagles did not get back to campus until early Friday evening after being scheduled to arrive back from Arizona on Monday. Because of Hurricane Irma, the Eagles remained in Arizona, but greeted their home fans with a tremendous offensive showing.

"In Arizona, they (the University of Arizona) let us train on our field, so we were able to not miss a day," said Law. "I think it helped us more because it was very, very hot, and we were not use to it."

"We came off the field, and it was 102°, and we were just like 'we are never complaining about the Florida heat, so we were well prepared coming back, the travel day was long, but we got right after it when we landed."

"We were fortunate to be in Arizona this past week," Blankenship added. "They absolutely took care of us. We tried to keep a little bit of normalcy even though every second of the day the kids are watching tv or checking their phones to check in on family members. We were safe and together and now we're back home in front of our fans."

With that, FGCU will begin conference away by playing Stetson in Deland on Saturday at 7 pm.

Below are pics with me and some of the soccer players after the game:

From left to right: Ashley Parks, Marjorie Boilesen, me, Nikki Hudson and Lauren Greene

With Shay Jackson

From left to right: freshmen Cassidy Morgan, Kavina Ganeshan and Lauren Moss

 

FGCU Women's Soccer vs. Webber Preview

After another successful road trip, the FGCU women's soccer team (6-2) return to home for their next game against NAIA Webber International University (2-0). The game will be listed as a season game for the Eagles, but will not effect their RPI ranking and an exhibition for the Warriors.

Last Time Out:
The Eagles recently competed in Arizona where they faced Power 5 Conference members Arizona and Arizona State. They would beat the Wildcats 1-0, but fell the to Sun Devils 1-2. In the game against the Wildcats, the Eagles took only two shots while the Wildcats took 19. Senior Varin Ness scored the lone goal of the game while sophomore goalkeeper Melissa Weck had 10 saves. In the game against the Sun Devils, freshman Cassidy Morgan scored the lone goal in the loss.

Due to Hurricane Irma, the Eagles remained in Tuscon until the 15th.

The Eagles were scheduled to play UCF, who were ranked No. 15 in the nation, but the matchup was cancelled and never rescheduled.

For FGCU, sophomore Marjorie "Ma" Boilesen has been the leader of the offense. The transfer from DII West Florida leads the team with five goals.

Weck leads the team with 33 saves.

Defensively, redshirt senior Ashley Parks, junior Camile Knudstrup and sophomore Lindsay Patton keep leading a strong defense, allowing only seven goals this season.

Scouting Webber International:
The Warriors have only played two games fer their season. They beat in state rival Warner 2-1 and shutout USCAA Florida College 6-0. That game was a exhibition game for Florida College, but it counted as a season win for the Warriors.

The rest of the games that the Warriors were scheduled to play were cancelled due to Hurricane Irma. The teams Webber for the scrimmages and exhibitions games include NCAA DII University of Tampa, Eckerd College and Palm Beach Atlantic and the University of the Virgin Islands of Liga Atlética Interuniversitaria (LAI) (English: Puerto Rico Inter-University Athletics League).

The players on the Warriors to expect eyes out for, even if they only played two games, include freshman forward Madison Pike, senior midfielder Rachel Osborne and senior goalkeeper Sarah McKinney. Pike, in the game against Warner, scored two goals for the win against Warner. Osborne scored two goals in the shutout over Florida College. McKinney played both games and had one save and allowed the lone goal in the game against Warner.

This is the first time FGCU and Webber will meet and play each other, and the last time FGCU played an NAIA was in the 2007 when they first came into NCAA DI. They played St. Thomas University and lost 1-0.

The game will start at 7 P,M. and will have live stats as well as livestream via Facebook.

FGCU Women's Soccer: FL vs AZ

The FGCU women's soccer team continues their series in Arizona after finishing up a two-day tournament called the FGCU Tournament, which featured Kent State and Liberty. FAU was involved in the tournament and played Kent State and Liberty, but did not play FGCU.

On Friday night the Eagles (6-1-0) beat the Golden Flashes (1-3-0 at the time, now 3-3) 2-0 thanks to goals from sophomore transfer Marjorie Boilesen and senior Lauren Greene.

On Sunday afternoon, FGCU faced Liberty (1-2-2 at the time, now 2-3-2) in a rematch. In the end, the Eagles won 3-2 in a nail biter of a game. Boilesen had her fifth goal of the season while junior transfer Holly Fritz scored her first two goals of the season including one to give FGCU the lead and was the potential winning goal too.

Yesterday, FGCU played Power 5 Arizona (1-2-2) in the University of Arizona and won 1-0. The lone goal was thanks to senior transfer Varin Ness. The Eagles took only two shots while the Wildcats to 19 shots.

It was the defense that set the tone for the Eagles. Thanks to sophomore goalie Melissa Weck who had 10 saves in the game and a strong defense from redshirt senior Ashley Parks, junior Camille Knudstrup, sophomore Lindsey Patton and freshman Zoey Spitzer, the Eagles managed to tame the Wildcats.

The Eagles will be prepared to face their second Power 5 team in Arizona: the Arizona State Sun Devils.

The Sun Devils (1-3-1) are also in the tournament and have never faced FGCU. They recently faced Texas Tech and lost 1-2.

What will the outcome be in the end? Will the Eagles handle the heat and stop the fire in the Sun Devils? Or will the Sun Devils clip the wings off the Eagle for the first time matching up?

Game will be at 6 pm eastern/ 3 pm pacific.

FGCU W-Soc vs. Liberty Recap

The FGCU women's soccer team (5-1) wrapped up the FGCU Tournament with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Liberty (1-3-2). With the win, the Eagles are now 2-0 against the Lady Flames as well as it marked the first time since 2008 FGCU has started the year 5-1

"We knew going in this was going to be a tough weekend," said head coach Jim Blankenship. "All three of these programs are traditionally good programs and that's what we expected and it lived up to the billing. We played very well, we just gave up one chance at the end of the half and the girl hits an unbelievable goal. That changed the whole game. I like the way our girls responded though, finding a great goal at the end of the game."

Junior Holly Fritz made an enormous impact in her first weekend back home in Southwest Florida. After tallying an assist in Friday's opener, the Florida State transfer found the back of the net twice following sophomore Marjorie "Ma" Boilesen's world-class free kick that opened the scoring in the match. Between Fritz's second and third goal, Liberty scored twice to bring the match level.

FGCU immediately went on the front foot, earning a dangerous set piece in the third minute before freshman Hope Van Wagner sent senior Varin Ness behind the Lady Flames defense with a simple flick. Ness beat her mark, cut back toward the middle and sent a shot across goal for a goal kick.

Despite a scintillating attack, Liberty almost scored first after 16 minutes but the referee whistled for a handball as the reigning Big South Champions celebrated. Three minutes later, Boilesen was brought down just outside the box and took the free kick herself. The Brazilian struck the ball masterfully, curling the ball around the wall and into the upper-90. This was Boilesen's fifth goal of the season and fourth in three games.

FGCU continued to press forward as redshirt senior Nikki Hudson sent FGCU on the counter, winning the ball near the Eagles' defensive third. Hudson picked out Ness making a run toward the corner flag. The Norwegian was first to the ball and found senior Meaghan Mulligan making a run up the field. The New Jersey native served a great ball into the box, finding Fritz who headed her first collegiate goal past Melody Jayroe.

The Green and Blue had three chances to increase the advantage, all within five minutes. The first came in the 29th minute when Fritz took a free kick 30 yards from goal. Her service was put into a dangerous area but no one wearing white was able to direct it toward the goal. One minute later, FGCU earned a corner that junior Camille Knudstrup headed toward goal but it was saved.

Sophomore Emilie Olsen was introduced and found space on the left side of the field. Olsen cut back toward the middle and struck the ball clean but it went over the bar.

Liberty's Abigail Persson brought Liberty within one with a tremendous strike that beat Weck, sending the game into the half 2-1 in favor of the home side.

Sophomore Melissa Weck was much busier in the second half, producing four saves in the final 45 minutes. Liberty put FGCU on its heels, recording two saves within the first 18 minutes. During that span, Knudstrup picked out Ness who was alone with the goalkeeper, but Jayroe came off her line quickly to cut down the angle and deny Ness.

In the 77th minute, it was Liberty that took advantage of a free kick, tying the match with another great take.

Within seconds, FGCU went on the attack. Boilesen was immediately fouled upon the match restarting and on the ensuing free kick, the ball ended up in the back of the net only for the referee to negate a goal for the second time.

Another free kick two minutes later produced Fritz's winning moment. Knudstrup's service was cleared away shortly before sophomore Lindsey Patton sent it back into the box. Fritz won the first, won the ball back and volleyed home her second of the afternoon.

Not long after she scored her second, Fritz nearly caught Liberty sleeping. Fritz won the ball back and sent a long-range effort over the bar that would have beat the goalkeeper.

From that point, FGCU relied on its defense. Weck was needed one final time, producing her best save of the match to keep Lissi Gordon off the board. Weck would finish with four saves.

The Eagles closed out the match to secure its fourth-straight win.

Following the match, Fritz, Boilsesen and Weck were named to the All-Tournament Team with Fritz earning MVP honors. Earlier in the day, Kent State defeated FAU 1-0.

FGCU Tournament All-Tournament Team:
Holly Fritz - FGCU (MVP)
Marjorie Boilesen - FGCU
Melissa Weck - FGCU
Gabrielle Farrell - Liberty
Abigail Persson - Liberty
Sierra Lam - Liberty
Paige Culver - Kent State
Donavan Capehart - Kent State
Cameron Shendenhelm - Kent State
Jessica Monteiro - FAU
Ebba Blomqvist - FAU

UP NEXT:
The Eagles head West, taking on Arizona and Arizona State next weekend..

FGCU W-SOC vs. Kent State Recap

Two smartly headed goals from sophomore Marjorie Boilesen and senior Lauren Greene gave the FGCU women's soccer team (4-1) a 2-0 victory over defending MAC champions Kent State (1-3).

"When you play quality teams it gets hectic at times," said head coach Jim Blankenship. "They've been good for a long time and we knew we were going to have our hands full tonight. I thought the first seven to ten minutes were a little concerning just because of their quickness but I thought out guys stepped up and met the challenge. And that's what you want as a coach."

The Eagles opened their season with a four-game road trip earning wins over Georgia Southern, Valparasio, and Eastern Michigan. The lone loss they had was against #4 South Carolina.

FGCU's impressive home record of 70-18-10 was put to the test against the preseason MAC East favorites who returned eight started from a 15-win 2016 season. Lightning however delayed the earlier scheduled neutral game between FAU and Liberty twice – before Liberty claimed a 1-0 victory – resulting in the home opener to start more than two hours late at nearly 9:15 p.m.

With lightning still flashing well off in the distance, Kent State applied pressure early in the contest, forcing sophomore Melissa Weck to make a routine save a minute into the match. About eight minutes in, the Eagles found their rhythm resulting in junior Holly Fritz sending a shot toward goal though it missed high.

FGCU countered a brief spell controlled by Kent State with the game's first goal. Redshirt senior Ashley Parks split the Kent State backline with a perfectly weighted through ball to senior Varin Ness on the left side of the field. The Norwegian picked out Boilesen and the UWF transfer headed home her fourth of the season and third in two games.

The Eagles dominated the remainder of the half as the Eagles allowed just one shot over the final 25 minutes. Meanwhile, at the other end, FGCU searched for a second. Ness attempted to score her second sensational goal of the week but a Kent State defender knocked down her strike from distance before it could test the goalkeeper.

Moments later, Boilesen was back in on the action, testing Kent State goalkeeper, senior Katie Kingsbury. Kingsbury was unable to cleanly control the shot, conceding a corner. On the ensuing set piece, Fritz got her head to the ball but sent it wide of goal and FGCU went into the break leading 1-0.

Weck was much busier in the second half, recording the first of five saves in the 52nd minute and then she produced her biggest save of the night in the 53rd minute. The sophomore made a reaction save following a corner to deny freshman Vital Kats a potential equalizing goal.

"They're an awesome team. I thought their team had awesome energy," said Greene on Kent State. "They're a mid-major team just like us, and definitely matched our play, but we obviously came out with the result."

Kent State continued to put FGCU on its heels but Weck remained up to the task, corralling a redshirt senior Donavan Capehart header in the 57th minute.

The Green and Blue began to settle back in when grad student Kiana Rugar entered the match. Fresh off the bench, Rugar and Ness almost connected four minutes into her appearance following a turnover at midfield only for the Golden Flashes to cut in at the last second to intercept the pass deep in their defending third.

FGCU's next substitution proved to be a difference-maker as Greene came on in the 77th minute and immediately helped FGCU's efforts. The Eagles earned two corners within two minutes of the senior's arrival, the first resulting in a junior Camille Knudstrup shot that was deflected for the second corner. With the second attempt, Greene was in the right spot and almost put the home side in front 2-0 but a Kent State defender cleared it off the line.

Greene had one more chance though and she properly buried it. After redshirt senior Nikki Hudson was fouled around midfield, Fritz delivered a fantastic service into the box where Greene won the aerial duel and beat the goalkeeper at the far post.

"Honestly, when we got the free kick, I was like 'I'm getting in the spot where I can head this in and seal this win,'" said Greene on scoring her goal. "I knew Holly (Fritz) was looking straight at me, so we made eye contact. So she kicked the ball behind the girl and caught her off-guard and we sealed the win."

Weck (4-1) made one more save in the final five minutes to preserve the shutout and close out the 2-0 victory. The shutout was FGCU's third of the season and it was the first time this season Kent State has been held scoreless this season.

"Being at home in front of our fans is awesome, like we always bring the most energy when we're at home," said Greene on the fans.

"Our fans deserve our best, and I felt like we gave it," Blakenship added on the fans.

UP NEXT:
The Eagles wrap up the weekend with a 1 p.m. match against Liberty Sunday.

FGCU W-SOC vs Kent State, Liberty: Home Opening Preview

The FGCU women's soccer team (3-1) had just completed a four-game road trip to start the season and are preparing for their first two home games by hosting the FGCU Tournament, which will involve FAU (3-1), Kent State University (1-2) and Liberty University (0-2-2) .

Last Time Out:
The Eagles started the season first playing Georgia Southern and winning 3-0. After that, FGCU went to play South Carolina, the No. 4 team in the nation, but fell 1-2 despite an excellent effort. After being out of state for the first two games, the Eagles came back to Florida and participated in the FAU Adidas Owl Classic hosted by Florida Atlantic University (FAU) where they would pull wins against Valparaiso (1-0) and Eastern Michigan (5-1).

The players that led the charge for the Eagles include sophomore forward Marjorie Boilesen, redshirt senior defender Ashley Parks and sophomore goalkeeper Melissa Weck.

Boilesen, a transfer from NCAA DII University of West Florida (UWF), leads the team with three goals.

Parks, along with fellow defenders, junior Camile Knudstrup and sophomore Lindsay Patton, take control of the defense allowing only three goals.

Weck (3-1) has allowed three goals for the four away games and has 10 saves so far.

In the opening game against Georgia Southern, along with Boilesen, freshmen Hope Van Wagner, Zoey Spitzer, Cassidy Morgan and Lauren Moss, redshirt freshman Jocelyn Nelson, sophomore Petra Smetkova, and seniors Varin Ness and Kiana Rugar made their debuts. Nelson (Florida), Smetkova (Arkansas), Ness (DII Carson-Newman) and Rugar (Albany) made their debuts as transfers.

Scouting Kent State:
Last time FGCU and Kent State played was in 2010 where the Golden Flashes won 2-1, so this will be the second time both teams play each other.

The Golden Flashes had their first three games in a struggling fashion. They lost to Purdue 1-2 and Cleveland State 1-2 before winning their first game 4-0 against St. Bonaventure.

Offensively, the Golden Flashes are led by freshman midfielder Vital Kats and freshman forward Cameron Shedenhelm. Both players have two goals each.

Goalkeeper wise, junior Ashleah McDonald (0-2) has given up all four goals while senior Katie Kingsbury (1-0) has given up none. McDonald, despite giving up four goals, has six save to her name.

Scouting Liberty:
FGCU and Liberty played each other last season with FGCU beating the Flames 1-0.

The Lady Flames have played so far Wagner College, Virgina Commonwealth University (VCU), George Washington (GW) and Virginia. They tied with Wagner and GW, but lost to VCU and Virginia.

Sophomore forward Gabrielle Farrell and junior forward Devon Jones lead the charge with one goal each.

Redshirt senior goalkeeper Tori Collar (0-2-2) gave up all six goals and has 17 saves overall.

During the tournament, FGCU be playing Kent State and Liberty. The game between FGCU and Kent State will start at 7 P.M. The game will be a greenout as marketing is encouraging fans and Dirty Birds to wear green to the game.

The game against Liberty at 1 P.M. will be a whiteout, so marketing is encouraging fans and Dirty Birds to wear white to that game, despite it being very hot on a Sunday afternoon.

FGCU and FAU will not be playing each other in the tournament.

Before FGCU plays, FAU will play Liberty at 4:30 P.M. on Friday and Kent State at 10:30 A.M. on Sunday to give FGCU a rest for their games.

FGCU Women's Soccer Bios

After another run to the national tournament, the FGCU women's soccer team hopes to go for another opportunity to go again.

Last season, FGCU went 14-5-1 overall with a 6-0-1 record in conference play. During the season, they played some tough teams that they had a great opportunities to do. Although they didn't get to play UNC, the then No. 9 team, now No. 4 team in the nation due to rain, they did play then No. 21 Ohio State, but lost 1-0 in double overtime.

The easiest win FGCU had last season was against Fairleigh Dickinson at home (7-1 W).

In conference play, they were in a tight race for first place with Stetson, but came out on top with a 2-1 victory that claimed them first place and the number one seed in the tournament.

In the tournament, they received a first round bye for being the No. 1 seed and faced Kennesaw State and won 2-1 and played Lipscomb in a rematch from last year and won 2-0 to claim the automatic bid in the tournament before falling 3-0 to Florida in the first round.



As the team changes, FGCU will lose 13 members including the A-SUN’s all-time goals and points leader and three-time A-SUN Player of the Year, forward Tabby Tindell. Tindell scored 66 career goals and had 162 points in the A-SUN including the record goal in the home game against NJIT.

The team will also lose midfielders Ali Rogers, Yazmin Velez, Paulina "Pau" Speckmeier, Sarah Lowicki, and forward/midfielder Lauren Knight for they graduated.

Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Arrabito, redshirt sophomore midfielder Taylor Shore, junior midfielder Katlyn Sullivan, sophomore Jamie Finn, freshman midfielder Madi Sanders, freshman defender Lexi Littlefield and freshman forward Taylor Chapman have also departed from the team.

FGCU did manage to sign 13 newcomers (seven freshman and six transfers) to join.

    

The team is led by Jim Blakenship.

Blakenship enters into his 10th season as head coach for the team.

Prior to FGCU, Blakenship played collegiate soccer at FIU. After graduating and earning his masters at St. Thomas University, Blakenship spent 12 years as the first-ever head women's soccer coach at Lynn University. There, he earned NAIA Coach of the Year honors five times and NSCAA Coach of the Year twice. The Fighting Knights reached the Final Four in 10 consecutive seasons under his tutelage and won three national championships and were runners-up twice.

In 1998, after his time with Lynn, Blankenship led the Miami Hurricanes as the program's first coach to the conference tournament in the second year of the program and received an NCAA tournament bid in just the fourth season of competition. The Hurricanes climbed as high as No. 14 in the nation.

After his departure from Miami, Blakenship worked three seasons as the assistant women's soccer coach at FAU which won back-to-back A-SUN Conference championships.

After posting the most wins in program history during the fall of 2006, the Owls received their first-ever bid to the NCAA College Cup.

In 2007, Blakenship was named head coach for FGCU. In his inaugural season as head coach, the Eagles saw a third-place finish in the A-SUN going 11-7 overall with a 7-4 record in conference.

In 2008, Blankenship led the Eagles to 10-4-3 overall record and a 5-2-3 record in conference. FGCU finished fourth in conference.

Blankenship and the Blue and Green matched their inaugural win total after posting a conference-best 11 overall wins (11-5-3) in 2009 with a 6-2-2 in conference.

In his fourth year at the helm, Blankenship led FGCU to its first A-SUN regular season championship after finishing the season with an unblemished 8-0-2 conference record, while posting an 11-4-2 overall.

The Eagles had a conference-best 11 shutouts under Blankenship's watch and received votes in the NSCAA South Region Poll.

FGCU ended the 2011 campaign with a 14-5-2 overall record and an impressive 7-1-1 in conference, claiming back-to-back A-SUN regular season titles and earning their first-ever A-SUN tournament championship. FGCU won the championship off a dramatic goal in double-overtime sending the Eagles into the NCAA Championship for the first time in program history.

In his sixth season (2012), Blankenship led FGCU to its third-straight regular season title and second-straight tournament crown. The team tied the program record for wins (14) and had a program-best 14-4-3 record and an impressive 7-1-1 record in conference. FGCU won the A-SUN Championship in the same fashion as last year, with a freshman scoring the game-winning goal in overtime for a 2-1 victory over Mercer. Blakenship earned his first A-SUN Coach of the Year title.

In his seventh year on the sidelines of the FGCU Soccer Complex (2013), Blankenship guided the Green and Blue to a fourth consecutive A-SUN regular season title and had a record eight selections to postseason teams including Tindell who, at the time, was A-SUN Freshman of the Year. Blakenship earned his second A-SUN Coach of the Year title.

2014 repeated the success from the previous season and more. The Eagles set new single-season program records in points (141), points per game (6.71), goals (45), game-winning goals (17), assists (51), assists per game (2.43) all while winning a program-best 17 matches. FGCU's historic run in 2014 resulted the Green and Blue hosting Auburn in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in addition to their fifth straight conference title. Blakenship earned his third consecutive A-SUN Coach of the Year title.

The Eagles made it six-straight titles in 2015. With a 14-6-3 mark overall, FGCU completed one of its most successful seasons all while making history at the end of the season. Playing USF in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Eagles defeated the Bulls 2-1 for the program's first NCAA win. Blakenship won his fourth consecutive A-SUN Coach of the Year title

With Blakenship taking the reins, FGCU continues their dominance in the A-SUN with also the help of assistant coaches Scott Collins and Alexis Connors.

The team consists of five returning seniors (three redshirts), four returning juniors (one redshirt), six transfers (two seniors, one junior and four sophomores), six returning sophomores and seven upcoming freshman. All in all, for the whole team, there are six defenders, four forwards, five two ways (MF/F/D of any combination), three goalkeepers and 10 midfielders.

The five returning seniors bring plenty of experience: Paige Law (MF/F), Nikki Hudson (MF), Ashley Parks (D), Lauren Greene (MF/F) and Meaghan Mulligan (MF).


The first of five returning seniors is Paige Law.

The 5-9 redshirt midfielder/forward from Sanibel Island, Florida brings a lot of depth to the team.

Prior to FGCU, Law played her freshman year for conference rival, Stetson. There she started six of her 17 games played and got only 2 assists in 554 minutes.

When she transferred to FGCU her sophomore year, Law played in 18 games and scored one goal in 266 minutes.

When junior year hit, Law played in 14 games and scored one goal in 281 minutes.

Law did not play her senior year and sat out due to an injury.

This season, Law will not let the injury bug plague her very last season with FGCU.


Next senior who started off with a bang for FGCU is one of my best friends: Nikki Hudson.

The 5-6 midfielder from Baltimore, Maryland has more kicking power than Brandi Chastain.

Prior to FGCU, Hudson started her first two years at Rutgers University of the Big Ten Conference. Through her freshman and sophomore year, she played a combined 106 minutes with no goals.

When her junior year hit, Hudson went on a tear. She started 20 of her 21 games played and scored five goals in 1,725 minutes. She did so well, she earn A-SUN All-Conference First Team honors.

During her senior year, the injury bug plagued Hudson. Despite starting 13 of the her 14 games played, her season was cut short due to an injury, but was able to maintain her last year of eligibility.

Like Law, Hudson will not let the injury bug plague her final season.


If you want a defender who is a rough ryder like Goldberg, then you're looking at Ashley Parks.

The 5-0 defender from St. Louis, Missouri will defend the territory like it's her yard and tear her opponents apart.

In her freshman year, Parks played in 20 games and scored one goal with three assists in 751 minutes.

In a new role for her sophomore year, Parks started all 21 games she played and got four assists in 1,886 minutes. She did so well that Parks earned A-SUN All-Conference Academic Team honors.

Her junior year was plagued due to injury, but during her redshirt junior year, Parks went back to her rough ryder self. Starting all 20 games she played in 1828 minutes, she anchored an FGCU backline that posted ten clean sheets. With her strong defense, she was named a member of the A-SUN First Team All-Conference and the NSCAA Second Team All-Southeast Region Team.

With her strong and tough defense, Parks will continue her way to stop all of her opponents from scoring.



One of my other best friends I will talk about next is Lauren Greene.

The 5-5 midfielder/forward from Lakeland, Florida brings impact in ways you could not imagine.

In her freshman year, Greene, in 14 games, logged 210 minutes with one assist.

By sophomore year, Greene only played nine games, but got one goal and one assist in 131 minutes.

By junior year, Greene got more playing time. Starting 2 of her 19 games played, Greene scored three goals including penalty shot she had against FDU while logging in 399 minutes.

For her senior year, Greene will give it all she's got.


The last of the five returning seniors is Meaghan Mulligan.

The 5-4 midfielder from Freehold, New Jersey also brings depth to the team.

Prior to FGCU, Mulligan started her freshman year at the University of Tennessee of the SEC-East Division. There she played in 10 games and logged 164 minutes.

By sophomore year, Mulligan transferred to FGCU  and got more playing time. She started 17 of her 19 games played logging 1,463 minutes with two goals and two assists.

By junior year, she started all 20 games and got a career high 10 assists while logging in 1,640 minutes.

For Mulligan's senior year, it's gonna be a thrill of a lifetime opportunity.

There are four returning juniors to join the returning with just as much experience: Shay Jackson (MF), Camille Knudstrup (D), Ashley Blanchard (D) and Elyse Hansen (GK).


The first of the returning juniors is Shay Jackson.

The 5-4 midfielder from Parkville, Missouri has more speed than The Flash.

In her freshman year, she played in 10 games and while logging 87 minutes, Jackson scored three goals with one assist.

In her sophomore year, she played eight games while logging in 60 minutes.

Jackson will get more playing time and give it all she's got.


By her appearance, she looks more of a model than a soccer player, but inside, Camille Knudstrup is like a firework of defense.

The 5-8 defender from Lakeland, Florida has more stopping power than a brick wall.

In her freshman year, Knudstrup started all 21 games and in 1,814 minutes, she scored one goal and tallied four assists while playing strong defense with Parks. She did so well, she was named on theA-SUN All-Freshman Team.

In her sophomore year, Knudstrup, still playing strong defense, logged in 1,683 minutes while starting all 20 of her games played. She was named a member of the A-SUN All-Academic Team in the long run.

For Knudstrup, her fierce defense and strength will leave her opponents in the dust.


A fan favorite that every Dirty Bird loves is Ashley Blanchard.

The 5-9 defender from Largo, Florida is a fan favorite that wouldn't change in a lifetime.

In her freshman year, Blanchard played in 11 games and tallied one assist while logging in 163 minutes.

In her sophomore, she only played in two games and logged in 34 minutes.

Hopefully, the fan favorite will get more playing time than ever.


The last of the four juniors is Elyse Hansen.

The 5-8 goalkeeper from Mequon,Wisconsin has the blocking power of Tim Howard.

She did not play her freshman year, but her redshirt sophomore year, she played one game for 18 minutes.

For Hansen, she will hopefully get more playing time as goalkeeper.

FGCU managed to ink six transfers to join the team: Jocelyn Nelson (Florida), Holly Fritz (Florida State), Kiana Rugar (Albany), Petra Smetkova (Arkansas),Varin Ness (Carson-Newman) and Marjorie Boilesen (West Florida.)


The first of six transfers is Jocelyn Nelson. The 5-7 defender from Bansdall, Oklahoma enters FGCU as a sophomore.

Prior to FGCU, Nelson spent one semester as a freshman for UF of the SEC-East Division, but did not play one game for the Gators.

Nelson transferred to FGCU in the spring and will have all four years of eligibility remaining.

Hopefully, she will get the playing time she deserves.


Hoping to add more strength to the front and back line, Holly Fritz made the right move doing so.

The 5-5 midfielder from Cape Coral, Florida brings more punch than what to expect.

 and prior to FGCU, she spent her first two years at Florida State of the ACC.

In her freshman year, Fritz started two of her 15 games and logged in 470 minutes.

In her sophomore year, Fritz played in nine games and logged in 161 minutes.

Fritz joins FGCU as a junior for the team with two years of eligibility remaining.

Fritz will hopefully get more playing time for her junior year.


Out of all the transfers. Kiana Rugar is one of two that have the most experience on the team.

The 5-5 forward from New Fairfield, Connecticut enters as a graduate student.

Prior to FGCU, Rugar spent four years at the University at Albany of the America East Conference (AEC).

Rugar redshirted her freshman year and was still able to maintain her four years of eligibility.

In her redshirt freshman year, Rugar started 15 of her 19 games played. There she had five goals and seven assists. She earned a spot on the America East All-Rookie Team.

In her redshirt sophomore year, she started all 21 games and had five goals and five assists.

In her redshirt junior year, which was her last year at Albany, she started 15 of her 20 games played and set the toll for the team. Rugar scored six goals and tallied four assists for the team. She did so well that she was named to the America East All-Conference Second Team and America East All-Tournament Team. What set the bar for Rugar was being named the all-time leader in assists for the Great Danes.

Rugar joins FGCU with one year of eligibility remaining.

This may be the only year I get to see Rugar play, but I know she'll make a great impact for the team.


Joining FGCU with international experience is Petra Smetkova.

The 5-9 defender from Masarykova, Korycany, Czech Republic joins as a sophomore for the team.

Prior to FGCU, Smetkova started her freshman at the University of Arkansas of the SEC West Division. There she played in three games with one start.

Smetkova brings international experience to FGCU to add more depth. She played for played for FC Slovacko, where she helped the team win the Czech League championship as well as joining the U19 Czech Republic National Team which qualified for the European Championships in the Netherlands last year.

Smetkova joins FGCU with three years of eligibility remaining and will bring a great kick for the team with her international experience.


The next transfer to join FGCU is Varin Ness (pronounced Vorin).

The 5-8 midfielder from Sogndal, Norway brings a lot of Norwegian flare to the team.

Prior to FGCU, Ness played two years for Carson-Newman University of NCAA DII South Atlantic Conference.

In her freshman year, Ness started 19 of her 20 games played and logged in 1,647 minutes with 12 goals and five assists. Ness did so well, she was named SAC Freshman of the Year, First team All-SAC member and was a Second Team All-Southeast Region pick by the NSCAA and D2CCA.

By sophomore year, Ness started all 22 games and scored 2 goals and had 11 assists in 1,668 minutes.

Ness joins as a senior for FGCU an will have one year of eligibility remaining.

This may be the only year I get to see Ness play, but I know it will be one thrill of ride to see.


The final transfer to join FGCU and also bringing international experience is Marjorie Boilesen.

The 5-8 midfielder/forward from Sao Paulo, Brazil has a international resume built to perfection.

Prior to FGCU, Boilesen spent her freshman year at the University of West Florida (UWF) of the NCAA DII Gulf South Conference. During her time there, she started all 23 games she played with 12 goals (five game winners), 14 assists, and two penalty kicks while logging in 1,627 minutes. She help lead the Argonauts to a 19-5 record and made it as far as the NCAA DII Tournament Quarterfinals.

She was so successful her freshman year that she was named a member of the D2CCA All-American First Team, NSCAA All-American Second Team, NSCAA All-South Region First Team, D2CCA All-South Region First Team and All-Gulf South Conference First Team. She was also the D2CCA South Region Player of the Year, Gulf South Conference Player of the Year and Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year.

Along with playing for UWF, Boilesen also played for the Brazilian U-20 squad as well as for her club team, Centro Olimpico.

Boilsen made it to several international tournaments including the 2015 South American U-20 Women's Football Championship and the 2015 NTC Invitational and even went on to qualify for the U-20 World Cup.

Boilesen joins FGCU as a sophomore and will have three years of remaining eligibility and I look forward to see the fire that Marjorie brings to the table.

There are six returning sophomores for the team: Emilie Olsen (F), Lindsey Patton (D), Tori Dorr (MF), Megan Young (F), Silvana Gordon (MF) and Melissa Weck (GK).


The first of the six sophomores is whom I dubbed the Norwegian Sensation: Emilie Olsen.

The 5-4 forward from Frekhaug, Norway is, in my opinion, the next Tabby Tindell for FGCU.

Prior to FGCU, Olsen played for the U17 Norwegian National Team as well as the Norwegian soccer club, Åsane Football Damer.

In her freshman year, Olsen started all 20 games with six goals and three assists. She did so well that she was a unanimous selection on the A-SUN All-Freshman Team.

With the international experience to back up fellow Norwegian, Varin Ness, Olsen will give it all she's got.


One good key defender to back up the defense is Lindsey Patton.

The 5-7 defender from Jacksonville, Florida plays definite key roles in defense.

In her freshman year, Patton Started all 20 games and had one goal and three assists while logging in 1,821 minutes. She did so well, that she was named to the A-SUN All-Freshman Team and A-SUN Second Team All-Conference.

For Patton's sophomore, she will surely raise the bar this season.


If there's a player whose work ethic is hard to resist, chances are, it's from Tori Dorr.

The 5-5 midfielder from Vero Beach, Florida can kick it into high gear like she's was Landon Donovan.

In her freshman year, Dorr started three of her 18 games played and logged in 508 minutes.

Currently, Dorr will redshirt due to injury, but you can bet she will come back stronger than you think.


If you want a mid-western soccer player whose got the heart of a lion, then we're talking about Megan Young.

The 5-7 forward from White Lakes, Michigan carries that heart and passion with ease.

In her freshman year, Young started one of her 18 games played with one goal and four assists while logging in 513 minutes.

Currently, Young will also redshirting due to injury, but like Dorr, the lion in her will be roaring back to the field next season.


If you want someone who has the heart and speed of Rey Mysterio, then you better watch for Silvana "Silv" Gordon.

The 5-5 midfielder from Medford, New Jersey can even make me jump out of my seat with her speed.

In her freshman year, Gordon played in nine games with one start. She had one goal and logged in 184 minutes.

I hope to see Silv play more games than she could imagine.


The last of the six sophomores and the brick wall of the team is Melissa Weck.

The 5-4 goalkeeper from Yorba Linda, California is, to me, the next Brittany Brown with her blocking ability.

Starting all 20 games in her freshman year, Weck led a charge of stopping her opponents with 10 shutouts, allowing only 17 goals with 73 saves while logging in 1,805 minutes.

Weck did so well that she earned a spot on the A-SUN All-Freshman Team.

For Weck, she will give it all she's got her sophomore year.

Now that we covered all the returners and transfers, what about them freshman?

FGCU managed to ink seven freshman: Hope Van Wagner (MF), Natalie Schaps (GK), Zoey Spitzer (F), Lauren Moss (MF), Kavina Ganeshan, (MF/D), Morgan Hawes (F/MF) and Cassidy Morgan (MF).


The first of the seven freshman is Hope Van Wagner.

The 5-4 Midfielder from Avon, Indiana was the earliest recruit for this years freshman class for she graduated early from high school and enrolled in the spring semester.

Prior to FGCU, Van Wagner played at Avon High School under head coach Eric Nance. There she guided Avon to four sectional titles and a 2013 state title while being a member of First Team All-State Team and the 2015-16 Academic All-State Team.

I look forward to seeing Hope play and I know she will make impact for the team.


A freshman who will also bring international experience is Natalie Schaps.

The 5-5 goalkeeper from Guatemala City, Guatemala brings a little more international kick for FGCU.

Prior to FGCU, Schaps went to the American School of Guatemala, and during that time, Schaps was recently called into camp for the Guatemalan Senior National Team as well as the U17 Guatemalan National Team.

Schaps played in the Central American Football Union (UNCAF) Tournament and earned a start against Trinidad and Tobago in a U17 World Cup Qualifier, helped her club team, Unifut, win the second half of the season in 2014 and 2016 and earned the Golden Glove Award (best goalkeeper), allowing only one goal during the 2016-17 National Women's Soccer League.

I'm looking forward to meeting her and seeing the international experience she brings to FGCU.


To spread the word locally about women's soccer, Zoey Spitzer comes into play.

The 5-5 forward from Naples, Florida brings local talent to the mix.

Prior to FGCU, Spitzer played for Gulf Coast High School under head coach Mark Voorhees. There Spitzer earned All-State accolades in each of her final three seasons and scored a total of 36 goals throughout her junior and senior year.

For Spitzer and her strong talent will certainly draw a good amount of local attendance.



The second of the four non-Florida freshman is Lauren Moss.

The 5-6 midfielder from Boulder, Colorado can bring a chill to her opponents.

Prior to FGCU, Moss played for Boulder High School under head coach Jason LaMere. There she was a First Team All-Conference member, All-Region Honorable Mention and All-State Honorable Mention along with being captain of her club team, FC Boulder where she was a member of back-to-back state cup finalist teams.

With her club experience, Moss will show the world that Colorado is coming.



The other non-Florida freshman from the international side is Kavina Ganeshan.

The 5-4 midfielder/defender from Pickering, Ontario, Canada, like Schaps, Boilesen, Olsen and Smetkova, also brings international experience.

Prior to FGCU, Ganeshan played at Pickering High School, but during the time, she played on the U15 and U17 Canadian National teams and even won gold at the U15 CONCACAF Tournament in the Cayman Islands.

Joining with the international experience, Ganeshan will make a statement for FGCU.


Joining next of this years freshman class is Morgan Hawes.

The 5-6 midfielder/forward from Coconut Creek, Florida will bring impact to FGCU.

Prior to FGCU, Hawes played at North Broward High School under head coach Tricia Amrhein.

There she was the American Heritage Delray's Offensive Player of the Year and All-County honoree. She even earned a state championship to add to her resume.

With her state championship experience, Hawes will give it all she's got.


The final freshman on the team is Cassidy Morgan.

The 5-4 midfielder from Weston, Florida will make great strides for the team.

Prior to FGCU, Morgan played for Cypress Bay High School under head coach Katie Dwyer.

There she was named on the All-County at Cypress Bay.

Morgan also played club for Sunrise Sting where she helped her side win the Region 3 Premier League in which her club team achieved a Top 10 national ranking.

With her experience in club soccer, Morgan will give it all she's got.

Like I was saying: with a new team and a new season, it means there will be changes, but will it stop FGCU from their hard work? No.

As long as they put forth the effort and commitment, they will give it all they from the returning veterans like Hudson and Parks to newcomers like Ganeshan and Ness.

Nonetheless, the season for FGCU's women's soccer team is gonna be something.

FGCU Women's Soccer: Schedule Released

After the schedules released by the volleyball and men's soccer team, the FGCU women's soccer team released their schedule too.

The Eagles last season went 14-5-1 overall with a 6-0-1 record in the A-SUN. They were the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. After a first round bye, FGCU faced No. 4 Kennesaw, winning 2-1 in the semifinals before beating No. 2 Lipscomb 2-0 in a championship rematch and claiming another automatic bid in the national tournament before falling to Florida in the first round.

The 2017 schedule is comprised of three NCAA Tournament teams from 2016, including a national quarterfinalist, six RPI Top 100 teams and seven programs that broke the 10-win mark last year.

Of course, FGCU will lose players like Paulina Speckmaier and Tabby Tindell as they graduated, but will gain newcomers joining us like sophomores Marjorie Boilesen from UWF and Petra Smetkova from Arkansas and freshman Natalie Schaps.

Teams FGCU faced in the past in non-conference play include Kent State, Liberty, Arizona, UCF and FIU.

FGCU will play South Carolina and Georgia Southern to open the season.

The Gamecocks were 21-2-1 overall with a 11-0 record in the SEC last season and at the time were ranked No. 3 in the nation.

Although they beat Texas A&M in the SEC tournament semifinals, they lost to Florida in finals, but were able to qualify for the national tournament as an at-large bid. They beat Alabama St. 7-0 in the first round, Colorado 1-0 in the second round and Brigham Young (BYU) in the sweet sixteen before falling 1-0 to UNC in the Elite Eight. Currently, South Carolina is ranked No. 5 in the nation after their Elite Eight loss.

Georgia Southern was 6-10-1 overall with a 3-7 record in the Sun Belt Conference. This will be the first time the teams will play each other, so you could say it's the "Battle of the Eagles".

The last time FGCU and South Carolina faced each other was in 2014. The Gamecocks won 2-0.

Kent State was 15-3-2 overall with a 8-1-2 record in the MAC Conference. They won the conference tournament and automatically advanced to the national tournament before falling to Northwestern in the first round.

FGCU and Kent State have faced off in 2010 with the Golden Flashes emerging victorious 2-1.

Liberty University was 14-8 overall with a 7-2 record in the Big South Conference. They won the conference tournament before falling to UNC in the first round.

This will be the second time FGCU and Liberty will face each other. The first time, FGCU beat the Flames 1-0 last season.

The Arizona Wildcats were 9-9-1 overall with a 4-7 record in the Pac-12 Conference. They did not make the national tournament and there was no conference tournament for women's soccer in the Pac-12.

Last time the Eagles and the Wildcats met, FGCU won 2-0 in 2014.

FIU and UCF have played FGCU for numerous seasons. Overall FGCU is 8-1-1 overall against FIU, but have yet to beat UCF (0-4-2).

FIU was 3-11-3 overall with a 2-6-2 record in Conference USA while UCF was 9-8-2 overall with a 4-4-1 record in the AAC. FIU failed to qualify for their conference tournament while UCF fell to Southern Methodist (SMU) in the first round.

Teams that FGCU will play for the first time in program history include Valpariso, Eastern Michigan (EMU), Arizona State, and Webber International (NAIA).

Valpariso was 9-10 overall with a 5-4 record in the Horizon League. The Crusaders would fall to Oakland in the first round of the conference tournament.

Eastern Michigan was 6-10-4 overall with a 4-5-2 record in the MAC Conference. They fell to Kent State in the quarterfinals.

The Arizona State Sun Devils were 6-11-2 overall with a 1-9-1 record in the PAC 12 Conference. Like their in-state conference rival, Arizona, they did not make it to the national tournament.

The only team I would never think FGCU would play in their entire life would be Webber International. I'm curious to know why we are playing them in the first place, let alone why are we playing a team that is from the NAIA?

Webber was 3-9-1 overall with a 2-7-1 record in the NAIA's Sun Conference.

After their first four season games with GSU and South Carolina, Valpariso and EMU, FGCU opens their home part of the season with Kent State and Liberty.

After the game against Webber, FGCU will start conference on the road at Stetson (Sept. 23rd) before playing two games against Lipscomb (Sept. 29th) and Kennesaw (Oct. 1st).

The Eagles will be on the road playing NJIT, USC Upstate and JU before playing a non-conference home game against FIU and wrapping up conference at home against UNF. The game against UNF would assumingly be senior night for seven seniors: Lauren Greene, Paige Law, Nikki Hudson, Kiana Rugar, Ashley Parks, Meghan Mulligan, Elyse Hansen and Varin Ness.

Rugar (Albany) and Ness (NCAA DII Carson-Newman) are the only senior transfers for FGCU, although Rugar is a grad student.

Although listed as a redshirt junior, Hansen will be walking with the other seniors.

Nevertheless, this season is gonna be something for the FGCU women's soccer team.