The No. 1 FGCU women's soccer team (11-4-1, 6-1-1 A-SUN) is gearing up for the postseason, as the team is set to compete in the A-SUN Championship semifinals at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3 at the FGCU Soccer Complex. The Eagles, who captured this year's A-SUN regular season title, were awarded a first-round bye and will face off against the winner of Friday night's 5 p.m. quarterfinal between No. 4 UNF (11-5-2, 5-2-1, A-SUN) and No. 5 Kennesaw State (10-7-0, 5-3-0 A-SUN).
The semifinal game at the Nest will be a white out and will be streamed on YouTube Live for fans that cannot attend.
FGCU's regular season title marked the ninth in program history and the team enters the postseason looking for its seventh tournament crown.
Awards and Accolades:
Prior to the tournament, the A-SUN presented awards to the players that did the best overall:
A-SUN Coach of the Year:
For the fifth time in his career, head coach Jim Blakenship was honored with the A-SUN Coach of the Year, which is the most of any other coach in the A-SUN. Blakenship led the Eagles to the 2019 A-SUN regular season championship, as well as the program's 11th-consecutive season with double-digit wins. The regular season crown was the ninth in program history and the team enters the postseason looking for its seventh tournament crown. This is the fifth Coach of the Year honor for Blankenship, . Earlier this season, Blankenship surpassed 400 career wins with a 2-1 FGCU victory over Creighton (Sept. 20). His 407 wins are the 10th-most among active DI coaches and his career win percentage (.743) also checks in at 10th on the all-time list.
A-SUN Player of the Year:
For the first time her career, senior Evdokia "Evi" Popadinova earned the A-SUN Player of the Year as well as a member of the A-SUN All-Conference First Team for the second time this season and on the A-SUN All-Academic Team. Popadinova paces the team with 22 points, which she has tallied from 10 goals and a pair of assists. She has contributed 13 points in conference play and recently checked into the top three of the FGCU all-time scorers list with 24 career goals.
A-SUN Goalkeeper of the Year:
The A-SUN Goalkeeper of the Year was earned by Liberty's Melody Jayroe. Jayroe has been exceptional all season including an impressive A-SUN campaign allowing just two goals in eight games. Jayroe and the backline played its best soccer during conference play as they did not allow an A-SUN team to score a goal during regulation. Jayroe ranks second in school history with 20 career shutouts, tied with Karen Blocker (2008-12), as the junior posted eight shutouts this season with 93 saves. The last goal Liberty has allowed during regulation was in the 43rd minute of the first half against James Madison on Sept. 19. This is the second postseason honor for Jayroe in her career as she was named to the 2017 Big South All-Freshman Team.
A-SUN Defensive Player of the Year:
For the first time this season, senior Lindsey Patton was named the A-SUN Defensive Player of the Year. A four-year starter for FGCU, Patton has played the full duration in all but once match this season. She anchors FGCU's back line, which has allowed just 14 goals this season, the lowest amount in the conference. She helped lead the team to a league-high eight shutouts and has helped limit opponents to an average of just eight shots per game. This is the third-consecutive season that she has earned First Team All-Conference recognition and she has been named to a postseason team in each of her three seasons in Fort Myers. She is the seventh Eagle to receive A-SUN Defensive Player of the Year recognition and the first to do so since Ashley Parks was selected in 2017. In addition to the aforementioned honors, Patton, a 3.93 GPA student majoring in Exercise Science, also received her third-consecutive all-academic selection.
A-SUN Freshman of the Year:
Kennesaw State's Becky Contreras was named A-SUN Freshman of the Year to go along with her Second Team selection, as well as her unanimous selection to the All-Freshman team. The freshman had a breakout first year with the team. Throughout 17 games, she tallied five goals and one assist, four goals of which were game winners. She also ranks fourth in the conference in shots with 59. She is the first Freshman of the Year recipient in Kennesaw State history.
A-SUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year:
Lipscomb's Olivia Doak was named the A-SUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Doak, who was also named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference First Team, racked up a number of stats to lead the Bison's offense to its third-straight regular season title posting nine goals, five assists and 23 points while maintaining a 3.92 GPA.
A-SUN All-Conference First Team:
Joining Popadinova and Patton on the A-SUN All-Conference First Team is senior Marjorie "Ma" Boilesen. A now three-time First Team All-Conference selection, Boilesen paces the league with six assists and checks in at ninth in the A-SUN rankings with 16 points, despite missing one game due to injury. She has finished a pair of games with two goals and contributed five crucial points during the team's eight-match unbeaten streak (Sept. 15 – Oct. 17). This season, she cracked into the top four in the FGCU record book in both career assists (24) and career points (66). She is now just six assists away from overtaking the program record, having tallied four assists in the last four matches. Boilesen, a Management major, was also named to the all-academic team for the first time in her career and has posted a 3.41 GPA.
Other players that were named on the A-SUN All-Conference First Team are as listed:
Kennesaw State: Isabella Contreras
Liberty: Jayroe and Gabrielle Farrell
UNF: Hollyn Knight and Thais Reiss
North Alabama: Shelby Wall
Lipscomb: Maycie McKay and Doak
A-SUN All-Conference Second Team:
Senior Melissa Weck and junior Zoey Spitzer were named on the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team.
Weck had already established herself as one of the most decorated keepers in both school and conference history heading into this season. A three-time all-conference selection, she has been named A-SUN Defensive Player of the Week six times throughout her career, including twice this season. The six selections are the second-most of any player in conference history. This year, she leads the conference in goals against (13) and wins (11) and has posted seven solo shutouts. She ranks third all-time in the FGCU record book in both career goals-against average (0.75) and saves (249) and her 34.4 career shutouts are three away from both the A-SUN and FGCU records.
This was the second time Spitzer was named to the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team. After opening up the season with an assist in the 2-0 victory over FIU (Aug. 22), she has gone on to play the full duration in all but two matches. Spitzer has played an important role in the team's league-high eight shutouts and has helped to direct a defense that has allowed just 14 goals, the lowest of any team in the A-SUN.
Other players that were named on the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team are as listed:
Kennesaw State: Kelsey Hahn and Becky Contreras
Liberty: Grace Spade
UNF: Hollyn Knight and Thais Reiss
North Alabama: Shelby Wall
Lipscomb: Maycie McKay and Doak
NJIT: Siani Magruder
A-SUN All-Freshman Team:
Louise Lillback was named a unanimous selection to the A-SUN All-Freshman Team. Lillback paces all conference freshmen in goals, assists and points, as well as goals scored in league play and conference points. Earlier this season, she was named A-SUN Player of the Week (Sept. 30) after having a hand in all three of the team's goals as FGCU downed North Alabama (Sept. 26); she scored twice and contributed an assist. She was the first freshman from FGCU to receive the honor since 2013. Though she has only started five games, she has been the first reserve to enter in the other 11.
The other freshman listed on the A-SUN All-Freshman Team are as listed:
Kennesaw State: Becky Contreras, Hayley Dekker and Camryn Simmons
Liberty: Spade
UNF: Devyn Encalada
Lipscomb: Molly Grant and Katia Hanger
NJIT: Molly Saylor
Jacksonville: Olivia Abdallah
Stetson: Maggie Struble
A-SUN All-Academic Team:
Joining Boilesen, Popadinova and Patton on the A-SUN All-Academic Team is senior Opal Curless and sophomore Ashlee Brentlinger.
This is the first postseason honor for Curless, who owns a 4.0 GPA as a Psychology major. She has started every game that she has played in during her two seasons at FGCU and has played the full duration in all but two matches this year. She tallied an assist during the team's 2-0 win over Northeastern (Sept. 8) and has played a large role in the Eagles' strong back line. Curless has helped the team to its league-high eight shutouts and has been successful at keeping the pressure off Weck, who has only had to face an average of four shots per game.
Brentlinger, a 4.0 GPA student majoring in biology, has been awarded with a spot on the all-academic team, marking the first postseason selection in her Eagle career. This season, she has been one of FGCU's go-to midfielders, having contributed five points off of one goal and three assists. She has started all but three matches for the Green and Blue and has assisted on two key goals in conference play: the first being Lillback's game-winner against North Alabama and the second being Boilesen's goal that forced the game against Lipscomb to end in a 1-1 draw.
Other players that were named on the A-SUN All-Academic Team are as listed:
Liberty: Grace Spade
UNF: Rhiannon Conelley
North Alabama: Wall
Lipscomb: Doak, McKay, Leah Cernicky,
NJIT: Siani Magruder
Stetson: Lily Ammon
"I'm excited and proud for all of our players that were honored," Blankenship said. "They've put a lot of work into this season and, obviously, to be rewarded for their effort means a lot to them. I know that they were really happy to be recognized among their peers and I could not be more excited for our team. We work for this (A-SUN Championship) all year and now it's time to get it done."
The Green and Blue:
The regular season title came down to the final weekend of conference play, as FGCU and Lipscomb were knotted up at 16 points apiece. In their final conference match of the season, the Eagles downed Stetson 3-2 (Oct. 27) to take over the top of the rankings. Later that night, the Bison defeated North Alabama by a score of 6-0 to match the Green and Blue once again.
Since the teams posted a 1-1 draw during their regular season matchup (Sept. 29), the tiebreaker came down to RPI, in which the Eagles held a 99-136 advantage over the Bison.
The spot in the postseason tournament marks the ninth-consecutive season that head coach Jim Blankenship's squad has achieved such a feat. In all but one season, FGCU has reached the A-SUN Championship match.
In her final season between the pipes, senior Melissa Weck has been dominant for the Eagles. She has posted seven individual shutouts and leads the conference having allowed just 13 goals. Her career goals-against average of 0.75 checks in at third in the FGCU record book and fifth in A-SUN history.
Scouting UNF:
North Florida clinched its spot in the postseason tournament after earning a 4-0 victory over the Stetson Hatters (Oct. 24). The team's 11 wins this season match the program's DI record.
The Eagles own a 1-0-0 edge over the Ospreys in the head-to-head tournament record. The last time the programs met in the postseason was during the quarterfinals of the 2011 season, where FGCU claimed a 2-1 victory.
Junior Thais Reiss leads UNF with 28 points, the second-most of any player in the conference. She leads the league in assists (six) and paces the team with 11 goals. In league play, she has found the back of the net three times and has contributed five assists.
In this year's regular season meeting between the two teams (Oct. 17), Popadinova found the back of the net in the 104th minute to hand the Eagles the double-overtime win. Weck was challenged throughout the match, but had answers to all of the Ospreys attempts, finishing the night with three highlight-reel stops.
Scouting Kennesaw State:
FGCU and Kennesaw State have met twice during the postseason, both of which have resulted in Eagle victories. The Green and Blue downed the Owls in the 2014 Championship, earning a 3-1 triumph. In 2016, the teams faced off in the semifinals where the Eagles grabbed a 2-1 win to advance to the championship game.
Redshirt-junior Tiffany Sornpao has started all 17 matches in net for the Owls. Her five conference shutouts are the second-most in the league and she has been scored on five times by A-SUN opponents.
Kennesaw State's offense has been well-balanced throughout the season, as 10 different Owls have found the back of the net. Freshman Becky Contreras leads the group with five goals, while junior Erin Harris paces the team with 12 points.
Earlier this season, FGCU hosted Kennesaw State at the Nest and handed the visiting team a 2-0 loss (Oct. 10). Lillback and senior Silvana Gordon scored for the Eagles as the team cruised past the Owls.
The Bracket:
The A-SUN Championship is a single-elimination tournament format that is played over the course of two weeks. The top six teams, based on the regular season standings, advance to the postseason. Each game is hosted by the highest remaining seed, including the championship, which is set for a 6 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Nov. 9.
While the Ospreys and the Owls travel to Fort Myers, No. 3 Liberty and No. 6 NJIT will travel to Nashville where the teams will battle to take on No. 2 Lipscomb.
The Flames and the Highlanders will face off at 7 p.m. on Friday night at the Lipscomb Soccer Complex. The winner will advance to Sunday's 1 p.m. semifinal against the Bisons.
A-SUN Standings
1. FGCU * (19 points, 11-4-1, 6-1-1 A-SUN)
2. Lipscomb * (19 points, 12-5-1, 6-1-1 A-SUN)
3. Liberty * (18 points, 10-6-2, 6-2-0 A-SUN)
4. UNF * (16 points, 11-5-2, 5-2-1 A-SUN)
5. Kennesaw State * (15 points, 10-7-0, 5-3-0 A-SUN)
6. NJIT * (10 points, 6-7-3, 3-4-1 A-SUN)
7. North Alabama (6 points, 6-10-0, 2-5-0 A-SUN)
T-8. Stetson (1 point, 2-13-2, 0-7-1 A-SUN)
T-8. Jacksonville (1 point, 0-12-3, 0-6-1 A-SUN)
* - Denotes clinched spot in A-SUN Championship
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Showing posts with label FGCU Women's Soccer 2019. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FGCU Women's Soccer 2019. Show all posts
FGCU WSOC @ Stetson Recap
The FGCU women's soccer team (11-4-1, 6-1-1 A-SUN) claimed the ninth regular season title in program history with a hard-fought, 3-2 win over Stetson (2-13-2, 0-7-1 A-SUN) Sunday afternoon at the Athletic Training Center.
"It's awesome to be back on top and win the league," head coach Jim Blankenship said. "It was our goal from the beginning of the season to try and get back to this position so I'm pleased that we were able to do that. Obviously, today was a tough result to get because we got down a goal early and had to fight back. Stetson played hard today and it was a good test for our program and our players showed a lot of grit and strong character. Overall, three points on the road is always good and I'm happy with the work our team put in to secure this victory."
The Hatters struck first, as Lily Truong tallied her first goal of the season with a diving header that put the home team up 1-0 in the 15th minute of the match. Redshirt-junior Megan Young responded with an on-frame test, marking her third shot of the day, but was denied by the Stetson keeper.
After a slow start for FGCU's offense, senior Evdokia Popadinova put the team on the board with a shot in the 26th minute that tied things up at 1-1. Classmate Marjorie Boilesen was credited with the assist on the play.
Less than two minutes later, Popadinova handed the Eagles the lead with her second goal of the match after converting a corner kick from sophomore Kara Kyramarios. The senior knocked in a header in the 28th minute to put the Green and Blue up 2-1. The goal was Popadinova's 10th of the season, marking the second-consecutive year that she has achieved a double-digit total.
Sophomore Ashlee Brentlinger had an opportunity to extend FGCU's lead just before the half, but her header was stopped by Stetson's RaeAnna Casler. The team took its 2-1 advantage into the break, as well as an 8-3 edge in shots.
With 25 minutes left in the match, Stetson rookie Maggie Struble tallied the equalizer to cap off an unassisted drive into the box. The goal was her seventh of the season and tied things up at 2-2.
After a few unsuccessful scoring attempts by the Eagles, sophomore Alyssa Abbondandolo netted her first goal of the season in the 76th minute to break the tie. With less than 15 minutes on the clock, Abbondandolo's game-winner, which was assisted by Boilesen, put the Green and Blue up 3-2 and the team held on for the win.
Whether the Eagles stand alone as regular season champions, which would mark the ninth time in 10 seasons the team has achieved such a feat, will depend on the result of Sunday's 8 p.m. match between Lipscomb (11-5-1, 5-1-1 A-SUN) and host North Alabama (6-10-0, 2-5-0 A-SUN).
Though the official bracket will be released after tonight's match, FGCU is expected to be the No. 1 seed due to current tiebreaker rules, which include head-to-head results and RPI rankings (FGCU 66, Lipscomb 138).
Up Next:
Assuming FGCU earns the top seed, the Green and Blue will take on the winner of the quarterfinal match between No. 4 Kennesaw State and No. 5 UNF (Friday, Nov. 1) in the conference semifinal at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3. The championship game will be played on Saturday, Nov. 9 and will be hosted by the highest remaining seed.
A-SUN Standings (before 8 p.m. match between Lipscomb/North Alabama)
1. FGCU * (19 points, 11-4-1, 6-1-1 A-SUN)
2. Liberty * (18 points, 10-6-2, 6-2-0 A-SUN)
3. Lipscomb * (16 points, 11-5-1, 5-1-1 A-SUN)
4. Kennesaw State * (15 points, 10-7-0, 5-3-0 A-SUN)
5. UNF * (13 points, 10-5-2, 4-2-1 A-SUN)
6. NJIT * (10 points, 6-7-3, 3-4-1 A-SUN)
7. North Alabama (6 points, 6-10-0, 2-5-0 A-SUN)
T-8. Stetson (1 point, 2-13-2, 0-7-1 A-SUN)
T-8. Jacksonville (1 point, 0-12-3, 0-6-1 A-SUN)
* - Denotes clinched spot in A-SUNChampionship
"It's awesome to be back on top and win the league," head coach Jim Blankenship said. "It was our goal from the beginning of the season to try and get back to this position so I'm pleased that we were able to do that. Obviously, today was a tough result to get because we got down a goal early and had to fight back. Stetson played hard today and it was a good test for our program and our players showed a lot of grit and strong character. Overall, three points on the road is always good and I'm happy with the work our team put in to secure this victory."
The Hatters struck first, as Lily Truong tallied her first goal of the season with a diving header that put the home team up 1-0 in the 15th minute of the match. Redshirt-junior Megan Young responded with an on-frame test, marking her third shot of the day, but was denied by the Stetson keeper.
After a slow start for FGCU's offense, senior Evdokia Popadinova put the team on the board with a shot in the 26th minute that tied things up at 1-1. Classmate Marjorie Boilesen was credited with the assist on the play.
Less than two minutes later, Popadinova handed the Eagles the lead with her second goal of the match after converting a corner kick from sophomore Kara Kyramarios. The senior knocked in a header in the 28th minute to put the Green and Blue up 2-1. The goal was Popadinova's 10th of the season, marking the second-consecutive year that she has achieved a double-digit total.
Sophomore Ashlee Brentlinger had an opportunity to extend FGCU's lead just before the half, but her header was stopped by Stetson's RaeAnna Casler. The team took its 2-1 advantage into the break, as well as an 8-3 edge in shots.
With 25 minutes left in the match, Stetson rookie Maggie Struble tallied the equalizer to cap off an unassisted drive into the box. The goal was her seventh of the season and tied things up at 2-2.
After a few unsuccessful scoring attempts by the Eagles, sophomore Alyssa Abbondandolo netted her first goal of the season in the 76th minute to break the tie. With less than 15 minutes on the clock, Abbondandolo's game-winner, which was assisted by Boilesen, put the Green and Blue up 3-2 and the team held on for the win.
Whether the Eagles stand alone as regular season champions, which would mark the ninth time in 10 seasons the team has achieved such a feat, will depend on the result of Sunday's 8 p.m. match between Lipscomb (11-5-1, 5-1-1 A-SUN) and host North Alabama (6-10-0, 2-5-0 A-SUN).
Though the official bracket will be released after tonight's match, FGCU is expected to be the No. 1 seed due to current tiebreaker rules, which include head-to-head results and RPI rankings (FGCU 66, Lipscomb 138).
Up Next:
Assuming FGCU earns the top seed, the Green and Blue will take on the winner of the quarterfinal match between No. 4 Kennesaw State and No. 5 UNF (Friday, Nov. 1) in the conference semifinal at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3. The championship game will be played on Saturday, Nov. 9 and will be hosted by the highest remaining seed.
A-SUN Standings (before 8 p.m. match between Lipscomb/North Alabama)
1. FGCU * (19 points, 11-4-1, 6-1-1 A-SUN)
2. Liberty * (18 points, 10-6-2, 6-2-0 A-SUN)
3. Lipscomb * (16 points, 11-5-1, 5-1-1 A-SUN)
4. Kennesaw State * (15 points, 10-7-0, 5-3-0 A-SUN)
5. UNF * (13 points, 10-5-2, 4-2-1 A-SUN)
6. NJIT * (10 points, 6-7-3, 3-4-1 A-SUN)
7. North Alabama (6 points, 6-10-0, 2-5-0 A-SUN)
T-8. Stetson (1 point, 2-13-2, 0-7-1 A-SUN)
T-8. Jacksonville (1 point, 0-12-3, 0-6-1 A-SUN)
* - Denotes clinched spot in A-SUNChampionship
FGCU WSOC @ Stetson Preview
With the regular season champion title on the line, the FGCU women's soccer team (10-4-1, 5-1-1 A-SUN) will head to Stetson (2-11-2, 0-5-1 A-SUN) for the final match of A-SUN conference play on Sunday, Oct. 27. The match between the first-place Eagles and the Hatters is set for a 1 p.m. kickoff at the Athletic Training Center and will be streamed on Hatter Vision.
FGCU is currently in a tie with Lipscomb for the top spot in the conference standings. With a win this weekend, the Eagles would clinch at least a share of the regular season title, which would be the ninth in program history. In the event of a tie in the final rankings, the A-SUN uses RPI to decide seeding for the postseason tournament. FGCU is currently ranked 66th, while the Bisons check in at 138.
FGCU, Lipscomb and Liberty are the only teams that have clinched spots in the 2019 A-SUN Championship, which is set to begin with quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 1. The tournament format dictates that the higher seed will host each matchup.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles are coming off splitting this past week after shutting out UNF 1-0 in double overtime at home before falling 1-0 to Liberty on the road. Despite the loss to Liberty, the Eagles still have a spot in the A-SUN Conference Tournament, a share of the A-SUN Regular Season Championship and being one of the top two seeds in the tournament.
Senior Evdokia Popadinova leads the team with eight goals with five of them being game-winners, while freshman Louise Lillback follows with seven goals and four assists and senior Marjorie Boilesen with five goals and four assists.
Senior Melissa Weck (10-4-1) has 51 saves with a 0.78 GAA.
Scouting Steston:
Sunday's match will be the 14th in the history between FGCU and Stetson, which the Eagles currently lead 10-1-2. The Green and Blue dropped the first-ever meeting against the Hatters in 2007 and have not lost since. Last season, FGCU claimed a 3-0 victory over the Hatters at the FGCU Soccer Complex.
The Hatters are currently on a four-match losing streak and have yet to pick up a win in conference play. The team earned a 0-0 draw against Jacksonville (Oct. 3), marking the team's only point in the A-SUN rankings.
Overall, Stetson is 1-3-2 on its home field at the Athletic Training Center. The Hatters have been outscored 14-7 on their pitch and the team has not found the back of the net since a 3-2 loss against Illinois State (Sept. 22).
Freshman Maggie Struble leads the team with 12 points, which she has tallied from six goals. Sophomore Kate Carter has added four, which includes one game-winner.
Freshman Lara Bates has started between the pipes in 13 of Stetson's 16 matches this season. The rookie has been scored on 33 times and has picked up one shutout. Her 69 saves are the fourth-most of all A-SUN keepers and she currently owns a 0-10-2 record.
A-SUN Standings
T-1. FGCU * (16 points, 10-4-1, 5-1-1 A-SUN)
T-1. Lipscomb * (16 points, 11-5-1, 5-1-1 A-SUN)
3. Liberty * (15 points, 9-6-2, 5-2-0 A-SUN)
4. Kennesaw State (12 points, 9-7-0, 4-3-0 A-SUN)
5. UNF (10 points, 9-5-2, 3-2-1 A-SUN)
6. NJIT (7 points, 5-6-3, 2-3-1 A-SUN)
7. North Alabama (6 points, 6-9-0, 2-4-0 A-SUN)
T-8. Stetson (1 point, 2-11-2, 0-5-1 A-SUN)
T-8. Jacksonville (1 point, 0-11-3, 0-5-1 A-SUN)
* - Denotes a clinched spot in 2019 A-SUN Championship
Livestats will be available and will air on the Stetson's Hatter Vision
Livestats Link: https://gohatters.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
Livestream Link: https://gohatters.com/watch/?Live=359&type=Live
FGCU is currently in a tie with Lipscomb for the top spot in the conference standings. With a win this weekend, the Eagles would clinch at least a share of the regular season title, which would be the ninth in program history. In the event of a tie in the final rankings, the A-SUN uses RPI to decide seeding for the postseason tournament. FGCU is currently ranked 66th, while the Bisons check in at 138.
FGCU, Lipscomb and Liberty are the only teams that have clinched spots in the 2019 A-SUN Championship, which is set to begin with quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 1. The tournament format dictates that the higher seed will host each matchup.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles are coming off splitting this past week after shutting out UNF 1-0 in double overtime at home before falling 1-0 to Liberty on the road. Despite the loss to Liberty, the Eagles still have a spot in the A-SUN Conference Tournament, a share of the A-SUN Regular Season Championship and being one of the top two seeds in the tournament.
Senior Evdokia Popadinova leads the team with eight goals with five of them being game-winners, while freshman Louise Lillback follows with seven goals and four assists and senior Marjorie Boilesen with five goals and four assists.
Senior Melissa Weck (10-4-1) has 51 saves with a 0.78 GAA.
Scouting Steston:
Sunday's match will be the 14th in the history between FGCU and Stetson, which the Eagles currently lead 10-1-2. The Green and Blue dropped the first-ever meeting against the Hatters in 2007 and have not lost since. Last season, FGCU claimed a 3-0 victory over the Hatters at the FGCU Soccer Complex.
The Hatters are currently on a four-match losing streak and have yet to pick up a win in conference play. The team earned a 0-0 draw against Jacksonville (Oct. 3), marking the team's only point in the A-SUN rankings.
Overall, Stetson is 1-3-2 on its home field at the Athletic Training Center. The Hatters have been outscored 14-7 on their pitch and the team has not found the back of the net since a 3-2 loss against Illinois State (Sept. 22).
Freshman Maggie Struble leads the team with 12 points, which she has tallied from six goals. Sophomore Kate Carter has added four, which includes one game-winner.
Freshman Lara Bates has started between the pipes in 13 of Stetson's 16 matches this season. The rookie has been scored on 33 times and has picked up one shutout. Her 69 saves are the fourth-most of all A-SUN keepers and she currently owns a 0-10-2 record.
A-SUN Standings
T-1. FGCU * (16 points, 10-4-1, 5-1-1 A-SUN)
T-1. Lipscomb * (16 points, 11-5-1, 5-1-1 A-SUN)
3. Liberty * (15 points, 9-6-2, 5-2-0 A-SUN)
4. Kennesaw State (12 points, 9-7-0, 4-3-0 A-SUN)
5. UNF (10 points, 9-5-2, 3-2-1 A-SUN)
6. NJIT (7 points, 5-6-3, 2-3-1 A-SUN)
7. North Alabama (6 points, 6-9-0, 2-4-0 A-SUN)
T-8. Stetson (1 point, 2-11-2, 0-5-1 A-SUN)
T-8. Jacksonville (1 point, 0-11-3, 0-5-1 A-SUN)
* - Denotes a clinched spot in 2019 A-SUN Championship
Livestats will be available and will air on the Stetson's Hatter Vision
Livestats Link: https://gohatters.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
Livestream Link: https://gohatters.com/watch/?Live=359&type=Live
FGCU WSOC @ Liberty Recap
The FGCU women's soccer team (10-4-1, 5-1-1 A-SUN) dropped its first ASUN Conference match of the season, falling 1-0 on the road at Liberty (9-6-2, 5-2-0 A-SUN) Sunday afternoon.
Despite the misstep, the Eagles remain at the top of the league standings. FGCU is currently tied with Lipscomb for the top spot in the A-SUN and the team is still in the hunt for the 2019 regular season conference title.
"This was a tough loss for us," head coach Jim Blankenship said. "We missed out on some good opportunities. We had chances on a penalty kick and a few breakaways, but Liberty really battled against us. Their team capitalized on the only mistake that we made defensively. We had previous opportunities to put the game away, but they ended up having the difference-maker."
The teams were evenly matched in the first half, which proved to be extremely physical as the refs blew the whistle a combined 15 times. One of the fouls was called against the Flames inside their box, providing the Eagles with a penalty kick opportunity just under 16 minutes into the match. Liberty's keeper came up with the stop to keep FGCU at bay.
Both senior Melissa Weck and Liberty's Melody Jayroe were tested with on-frame attempts in the opening 45 minutes, but maintained a clean sheet as the teams went into the break knotted up at 0-0.
Ten minutes into the second half, Gabrielle Farrell put the Flames on the board by scoring in a moment of chaos that the home team had stirred up in FGCU's box. The shot put Liberty up 1-0, marking the first time the Eagles had trailed since the Sept. 12 match against the Florida Gators, who are currently ranked 24th in the country.
Senior Evdokia Popadinova responded less than two minutes later with a great attempt at the equalizer, but Jayroe was there to make the stop. Classmate Lindsey Patton tallied the team's final on-frame attempt of the match in the 66th minute. From there, the Flames held on for the win.
Weck (10-4-1) finished her day between the pipes making a season-high 10 saves. With just two games left in the regular season, she is 13 saves away from overtaking Stephanie Powers (FGCU 2008-11) for the second-most in the FGCU record book. Over the course of 90 minutes, the Flames earned a 16-10 advantage in shots and held the Eagles to just four attempts on-frame.
This week's 1-1 record in A-SUN play awarded the Eagles double-digit wins for the 11th consecutive season under Blankenship's tenure. The team has achieved this mark 12 of the overall 13 seasons in program history.
Up Next:
FGCU will return to the Nest to host ASA Miami in its final non-conference game of the season at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25. Fans are invited to attend before heading over to Alico Arena for Dunk City After Dark's 7 p.m. start time.
A-SUN Standings:
T-1. FGCU * (16 points, 10-4-1, 5-1-1 A-SUN)
T-1. Lipscomb * (16 points, 11-5-1, 5-1-1 A-SUN)
3. Liberty * (15 points, 9-6-2, 5-2-0 A-SUN)
4. Kennesaw State (12 points, 9-7-0, 4-3-0 A-SUN)
5. UNF (10 points, 9-5-2, 3-2-1 A-SUN)
6. NJIT (7 points, 5-6-3, 2-3-1 A-SUN)
7. North Alabama (6 points, 6-9-0, 2-4-0 A-SUN)
T-8. Stetson (1 point, 2-11-2, 0-5-1 A-SUN)
T-8. Jacksonville (1 point, 0-11-3, 0-5-1 A-SUN)
* - Denotes clinched spot in A-SUN Championship
Despite the misstep, the Eagles remain at the top of the league standings. FGCU is currently tied with Lipscomb for the top spot in the A-SUN and the team is still in the hunt for the 2019 regular season conference title.
"This was a tough loss for us," head coach Jim Blankenship said. "We missed out on some good opportunities. We had chances on a penalty kick and a few breakaways, but Liberty really battled against us. Their team capitalized on the only mistake that we made defensively. We had previous opportunities to put the game away, but they ended up having the difference-maker."
The teams were evenly matched in the first half, which proved to be extremely physical as the refs blew the whistle a combined 15 times. One of the fouls was called against the Flames inside their box, providing the Eagles with a penalty kick opportunity just under 16 minutes into the match. Liberty's keeper came up with the stop to keep FGCU at bay.
Both senior Melissa Weck and Liberty's Melody Jayroe were tested with on-frame attempts in the opening 45 minutes, but maintained a clean sheet as the teams went into the break knotted up at 0-0.
Ten minutes into the second half, Gabrielle Farrell put the Flames on the board by scoring in a moment of chaos that the home team had stirred up in FGCU's box. The shot put Liberty up 1-0, marking the first time the Eagles had trailed since the Sept. 12 match against the Florida Gators, who are currently ranked 24th in the country.
Senior Evdokia Popadinova responded less than two minutes later with a great attempt at the equalizer, but Jayroe was there to make the stop. Classmate Lindsey Patton tallied the team's final on-frame attempt of the match in the 66th minute. From there, the Flames held on for the win.
Weck (10-4-1) finished her day between the pipes making a season-high 10 saves. With just two games left in the regular season, she is 13 saves away from overtaking Stephanie Powers (FGCU 2008-11) for the second-most in the FGCU record book. Over the course of 90 minutes, the Flames earned a 16-10 advantage in shots and held the Eagles to just four attempts on-frame.
This week's 1-1 record in A-SUN play awarded the Eagles double-digit wins for the 11th consecutive season under Blankenship's tenure. The team has achieved this mark 12 of the overall 13 seasons in program history.
Up Next:
FGCU will return to the Nest to host ASA Miami in its final non-conference game of the season at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25. Fans are invited to attend before heading over to Alico Arena for Dunk City After Dark's 7 p.m. start time.
A-SUN Standings:
T-1. FGCU * (16 points, 10-4-1, 5-1-1 A-SUN)
T-1. Lipscomb * (16 points, 11-5-1, 5-1-1 A-SUN)
3. Liberty * (15 points, 9-6-2, 5-2-0 A-SUN)
4. Kennesaw State (12 points, 9-7-0, 4-3-0 A-SUN)
5. UNF (10 points, 9-5-2, 3-2-1 A-SUN)
6. NJIT (7 points, 5-6-3, 2-3-1 A-SUN)
7. North Alabama (6 points, 6-9-0, 2-4-0 A-SUN)
T-8. Stetson (1 point, 2-11-2, 0-5-1 A-SUN)
T-8. Jacksonville (1 point, 0-11-3, 0-5-1 A-SUN)
* - Denotes clinched spot in A-SUN Championship
FGCU WSOC vs UNF Recap
Senior Evdokia Popadinova pulled a rabbit out of the hat as the FGCU women's soccer team (10-3-1, 5-0-1 A-SUN) shutout UNF (9-5-2, 3-2-1) 1-0 in double overtime. With the win, the Eagles are now 12-1-1 against the Ospreys and have moved to a strong chance of getting the #1 or #2 seed in the A-SUN.
"That was the first golden goal we've had in a long time, so that was a special moment for our team," head coach Jim Blankenship said. "Weck made a clutch save in overtime to keep us in it and she always comes through for us. Special players made special plays and obviously those two (Popadinova and Weck) got it done for us when we needed it the most."
"What a game to be a part of. Had all the intensity of post season play. We need to play in games like this to learn how to win games like this," said UNF head coach Eric Faulconer. "FGCU is the premier program in our conference and that is where we want to be. Credit to them for doing what they needed to do to win tonight. Our players have left it on the field for the second game in a row and unfortunately we haven't made the one play needed to get the desired result. Eventually, we need to learn how to create that margin of difference. I believe it's coming. I am gutted for them. They gave me everything I could ask of them and more. We have two big games left and we need to get points. We have a week to recover and prepare. We are looking forward to the challenge."
For starting goalkeepers, Blakenship sent senior Melissa Weck to the post while Faulconer sent redshirt junior Rhiannon Conelley to counter.
In the first six minutes of the first half, the Eagles attempted the first two shots from Popadinova and classmate Lindsey Patton in no success before senior Marjorie Boilesen tried it herself to no avail 10 minutes later. The Ospreys didn't take their first shots of the first half until near of the first half off the feet of Emma Voigt and Devyn Encalada before the first half ended.
Heading into the second half, things started to get a little too aggressive on both sides of the match six minutes in after two yellow cards were issued to UNF from Leah Ferlin and Lisa Cedeno. A yellow card was also issued to Boilesen.
Even after the yellow cards, both teams continued to be aggressive while Weck and Conelley continued to prevent the goals from occurring all the end of the second half that led to overtime and the golden goal rule going into effect.
In the first overtime, UNF would get two shots off from Thais Reiss but to avail as Weck continued to stop UNF and send it into double overtime.
Three minutes into the second overtime, the Eagles managed to pull it together as Popadinova put a header into the top left corner for her eighth goal of the season and game winner with assists from Boilesen and sophomore Kara Kyramarios. Popadinova's goal was also her 22nd in her career as she ties with Paulina Speckmaier (22, 2013-16) for fifth all-time.
For Boilesen and Kyramarios, it was each their fourth of the season while for Boilesen it was her 19th of her career as she passed Melissa Arnold (18, 2011-14) and tied Ally Kasun (19, 2012-15) for sixth all-time.
Weck would earn her seventh shutout of the season and her 34.4th in her career after playing 103:21 minutes with three saves. Weck is now at 10-3-1 on the year.
Conelley would be dubbed with the loss after giving up the lone goal with four saves. Conelley is now at 7-5-1 on the year.
A-SUN Standings:
1. FGCU (16 points, 10-3-1, 5-0-1 A-SUN)
2. Liberty (12 points, 8-6-2, 4-2-0 A-SUN)
T-3. UNF (10 points, 9-5-2, 3-2-1 A-SUN)
T-3. Lipscomb (10 points, 9-5-1, 3-1-1 A-SUN)
5. Kennesaw State (9 points, 8-7-0, 3-3-0 A-SUN)
6. NJIT (7 points, 5-4-3, 2-1-1 A-SUN)
7. North Alabama (3 points, 5-9-0, 1-4-0 A-SUN)
T-8. Stetson (1 point, 2-9-2, 0-3-1 A-SUN)
T-8. Jacksonville (1 point, 0-11-3, 0-5-1 A-SUN)
Up Next:
The Eagles will hit the road to take on second-place Liberty (8-6-2, 4-2-0 A-SUN) in Lynchburg, Va. on Sunday, Oct. 20. The match at Osborne Stadium is set for a 1 p.m. kick-off and will be the fifth meeting in the history between the programs, which the Eagles lead 4-0.
"That was the first golden goal we've had in a long time, so that was a special moment for our team," head coach Jim Blankenship said. "Weck made a clutch save in overtime to keep us in it and she always comes through for us. Special players made special plays and obviously those two (Popadinova and Weck) got it done for us when we needed it the most."
For starting goalkeepers, Blakenship sent senior Melissa Weck to the post while Faulconer sent redshirt junior Rhiannon Conelley to counter.
In the first six minutes of the first half, the Eagles attempted the first two shots from Popadinova and classmate Lindsey Patton in no success before senior Marjorie Boilesen tried it herself to no avail 10 minutes later. The Ospreys didn't take their first shots of the first half until near of the first half off the feet of Emma Voigt and Devyn Encalada before the first half ended.
Heading into the second half, things started to get a little too aggressive on both sides of the match six minutes in after two yellow cards were issued to UNF from Leah Ferlin and Lisa Cedeno. A yellow card was also issued to Boilesen.
Even after the yellow cards, both teams continued to be aggressive while Weck and Conelley continued to prevent the goals from occurring all the end of the second half that led to overtime and the golden goal rule going into effect.
In the first overtime, UNF would get two shots off from Thais Reiss but to avail as Weck continued to stop UNF and send it into double overtime.
Three minutes into the second overtime, the Eagles managed to pull it together as Popadinova put a header into the top left corner for her eighth goal of the season and game winner with assists from Boilesen and sophomore Kara Kyramarios. Popadinova's goal was also her 22nd in her career as she ties with Paulina Speckmaier (22, 2013-16) for fifth all-time.
For Boilesen and Kyramarios, it was each their fourth of the season while for Boilesen it was her 19th of her career as she passed Melissa Arnold (18, 2011-14) and tied Ally Kasun (19, 2012-15) for sixth all-time.
Weck would earn her seventh shutout of the season and her 34.4th in her career after playing 103:21 minutes with three saves. Weck is now at 10-3-1 on the year.
Conelley would be dubbed with the loss after giving up the lone goal with four saves. Conelley is now at 7-5-1 on the year.
A-SUN Standings:
1. FGCU (16 points, 10-3-1, 5-0-1 A-SUN)
2. Liberty (12 points, 8-6-2, 4-2-0 A-SUN)
T-3. UNF (10 points, 9-5-2, 3-2-1 A-SUN)
T-3. Lipscomb (10 points, 9-5-1, 3-1-1 A-SUN)
5. Kennesaw State (9 points, 8-7-0, 3-3-0 A-SUN)
6. NJIT (7 points, 5-4-3, 2-1-1 A-SUN)
7. North Alabama (3 points, 5-9-0, 1-4-0 A-SUN)
T-8. Stetson (1 point, 2-9-2, 0-3-1 A-SUN)
T-8. Jacksonville (1 point, 0-11-3, 0-5-1 A-SUN)
Up Next:
The Eagles will hit the road to take on second-place Liberty (8-6-2, 4-2-0 A-SUN) in Lynchburg, Va. on Sunday, Oct. 20. The match at Osborne Stadium is set for a 1 p.m. kick-off and will be the fifth meeting in the history between the programs, which the Eagles lead 4-0.
FGCU WSOC vs UNF; @ Liberty Preview
The top-ranked FGCU women's soccer team (9-3-1, 4-0-1 A-SUN) has its sights set on a regular season title as the team heads into the last two weeks of conference play. The Eagles will host UNF (9-4-2, 3-1-1 A-SUN) at the FGCU Soccer Complex in a 7 p.m. match on Thursday, Oct. 17 before hitting the road to take on Liberty (8-6-2, 4-2-0 A-SUN) in a 1 p.m. clash on Sunday, Oct. 20.
Riding an eight-match unbeaten streak, the Eagles are the only program without a loss in A-SUN play entering the weekend. That streak of success has also bolstered FGCU in the NCAA RPI ranking with the Eagles leading the league with a No. 72 RPI with the next best A-SUN team, North Florida, checking in at No. 109.
Prior to the start of Thursday's match, members of the women's soccer team will celebrate Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night by recognizing members of the FGCU community specifically invited by the players for their positive impact.
FGCU, UNF and Liberty are at the top of the current league standings. The Green and Blue are first in the rankings, while the Flames check in at second and the Ospreys are tied for third with reigning A-SUN champ Lipscomb.
The Eagles have been dominant at the Nest throughout program history highlighted by a 79-17-8 record over the past 10 seasons. This year, the team is 8-1-0 at home, which is the best home mark since 2014 when the Green and Blue went 11-1-0.
The Green and Blue:
On Monday, senior keeper Melissa Weck earned A-SUN Defensive Player of the Week honors for the sixth time in her career. Weck (9-3-1), who was also selected earlier this season, posted back-to-back shutouts in the Eagles' 2-0 wins over both Kennesaw State (Oct. 10) and NJIT (Oct. 13). She faced 15 shots and made five stops over the two-match stretch, helping bump FGCU to first place in the A-SUN.
Weck paces the league in goals-against average (0.81) and has allowed just 10 goals this season, which ties for the lowest of any A-SUN keeper. She also leads the conference in solo shutouts (six) and wins (nine). Her six Defensive Player of the Week selections are the second-most of any player in conference history; the record currently stands at seven.
Freshman Louise Lillback has established herself as one of FGCU's largest threats up top and leads the team with 18 points (seven goals, four assists). She leads all conference rookies in points, goals and assists.
The Eagles have jumped up to sixth in the most recent United Soccer Coaches South Region poll. As a team, FGCU leads the A-SUN in assists (23), shutouts (seven) and conference goals (11).
UNF at FGCU:
The Eagles hold a 10-1-2 all-time advantage over the Ospreys and have won six of the last seven meetings between the programs. FGCU has never lost to UNF in Fort Myers and has not allowed the team to score since 2012.
The Ospreys dropped a 1-0 decision to Lipscomb (Oct. 13) in their most recent conference match. The Bisons scored in the final four minutes, marking UNF's first loss in A-SUN play.
Junior Thais Reiss leads the team with nine goals and 21 points, which are both good for second in the league. She started the season with a five-match scoring streak, but has not found the back of the net since the team's 1-0 victory over Liberty (Sept. 29).
UNF has posted a strong 5-1-1 record on the road this year. The only match the Ospreys have dropped outside their home stadium was a 2-1 loss at FAU (Sept. 8).
FGCU at Liberty:
Sunday's match will be the fifth in the history between the Eagles and the Flames, which FGCU leads 4-0. In the previous four meetings combined, FGCU has outscored Liberty 7-3. The last time the Eagles traveled to Lynchburg was 2016 and the team claimed a 1-0 victory.
Junior keeper Melody Jayroe paces the A-SUN in saves (86) and has started between the pipes in all 14 of Liberty's matches. She has been scored on 20 times, the second-most in the league, but has posted three shutouts in conference play.
Senior Gabrielle Farrell leads the team with 18 points (eight goals, two assists) and has found the back of the net three times against A-SUN opponents.
Liberty's only two conference losses have come in overtime. The Flames fell 1-0 to both UNF (Sept. 29) and Kennesaw State (Oct. 13).
Overall, Liberty is 5-1-1 within the confines of its home stadium.
A-SUN Standings:
1. FGCU (13 points, 9-3-1, 4-0-1 A-SUN)
2. Liberty (12 points, 8-6-2, 4-2-0 A-SUN)
T-3. UNF (10 points, 9-4-2, 3-1-1 A-SUN)
T-3. Lipscomb (10 points, 9-5-1, 3-1-1 A-SUN)
5. Kennesaw State (9 points, 8-7-0, 3-3-0 A-SUN)
6. NJIT (7 points, 5-4-3, 2-1-1 A-SUN)
7. North Alabama (3 points, 5-9-0, 1-4-0 A-SUN)
T-8. Stetson (1 point, 2-9-2, 0-3-1 A-SUN)
T-8. Jacksonville (1 point, 0-11-3, 0-5-1 A-SUN)
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for both games and will be on livestream. The game against the Ospreys will be streamed on YouTube Live, while the tilt against the Flames will be carried on ESPN+.
Livestats Links:
vs UNF- http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=267061
@ Liberty- http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=264503
Livestream Links:
vs UNF- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWPlmFZxpc1KCiQx90Ei4hg/
@Liberty- https://www.espn.com/watch?id=30aa6129-03df-4be1-abcd-8b8b664360e5
Riding an eight-match unbeaten streak, the Eagles are the only program without a loss in A-SUN play entering the weekend. That streak of success has also bolstered FGCU in the NCAA RPI ranking with the Eagles leading the league with a No. 72 RPI with the next best A-SUN team, North Florida, checking in at No. 109.
Prior to the start of Thursday's match, members of the women's soccer team will celebrate Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night by recognizing members of the FGCU community specifically invited by the players for their positive impact.
FGCU, UNF and Liberty are at the top of the current league standings. The Green and Blue are first in the rankings, while the Flames check in at second and the Ospreys are tied for third with reigning A-SUN champ Lipscomb.
The Eagles have been dominant at the Nest throughout program history highlighted by a 79-17-8 record over the past 10 seasons. This year, the team is 8-1-0 at home, which is the best home mark since 2014 when the Green and Blue went 11-1-0.
The Green and Blue:
On Monday, senior keeper Melissa Weck earned A-SUN Defensive Player of the Week honors for the sixth time in her career. Weck (9-3-1), who was also selected earlier this season, posted back-to-back shutouts in the Eagles' 2-0 wins over both Kennesaw State (Oct. 10) and NJIT (Oct. 13). She faced 15 shots and made five stops over the two-match stretch, helping bump FGCU to first place in the A-SUN.
Weck paces the league in goals-against average (0.81) and has allowed just 10 goals this season, which ties for the lowest of any A-SUN keeper. She also leads the conference in solo shutouts (six) and wins (nine). Her six Defensive Player of the Week selections are the second-most of any player in conference history; the record currently stands at seven.
Freshman Louise Lillback has established herself as one of FGCU's largest threats up top and leads the team with 18 points (seven goals, four assists). She leads all conference rookies in points, goals and assists.
The Eagles have jumped up to sixth in the most recent United Soccer Coaches South Region poll. As a team, FGCU leads the A-SUN in assists (23), shutouts (seven) and conference goals (11).
UNF at FGCU:
The Eagles hold a 10-1-2 all-time advantage over the Ospreys and have won six of the last seven meetings between the programs. FGCU has never lost to UNF in Fort Myers and has not allowed the team to score since 2012.
The Ospreys dropped a 1-0 decision to Lipscomb (Oct. 13) in their most recent conference match. The Bisons scored in the final four minutes, marking UNF's first loss in A-SUN play.
Junior Thais Reiss leads the team with nine goals and 21 points, which are both good for second in the league. She started the season with a five-match scoring streak, but has not found the back of the net since the team's 1-0 victory over Liberty (Sept. 29).
UNF has posted a strong 5-1-1 record on the road this year. The only match the Ospreys have dropped outside their home stadium was a 2-1 loss at FAU (Sept. 8).
FGCU at Liberty:
Sunday's match will be the fifth in the history between the Eagles and the Flames, which FGCU leads 4-0. In the previous four meetings combined, FGCU has outscored Liberty 7-3. The last time the Eagles traveled to Lynchburg was 2016 and the team claimed a 1-0 victory.
Junior keeper Melody Jayroe paces the A-SUN in saves (86) and has started between the pipes in all 14 of Liberty's matches. She has been scored on 20 times, the second-most in the league, but has posted three shutouts in conference play.
Senior Gabrielle Farrell leads the team with 18 points (eight goals, two assists) and has found the back of the net three times against A-SUN opponents.
Liberty's only two conference losses have come in overtime. The Flames fell 1-0 to both UNF (Sept. 29) and Kennesaw State (Oct. 13).
Overall, Liberty is 5-1-1 within the confines of its home stadium.
A-SUN Standings:
1. FGCU (13 points, 9-3-1, 4-0-1 A-SUN)
2. Liberty (12 points, 8-6-2, 4-2-0 A-SUN)
T-3. UNF (10 points, 9-4-2, 3-1-1 A-SUN)
T-3. Lipscomb (10 points, 9-5-1, 3-1-1 A-SUN)
5. Kennesaw State (9 points, 8-7-0, 3-3-0 A-SUN)
6. NJIT (7 points, 5-4-3, 2-1-1 A-SUN)
7. North Alabama (3 points, 5-9-0, 1-4-0 A-SUN)
T-8. Stetson (1 point, 2-9-2, 0-3-1 A-SUN)
T-8. Jacksonville (1 point, 0-11-3, 0-5-1 A-SUN)
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for both games and will be on livestream. The game against the Ospreys will be streamed on YouTube Live, while the tilt against the Flames will be carried on ESPN+.
Livestats Links:
vs UNF- http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=267061
@ Liberty- http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=264503
Livestream Links:
vs UNF- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWPlmFZxpc1KCiQx90Ei4hg/
@Liberty- https://www.espn.com/watch?id=30aa6129-03df-4be1-abcd-8b8b664360e5
FGCU WSOC vs NJIT Recap
The FGCU women's soccer team (9-3-1, 4-0-1 A-SUN) claimed a 2-0 senior day victory over NJIT (8-6-0, 2-3-0 A-SUN) Sunday afternoon at the FGCU Soccer Complex. The Eagles now stand at the top of the A-SUN standings and are the only team undefeated in conference play.
"This is a great result for us, we knew that today was going to be really challenging," head coach Jim Blankenship said. "NJIT was one of a handful of undefeated teams in the conference, but I'm really happy with the pressure we put on them. We had two great goals and a really solid defensive performance. It was overall a great game for us and we put together a complete performance."
Before the game, the Eagles recognized eight seniors on the team and what they accomplished at FGCU: Evdokia Popadinova, Marjorie Boilesen, Silvana Gordon, Emilie Olson, Lindsey Patton, Melissa Weck, Petra Smetkova and Opal Curless. Following that, I had the utmost opportunity to sing the national anthem for them.
For the fourth consecutive match, the Eagles found the back of the net in the opening 45 minutes of play. Redshirt-junior Megan Young was the first to get the home team on the board, converting a pass from sophomore Kara Kyramarios just 13 minutes into the game. Young's goal was her first of the season and the second of her career.
Freshman Louise Lillback extended the team's lead with less than six minutes to go in the first stanza, knocking in the seventh goal of her rookie campaign. Popadinova and Boilesen were each credited with an assist as the team jumped out 2-0 over NJIT.
FGCU limited the visiting Highlanders to just one shot in the first half, taking its 2-0 advantage into the break.
The Eagles' defense prevented Weck from being tested until the 58th minute of the match, when NJIT's Katrina Nguyen-DeMary tallied the team's first on-frame attempt. Weck (9-3-1) went on to make just two more saves as she cruised to her sixth solo shutout of the season.
Redshirt freshman Molly Saylor (4-4-3) would earn the loss after giving up both goals while adding nine saves.
FGCU had a few more chances to score, one of which was a bicycle kick off the foot of senior Lindsey Patton that the NJIT keeper just barely corralled. Kyramarios, Popadinova and junior Hope Van Wagner also notched on-frame attempts in the final minutes of play, but the team ultimately held on to its original lead for the victory.
With the win, the Eagles extend their unbeaten streak to eight matches. The team has not lost since Sept. 12 and has outscored opponents 15-3 during the stretch.
Up Next:
FGCU will remain at the Nest to host UNF (9-4-2, 3-1-1 A-SUN) in its final home A-SUN match of the season. The teams are slated for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Thursday, Oct. 17. The match will be a green out and Faculty/Staff VIP Night at the FGCU Soccer Complex.
"This is a great result for us, we knew that today was going to be really challenging," head coach Jim Blankenship said. "NJIT was one of a handful of undefeated teams in the conference, but I'm really happy with the pressure we put on them. We had two great goals and a really solid defensive performance. It was overall a great game for us and we put together a complete performance."
Before the game, the Eagles recognized eight seniors on the team and what they accomplished at FGCU: Evdokia Popadinova, Marjorie Boilesen, Silvana Gordon, Emilie Olson, Lindsey Patton, Melissa Weck, Petra Smetkova and Opal Curless. Following that, I had the utmost opportunity to sing the national anthem for them.
For the fourth consecutive match, the Eagles found the back of the net in the opening 45 minutes of play. Redshirt-junior Megan Young was the first to get the home team on the board, converting a pass from sophomore Kara Kyramarios just 13 minutes into the game. Young's goal was her first of the season and the second of her career.
Freshman Louise Lillback extended the team's lead with less than six minutes to go in the first stanza, knocking in the seventh goal of her rookie campaign. Popadinova and Boilesen were each credited with an assist as the team jumped out 2-0 over NJIT.
FGCU limited the visiting Highlanders to just one shot in the first half, taking its 2-0 advantage into the break.
The Eagles' defense prevented Weck from being tested until the 58th minute of the match, when NJIT's Katrina Nguyen-DeMary tallied the team's first on-frame attempt. Weck (9-3-1) went on to make just two more saves as she cruised to her sixth solo shutout of the season.
Redshirt freshman Molly Saylor (4-4-3) would earn the loss after giving up both goals while adding nine saves.
FGCU had a few more chances to score, one of which was a bicycle kick off the foot of senior Lindsey Patton that the NJIT keeper just barely corralled. Kyramarios, Popadinova and junior Hope Van Wagner also notched on-frame attempts in the final minutes of play, but the team ultimately held on to its original lead for the victory.
With the win, the Eagles extend their unbeaten streak to eight matches. The team has not lost since Sept. 12 and has outscored opponents 15-3 during the stretch.
Up Next:
FGCU will remain at the Nest to host UNF (9-4-2, 3-1-1 A-SUN) in its final home A-SUN match of the season. The teams are slated for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Thursday, Oct. 17. The match will be a green out and Faculty/Staff VIP Night at the FGCU Soccer Complex.
FGCU WSOC vs Kennessaw Recap
The FGCU women's soccer team (8-3-1, 3-0-1 A-SUN) collected its sixth shutout of the season as the Eagles handed Kennesaw State (7-7-0, 2-3-0 A-SUN) a 2-0 loss Thursday night at the FGCU Soccer Complex. The Eagles are tied for second in the league standings with UNF. The Liberty Flames, who have played one more conference match than the Green and Blue, remain at the top of the A-SUN.
"This felt like a playoff game, it had that level of energy," head coach Jim Blankenship said. "This is a huge result for us. We tip our hats to them because we knew this would be a tough game for us and they beat us last year. I'm really proud of how the players came out, responded to pressure and competed the whole game."
"It was a tough battle tonight, and I'm proud of our team's effort," said Kennesaw head coach Benji Walton. "We will look to rebound for a tough game on Sunday."
For starting goalkeepers, Blakenship sent senior Melissa Weck to the posts while Walton sent redshirt junior Tiffany Sornpao to counter.
Senior Evdokia Popadinova tallied a shot on-frame in the first 30 seconds of the match, providing evidence of the high level of intensity that the Eagles brought against the Owls right out of the gate. FGCU forced Kennesaw State to make three saves before the visiting team challenged Weck in the 23rd minute, marking the Green and Blue keeper's first save of the night.
Freshman Louise Lillback found the back of the net for the sixth time this season with about 15 minutes left in the first half to cap off an unassisted drive. The shot marked the third time that the rookie has scored in the team's last four matches. FGCU took the 1-0 edge into the break, as well as a 13-5 advantage in shots.
The Owls stepped up their intensity in the second stanza and forced Weck to make a highlight-reel stop in the 59th minute to prevent the equalizer. That shot was one of two that Kennesaw State tallied in the entire second half of play, as the Eagles' back line continued to flex the dominance it has recently shown.
Senior Silvana Gordon put the game away for FGCU, driving in a cross from Lillback with less than four minutes left in the match. The goal was Gordon's first of the season and the fourth of her career. From there, the Eagles held on for the win.
Weck (8-3-1) collected her fifth shutout of the season and was only required to make three saves. She is now just 4.7 shutouts away from the FGCU career record with five matches left in the regular season. Lillback now leads the team with 16 points, which she has tallied from six goals and four assists.
Sornpao (6-6) would earn the loss after giving up both goals
Up Next
FGCU will host conference foe NJIT (5-3-3, 2-0-1 A-SUN) in a 1 p.m. match on Sunday, Oct. 13 at the FGCU Soccer Complex. Prior to kick-off, head coach Jim Blankenship and his staff will honor the eight members of the graduating class: Marjorie Boilesen, Opal Curless, Silvana Gordon, Emilie Olsen, Lindsey Patton, Evdokia Popadinova, Petra Smetkova and Melissa Weck. Fans are invited to participate in a white out and to join the team for the senior ceremony, which will begin at 12:35 p.m..
A-SUN Standings
1. Liberty (8-5-2, 4-1-0 A-SUN)
T-2. UNF (9-3-2, 3-0-1 A-SUN)
T-2. FGCU (8-3-1, 3-0-1 A-SUN)
T-4. Lipscomb (8-5-1, 2-1-1 A-SUN)
T-4. NJIT (5-3-3, 2-0-1 A-SUN)
6. Kennesaw State (7-7-0, 2-3-0 A-SUN)
T-7. Stetson (2-9-2, 0-3-1 A-SUN)
T-7. Jacksonville (0-10-3, 0-4-1 A-SUN)
9. North Alabama (4-9-0, 0-4-0 A-SUN)
"This felt like a playoff game, it had that level of energy," head coach Jim Blankenship said. "This is a huge result for us. We tip our hats to them because we knew this would be a tough game for us and they beat us last year. I'm really proud of how the players came out, responded to pressure and competed the whole game."
"It was a tough battle tonight, and I'm proud of our team's effort," said Kennesaw head coach Benji Walton. "We will look to rebound for a tough game on Sunday."
For starting goalkeepers, Blakenship sent senior Melissa Weck to the posts while Walton sent redshirt junior Tiffany Sornpao to counter.
Senior Evdokia Popadinova tallied a shot on-frame in the first 30 seconds of the match, providing evidence of the high level of intensity that the Eagles brought against the Owls right out of the gate. FGCU forced Kennesaw State to make three saves before the visiting team challenged Weck in the 23rd minute, marking the Green and Blue keeper's first save of the night.
Freshman Louise Lillback found the back of the net for the sixth time this season with about 15 minutes left in the first half to cap off an unassisted drive. The shot marked the third time that the rookie has scored in the team's last four matches. FGCU took the 1-0 edge into the break, as well as a 13-5 advantage in shots.
The Owls stepped up their intensity in the second stanza and forced Weck to make a highlight-reel stop in the 59th minute to prevent the equalizer. That shot was one of two that Kennesaw State tallied in the entire second half of play, as the Eagles' back line continued to flex the dominance it has recently shown.
Senior Silvana Gordon put the game away for FGCU, driving in a cross from Lillback with less than four minutes left in the match. The goal was Gordon's first of the season and the fourth of her career. From there, the Eagles held on for the win.
Weck (8-3-1) collected her fifth shutout of the season and was only required to make three saves. She is now just 4.7 shutouts away from the FGCU career record with five matches left in the regular season. Lillback now leads the team with 16 points, which she has tallied from six goals and four assists.
Sornpao (6-6) would earn the loss after giving up both goals
Up Next
FGCU will host conference foe NJIT (5-3-3, 2-0-1 A-SUN) in a 1 p.m. match on Sunday, Oct. 13 at the FGCU Soccer Complex. Prior to kick-off, head coach Jim Blankenship and his staff will honor the eight members of the graduating class: Marjorie Boilesen, Opal Curless, Silvana Gordon, Emilie Olsen, Lindsey Patton, Evdokia Popadinova, Petra Smetkova and Melissa Weck. Fans are invited to participate in a white out and to join the team for the senior ceremony, which will begin at 12:35 p.m..
A-SUN Standings
1. Liberty (8-5-2, 4-1-0 A-SUN)
T-2. UNF (9-3-2, 3-0-1 A-SUN)
T-2. FGCU (8-3-1, 3-0-1 A-SUN)
T-4. Lipscomb (8-5-1, 2-1-1 A-SUN)
T-4. NJIT (5-3-3, 2-0-1 A-SUN)
6. Kennesaw State (7-7-0, 2-3-0 A-SUN)
T-7. Stetson (2-9-2, 0-3-1 A-SUN)
T-7. Jacksonville (0-10-3, 0-4-1 A-SUN)
9. North Alabama (4-9-0, 0-4-0 A-SUN)
FGCU WSOC vs JU Recap
The FGCU women's soccer team (7-3-1, 2-0-1 A-SUN) extended its unbeaten streak to six matches with a 3-0 win over Jacksonville (0-9-3, 0-3-1 A-SUN) Sunday afternoon at the FGCU Soccer Complex. The Eagles remain one of only three unbeaten teams in conference play and are tied for second place.
"We've been talking a lot to the team about the opportunities that we have at home and how important it is to take care of business here," said head coach Jim Blankenship. "If we take care of business here, it will set us up to be in the driver's seat towards the end of the season. I'm happy with today's result and the way the players competed. Now, we move on to the next one."
For starting goalkeepers, Blakenship sent senior Melissa Weck to the crossbars while JU head coach Laura Busby sent senior Kristian Shores to counter.
The Eagles' offense exploded in the first half, as the team held most of its possession within the front third of the pitch. Senior Evdokia Popadinova found the back of the net just over eight minutes into the game, notching her sixth goal of the season.
FGCU continued to fire shots into the box until freshman Louise Lillback scored another goal for the home team with an unassisted shot from 30 yards out. The goal, Lillback's fifth of the season, gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead, which they held into the break.
In the first stanza, the Green and Blue outshot the Dolphins 14-0. Seven of the team's shots were on-frame and FGCU also held a 9-0 edge in corner kicks.
The Eagles maintained intensity in the second half, as sophomore Ashlee Brentlinger tallied back-to-back, on-frame attempts in the opening minutes. After a collision in the box, Popadinova earned a penalty kick opportunity which she converted for her second goal of the game in the 56th minute.
Freshman Emily Mccue checked into the match in the 63rd minute, replacing Weck. Weck (7-3-1) finished her day without facing any shots. She and McCue combined for the team's sixth shutout of the season.
Shores (0-6-2) earned the loss and finished with a tied career-high 11 saves.
Throughout the match, the Eagles outshot the Dolphins 29-0, forcing Jacksonville's keeper to come up with a season-high 11 saves. As of today's win, which had the team's largest margin of victory this season, Popadinova now leads the team with seven goals on the season. In addition, Popadinova's two goals put her at 21 in her career as she tied with Boilesen for sixth all-time in career goals. Both members of the A-SUN Legion of Doom are neck and neck in surpassing Paulina Speckmaier (22, 2013-16) for fifth all-time
Up Next:
FGCU will remain at the Nest to host Kennesaw State (7-6-0, 2-2-0) on Thursday, Oct. 10 at the FGCU Soccer Complex. The match against the Owls is slated for a 7 p.m. kick-off and it will be Cancer Awareness Night. Pink shirts will be on sale for $15 with the benefits going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Within the next few weeks, the team will face off against the top-ranked programs in the conference. The Eagles will take on NJIT (Oct. 13) and UNF (Oct. 17) at the Nest, both of which are tied with FGCU for second in the league. Liberty, currently first in the league, is slated to host the Eagles on Oct. 20.
A-SUN Standings
1. Liberty (7-4-2, 3-1-0)
T-2. UNF (8-3-2, 2-0-1)
T-2. FGCU (7-3-1. 2-0-1)
T-2. NJIT (5-3-3, 2-0-1)
5. Kennesaw State (7-6-0, 2-2-0)
6. Lipscomb (7-5-1, 1-1-1)
7. Stetson (2-8-2, 0-2-1)
8. Jacksonville (0-9-3, 0-3-1)
9. North Alabama (4-8-0, 0-3-0)
"We've been talking a lot to the team about the opportunities that we have at home and how important it is to take care of business here," said head coach Jim Blankenship. "If we take care of business here, it will set us up to be in the driver's seat towards the end of the season. I'm happy with today's result and the way the players competed. Now, we move on to the next one."
For starting goalkeepers, Blakenship sent senior Melissa Weck to the crossbars while JU head coach Laura Busby sent senior Kristian Shores to counter.
The Eagles' offense exploded in the first half, as the team held most of its possession within the front third of the pitch. Senior Evdokia Popadinova found the back of the net just over eight minutes into the game, notching her sixth goal of the season.
FGCU continued to fire shots into the box until freshman Louise Lillback scored another goal for the home team with an unassisted shot from 30 yards out. The goal, Lillback's fifth of the season, gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead, which they held into the break.
In the first stanza, the Green and Blue outshot the Dolphins 14-0. Seven of the team's shots were on-frame and FGCU also held a 9-0 edge in corner kicks.
The Eagles maintained intensity in the second half, as sophomore Ashlee Brentlinger tallied back-to-back, on-frame attempts in the opening minutes. After a collision in the box, Popadinova earned a penalty kick opportunity which she converted for her second goal of the game in the 56th minute.
Freshman Emily Mccue checked into the match in the 63rd minute, replacing Weck. Weck (7-3-1) finished her day without facing any shots. She and McCue combined for the team's sixth shutout of the season.
Shores (0-6-2) earned the loss and finished with a tied career-high 11 saves.
Throughout the match, the Eagles outshot the Dolphins 29-0, forcing Jacksonville's keeper to come up with a season-high 11 saves. As of today's win, which had the team's largest margin of victory this season, Popadinova now leads the team with seven goals on the season. In addition, Popadinova's two goals put her at 21 in her career as she tied with Boilesen for sixth all-time in career goals. Both members of the A-SUN Legion of Doom are neck and neck in surpassing Paulina Speckmaier (22, 2013-16) for fifth all-time
Up Next:
FGCU will remain at the Nest to host Kennesaw State (7-6-0, 2-2-0) on Thursday, Oct. 10 at the FGCU Soccer Complex. The match against the Owls is slated for a 7 p.m. kick-off and it will be Cancer Awareness Night. Pink shirts will be on sale for $15 with the benefits going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Within the next few weeks, the team will face off against the top-ranked programs in the conference. The Eagles will take on NJIT (Oct. 13) and UNF (Oct. 17) at the Nest, both of which are tied with FGCU for second in the league. Liberty, currently first in the league, is slated to host the Eagles on Oct. 20.
A-SUN Standings
1. Liberty (7-4-2, 3-1-0)
T-2. UNF (8-3-2, 2-0-1)
T-2. FGCU (7-3-1. 2-0-1)
T-2. NJIT (5-3-3, 2-0-1)
5. Kennesaw State (7-6-0, 2-2-0)
6. Lipscomb (7-5-1, 1-1-1)
7. Stetson (2-8-2, 0-2-1)
8. Jacksonville (0-9-3, 0-3-1)
9. North Alabama (4-8-0, 0-3-0)
FGCU WSOC vs Jacksonville Preview
The FGCU women's soccer team (6-3-1, 1-0-1 A-SUN) will be back in action at the Nest for a match against Jacksonville (0-8-3, 0-2-1 A-SUN) on Sunday, Oct. 6. The clash at the FGCU Soccer Complex is set for a 1 p.m. kickoff and fans are encouraged to participate in a white out. The match will be streamed on YouTube Live.
The Green and Blue:
With the first week of A-SUN play under their belt, the Eagles are currently tied with Lipscomb for third in the league standings. FGCU defeated North Alabama 3-1 on the road in its conference opener (Sept. 26) before the team earned a 1-1 draw at reigning champion Lipscomb (Sept. 29).
Freshman Louise Lillback was named A-SUN Player of the Week after having a hand in all three of the Eagles' goals in the victory over North Alabama. Lillback netted two of her own and assisted on senior Evdokia Popadinova's goal, marking the first multi-goal game of her career and the highest points any FGCU player has tallied in a single game so far this season.
Senior Marjorie Boilesen leads the team with 12 points and is tied with Popadinova with a team-high five goals. Popadinova is tied for 20th in the nation with three game-winning goals.
Sophomore Ashlee Brentlinger, redshirt-junior Megan Young and Lillback are tied for first in the league with three assists apiece. As a team, FGCU paces the conference in assists (19) and has allowed the second-lowest amount of goals (11).
Jacksonville at FGCU:
Sunday's match will be the 16th in the history between the two teams, which the Eagles lead 7-2-6. FGCU has not lost to Jacksonville since 2008 and the team defeated the Dolphins 6-0 in last season's meeting.
Scouting JU:
The Dolphins will travel to Fort Myers in search of their first conference win after dropping a pair of matches to Liberty (2-0) and Kennesaw State (1-0). Most recently, the team earned a 0-0 draw on the road at Stetson (Oct. 3).
Jacksonville has been outscored by its opponents 21-3 throughout its 11 games this season. Freshman Olivia Abdallah is credited with all three of the Dolphins' goals, while three different players account for the team's three assists. The team has not scored since a 1-1 draw on the road against the Citadel (Sept. 22).
Senior Kristian Shores has started seven matches between the pipes for Jacksonville and has allowed 11 goals. In the team's contest against Stetson, she matched her season-high with 10 saves en route to posting her second shutout of the season.
Livestats Link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=267058
FGCU WSOC vs UNA Recap
The FGCU women's soccer team (6-3-0, 1-0-0 A-SUN) picked up its first A-SUN Conference win of the season, handing North Alabama (4-6-0, 0-1-0 A-SUN) a 3-1 loss Thursday night at the Bill Jones Athletic Complex. Freshman Louise Lillback finished the night with two goals and an assist, marking her best performance as an Eagle so far.
"Tonight, we had a great second half and I was happy to see that the players responded to what we talked about at halftime," head coach Jim Blankenship said. "I'm really pleased with our overall effort and the result we were able to get. Getting points on the road is always a good thing and we look at this win as one down, a lot to go."
Though the teams went into the break scoreless, FGCU outplayed the Lions in the opening 45 minutes. Senior Evdokia Popadinova took her first shot of the night just three minutes into the first half as the Eagles' offense immediately put the pressure on North Alabama's back line. Popadinova and sophomore Ashlee Brentlinger each tallied shots on-frame that were narrowly saved by the Lions' keeper. FGCU outshot North Alabama 6-2 before halftime.
The Eagles were able to get past the Lions' goalie in the second half as Lillback put the team on the board in the 52nd minute. Brentlinger and redshirt-junior Megan Young assisted on the shot that gave FGCU its initial lead. Less than two minutes later, Popadinova found the back of the net from almost 30 yards out after collecting a pass from Lillback, notching her fifth goal of the season and putting the team up 2-0. Aside from her fifth goal of the season, Popadinova now has
North Alabama's Shelby Wall chipped away at the Green and Blue lead in the 58th minute with a shot that she snuck by senior Melissa Weck. Lillback responded with her second goal of the night, knocking in a pass from sophomore Kara Kyramarios that re-extended the team's lead to 3-1. The shot marked Lillback's first multi-goal game of her career.
The Lions made another attempt on Weck (7-3), but the keeper made her second and final save of the night as the Eagles held on to their win.
The victory over the Lions marks FGCU's first road win of the season and the team's three goals are the most they've scored in a single game this year.
Up Next:
The Eagles will continue the road swing with a match against reigning A-SUN champ Lipscomb on Sunday, Sept. 29. Kick off against the Bison is slated for 2 p.m. at the Lipscomb Soccer Complex. It will be the 17th meeting in the history between the two programs, which FGCU leads 10-3-3.
"Tonight, we had a great second half and I was happy to see that the players responded to what we talked about at halftime," head coach Jim Blankenship said. "I'm really pleased with our overall effort and the result we were able to get. Getting points on the road is always a good thing and we look at this win as one down, a lot to go."
Though the teams went into the break scoreless, FGCU outplayed the Lions in the opening 45 minutes. Senior Evdokia Popadinova took her first shot of the night just three minutes into the first half as the Eagles' offense immediately put the pressure on North Alabama's back line. Popadinova and sophomore Ashlee Brentlinger each tallied shots on-frame that were narrowly saved by the Lions' keeper. FGCU outshot North Alabama 6-2 before halftime.
The Eagles were able to get past the Lions' goalie in the second half as Lillback put the team on the board in the 52nd minute. Brentlinger and redshirt-junior Megan Young assisted on the shot that gave FGCU its initial lead. Less than two minutes later, Popadinova found the back of the net from almost 30 yards out after collecting a pass from Lillback, notching her fifth goal of the season and putting the team up 2-0. Aside from her fifth goal of the season, Popadinova now has
North Alabama's Shelby Wall chipped away at the Green and Blue lead in the 58th minute with a shot that she snuck by senior Melissa Weck. Lillback responded with her second goal of the night, knocking in a pass from sophomore Kara Kyramarios that re-extended the team's lead to 3-1. The shot marked Lillback's first multi-goal game of her career.
The Lions made another attempt on Weck (7-3), but the keeper made her second and final save of the night as the Eagles held on to their win.
The victory over the Lions marks FGCU's first road win of the season and the team's three goals are the most they've scored in a single game this year.
Up Next:
The Eagles will continue the road swing with a match against reigning A-SUN champ Lipscomb on Sunday, Sept. 29. Kick off against the Bison is slated for 2 p.m. at the Lipscomb Soccer Complex. It will be the 17th meeting in the history between the two programs, which FGCU leads 10-3-3.
FGCU WSOC vs Marshall Recap
Senior Evdokia Popadinova scored both of FGCU's goals as the Eagles (5-3-0) handed Marshall (2-7-0) a 2-0 loss Sunday afternoon at the FGCU Soccer Complex. The win marks FGCU's third in a row as the team closed out its non-conference slate.
"Today was a shutout, a win and an overall great result," said head coach Jim Blankenship, who recently surpassed 400 career wins. "Now, we get to focus on starting conference play. I'm pleased with the way we've played so far. We had a tough, demanding schedule but we've earned some good results. I'm proud of the players and I know they're excited to move forward."
The Eagles dominated the Herd throughout the entire 90 minutes of play and maintained possession of the ball for almost 60% of the match. FGCU's back line limited Marshall to just four shots, the lowest of any opponent the team has matched up against this season.
In the 29th minute of the game, Popadinova capped off an unassisted drive into the box with her third goal of the season that gave the Green and Blue its initial 1-0 edge. In the opening 45 minutes, FGCU tallied six shots, including a pair on goal, while the Herd took just two.
FGCU carried its intensity from the first half into the second stanza, as senior Marjorie Boilesen fired a shot off less than a minute after the teams kicked off. Boilesen, Popadinova and redshirt-junior Megan Young each wore down Marshall's keeper with on-frame tests.
With less than 13 minutes left in the match, Popadinova scored her second goal of the day after heading in a ball from Young, who had sent in a pass from junior Syniah Clark. Both Young and Clark notched their second assists of the season on the shot.
Senior Melissa Weck (5-3) only had to make one save as she collected her fourth shutout of the season. With today's result, she now stands at second in the FGCU record book with 31.4 career shutouts. Popadinova, who will wear #17 for the rest of the season, is up to 18 career goals, the seventh-most in team history, which pushed her pass Ally Kasun (17, 2012-15) and tied with Boilesen.
Up Next:
FGCU will open up A-SUN league play with a two-match road swing against North Alabama (3-5-0) and Lipscomb (6-3-0), who finished in the top two of the conference a season ago. The Eagles will take on the Lions in an 8 p.m. match on Thursday, Sept. 26 before heading up to Nashville to take on reigning A-SUN champ Lipscomb at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29.
"Today was a shutout, a win and an overall great result," said head coach Jim Blankenship, who recently surpassed 400 career wins. "Now, we get to focus on starting conference play. I'm pleased with the way we've played so far. We had a tough, demanding schedule but we've earned some good results. I'm proud of the players and I know they're excited to move forward."
The Eagles dominated the Herd throughout the entire 90 minutes of play and maintained possession of the ball for almost 60% of the match. FGCU's back line limited Marshall to just four shots, the lowest of any opponent the team has matched up against this season.
In the 29th minute of the game, Popadinova capped off an unassisted drive into the box with her third goal of the season that gave the Green and Blue its initial 1-0 edge. In the opening 45 minutes, FGCU tallied six shots, including a pair on goal, while the Herd took just two.
FGCU carried its intensity from the first half into the second stanza, as senior Marjorie Boilesen fired a shot off less than a minute after the teams kicked off. Boilesen, Popadinova and redshirt-junior Megan Young each wore down Marshall's keeper with on-frame tests.
With less than 13 minutes left in the match, Popadinova scored her second goal of the day after heading in a ball from Young, who had sent in a pass from junior Syniah Clark. Both Young and Clark notched their second assists of the season on the shot.
Senior Melissa Weck (5-3) only had to make one save as she collected her fourth shutout of the season. With today's result, she now stands at second in the FGCU record book with 31.4 career shutouts. Popadinova, who will wear #17 for the rest of the season, is up to 18 career goals, the seventh-most in team history, which pushed her pass Ally Kasun (17, 2012-15) and tied with Boilesen.
Up Next:
FGCU will open up A-SUN league play with a two-match road swing against North Alabama (3-5-0) and Lipscomb (6-3-0), who finished in the top two of the conference a season ago. The Eagles will take on the Lions in an 8 p.m. match on Thursday, Sept. 26 before heading up to Nashville to take on reigning A-SUN champ Lipscomb at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29.
FGCU WSOC vs Creighton Recap
FGCU women's soccer head coach Jim Blankenship reached 400 career wins on Friday night at the FGCU Soccer Complex as the Eagles (4-3-0) defeated Creighton (6-2-0) by a score of 2-1. Blankenship is in his 26th season of coaching collegiate soccer and his 13th with the Green and Blue.
Only 16 active Division I coaches in NCAA women's soccer have surpassed the 400-win mark and just three others are in their 26th season.
"I'm incredibly proud for our players, I know this win meant a lot to them and this was our best win of the season by far," said Blankenship. "Creighton played exactly as hard as we thought they would. For our players to step up and meet that challenge was great and will hopefully give us some confidence."
FGCU put the pressure on its visitors immediately after kick-off and senior Evdokia Popadinova found the back of the net just 12 minutes into the game, putting the home team on top 1-0. Both senior Marjorie Boilesen and junior Syniah Clark were credited with assists on Popadinova's second goal of the season and 16th career goal with FGCU as she tied Gina Petracco (16, 2008-11) for eighth
Just over a minute after the Eagles' goal, Creighton tested senior Melissa Weck with a shot that was fired from 15 yards out, but the keeper came up with the save to keep the Bluejays at bay.
Through the opening 45 minutes of play, the Eagles outshot Creighton 10-2 and posted a 4-3 edge in corner kicks. Both Boilesen and junior Cassidy Morgan launched shots on-frame in the final minutes of the first stanza, but were denied, sending FGCU into the break with the 1-0 advantage.
Freshman Louise Lillback added to the Green and Blue lead with a goal of her own in the 65th minute that put FGCU up 2-0. Popadinova and redshirt-junior Megan Young collected assists on Lillback's second career goal as an Eagle.
With less than seven minutes to go in the match, Creighton scored after capitalizing on a set-piece opportunity, cutting FGCU's lead in half. The Bluejays tried to get another shot off against Weck (4-3), but the Eagles' back line stifled the Creighton offense as the home team held on for Blankenship's historic win.
"You can't achieve something like this in your career without having great people around you," said Blankenship. "I am so thankful for all of the coaches who helped me along my journey and made me the coach I am today. I'm also grateful for the players who I played alongside with and who I still learn from today. I also could not do this without the support of my family and my wife. I'm on the road a lot and they are fully supportive of me and this team and that just means the world."
Creighton entered Fort Myers on a four-match winning streak and had previously only lost to No. 10 Clemson by a score of 1-0. The Bluejays also started the week with the No. 8 RPI in the nation. Over the course of the night, FGCU outshot Creighton 13-9.
Up Next:
FGCU will remain at the Nest to host Marshall (2-6-0) for a 1 p.m. match on Sunday, Sept. 22. It will be "We Are FGCU Day" at the FGCU Soccer Complex and fans are encouraged to participate in the blue out. The meeting will be the first between the two programs; so far this season, the Eagles are 2-0 against first-time opponents on Sundays.
Only 16 active Division I coaches in NCAA women's soccer have surpassed the 400-win mark and just three others are in their 26th season.
"I'm incredibly proud for our players, I know this win meant a lot to them and this was our best win of the season by far," said Blankenship. "Creighton played exactly as hard as we thought they would. For our players to step up and meet that challenge was great and will hopefully give us some confidence."
FGCU put the pressure on its visitors immediately after kick-off and senior Evdokia Popadinova found the back of the net just 12 minutes into the game, putting the home team on top 1-0. Both senior Marjorie Boilesen and junior Syniah Clark were credited with assists on Popadinova's second goal of the season and 16th career goal with FGCU as she tied Gina Petracco (16, 2008-11) for eighth
Just over a minute after the Eagles' goal, Creighton tested senior Melissa Weck with a shot that was fired from 15 yards out, but the keeper came up with the save to keep the Bluejays at bay.
Through the opening 45 minutes of play, the Eagles outshot Creighton 10-2 and posted a 4-3 edge in corner kicks. Both Boilesen and junior Cassidy Morgan launched shots on-frame in the final minutes of the first stanza, but were denied, sending FGCU into the break with the 1-0 advantage.
Freshman Louise Lillback added to the Green and Blue lead with a goal of her own in the 65th minute that put FGCU up 2-0. Popadinova and redshirt-junior Megan Young collected assists on Lillback's second career goal as an Eagle.
With less than seven minutes to go in the match, Creighton scored after capitalizing on a set-piece opportunity, cutting FGCU's lead in half. The Bluejays tried to get another shot off against Weck (4-3), but the Eagles' back line stifled the Creighton offense as the home team held on for Blankenship's historic win.
"You can't achieve something like this in your career without having great people around you," said Blankenship. "I am so thankful for all of the coaches who helped me along my journey and made me the coach I am today. I'm also grateful for the players who I played alongside with and who I still learn from today. I also could not do this without the support of my family and my wife. I'm on the road a lot and they are fully supportive of me and this team and that just means the world."
Creighton entered Fort Myers on a four-match winning streak and had previously only lost to No. 10 Clemson by a score of 1-0. The Bluejays also started the week with the No. 8 RPI in the nation. Over the course of the night, FGCU outshot Creighton 13-9.
Up Next:
FGCU will remain at the Nest to host Marshall (2-6-0) for a 1 p.m. match on Sunday, Sept. 22. It will be "We Are FGCU Day" at the FGCU Soccer Complex and fans are encouraged to participate in the blue out. The meeting will be the first between the two programs; so far this season, the Eagles are 2-0 against first-time opponents on Sundays.
FGCU WSOC vs Ball State Recap
The FGCU women's soccer team (3-3) finished the weekend on a good note as they shutout Ball State (5-2) 2-0.
"We knew that this was going to be a tough match," head coach Jim Blankenship said. "Ball State is very good, very organized and hard to crack. I'm pleased with our team and the result we earned. A win like this is fantastic and something I hope we can build on."
"Today was another game where we started slow and it put us behind early," said Ball State head coach Josh Rife. "In the second half, and even after the red card, I thought the girls responded well and finished strong. It was a long, tough trip with lots of positives to take away, but also some harsh lessons learned. Hopefully we are better because of it."
For starting goalkeepers, Blakenship sent senior Melissa Weck to the box while Rife sent grad student Tristin Stuteville to counter.
The Eagles began to rattle the Cardinals after senior Evidokia "Evi" Popadinova fired a shot three minutes into the first half, but to no avail. While continuing to get on the board first, the Eagles were also able to stop Ball State from trying to get a shot off in succcess.
31 minutes in, the Eagle would get on the board first as senior Marjorie "Ma" Boilesen scored a goal with assists from sophomore Kara Kyramarios and freshman Louise Lillback. This was Boilesen's third goal of the season and her 19th career goal at FGCU.
At the 39 minute mark, the Cardinals were able to get their first shot of the game as junior Nicky Potts kicked it our right before the end of the first half.
As the second half went underway, the Cardinals started to get a little too aggressive on defense as Stuteville attempted to stop redshirt junior Megan Young from scoring on a through ball, but an inadvertent and costly trip gave her a red card and ejected her from the game.Rife sent sophomore Alex DeRuvo to the box as a sub for Stuteville.
From there, Boilesen would be issued a penalty shot and was able to hit the goal in the mid-left corner for her second goal of the game, fourth goal of the season and 20th career goal with the Eagles before the game ended. The Brazilian is three goals away from passing Paulina Speckmaier (22, 2013-16) for fifth all-time.
Weck (3-3) would finish with three saves in her third shutout of the season 30.4th shutout in her career. She needs just one more to overtake Stephanie Powers (2008-11) for second place in the Eagle record book.
Stuteville (5-2) would finish with three saves and allow one goal in 48 minutes before the red card. Stuteville will serve a one game suspension per the rules of the NCAA (Rule 12.8).
DeRuvo gave up the second goal in 41 minutes.
Up Next:
The Eagles remain at home as they welcome Creighton (5-1) Friday night, September 20 at 7 pm. The match will be dubbed as a whiteout and Stars and Stripes Night.
"We knew that this was going to be a tough match," head coach Jim Blankenship said. "Ball State is very good, very organized and hard to crack. I'm pleased with our team and the result we earned. A win like this is fantastic and something I hope we can build on."
"Today was another game where we started slow and it put us behind early," said Ball State head coach Josh Rife. "In the second half, and even after the red card, I thought the girls responded well and finished strong. It was a long, tough trip with lots of positives to take away, but also some harsh lessons learned. Hopefully we are better because of it."
For starting goalkeepers, Blakenship sent senior Melissa Weck to the box while Rife sent grad student Tristin Stuteville to counter.
The Eagles began to rattle the Cardinals after senior Evidokia "Evi" Popadinova fired a shot three minutes into the first half, but to no avail. While continuing to get on the board first, the Eagles were also able to stop Ball State from trying to get a shot off in succcess.
31 minutes in, the Eagle would get on the board first as senior Marjorie "Ma" Boilesen scored a goal with assists from sophomore Kara Kyramarios and freshman Louise Lillback. This was Boilesen's third goal of the season and her 19th career goal at FGCU.
At the 39 minute mark, the Cardinals were able to get their first shot of the game as junior Nicky Potts kicked it our right before the end of the first half.
As the second half went underway, the Cardinals started to get a little too aggressive on defense as Stuteville attempted to stop redshirt junior Megan Young from scoring on a through ball, but an inadvertent and costly trip gave her a red card and ejected her from the game.Rife sent sophomore Alex DeRuvo to the box as a sub for Stuteville.
From there, Boilesen would be issued a penalty shot and was able to hit the goal in the mid-left corner for her second goal of the game, fourth goal of the season and 20th career goal with the Eagles before the game ended. The Brazilian is three goals away from passing Paulina Speckmaier (22, 2013-16) for fifth all-time.
Weck (3-3) would finish with three saves in her third shutout of the season 30.4th shutout in her career. She needs just one more to overtake Stephanie Powers (2008-11) for second place in the Eagle record book.
Stuteville (5-2) would finish with three saves and allow one goal in 48 minutes before the red card. Stuteville will serve a one game suspension per the rules of the NCAA (Rule 12.8).
DeRuvo gave up the second goal in 41 minutes.
Up Next:
The Eagles remain at home as they welcome Creighton (5-1) Friday night, September 20 at 7 pm. The match will be dubbed as a whiteout and Stars and Stripes Night.
FGCU XC: Mountain Dew Invitational Recap
The FGCU cross country programs concluded their third regular season meet of the season as the men's side place seventh while the women's squad came in 16th, Saturday morning at the Mark Bostic Golf Course.
"On the men's side we were missing some key people in the race," said head coach Cassandra Goodson. "With that being said, we had a few people step up and help the team. The women did a good job of finding each other on the course. There's still more there as far as team scores go but overall I am confident we will re-group and learn from these races."
Lucas Kiprotich led the way for the Eagles coming in fourth overall (25:37.8, season best) in a field of over 300 runners. On top of placing in the top 10 of each meet this year, his fourth overall finish becomes the highest in program history at the Mountain Dew Invitational – Johnathan Lanning placed sixth in 2010. Boniface Mutai crossed the line in 27th while Jan Figueroa rounded out the top 50 coming in 41st. Bradyn Ricca and Cole Pruim were the final runners to score for the men, coming in 67th and 105th, respectively.
Gianna Citarella paced the women's team with season-best 5k mark (19:51.5) coming in 67th overall. Jillian Felton etched another season-best time finishing 73rd (19:59.2) as Emily O'Connor placed 79th to round off the top 100. Julia Filip and Madeline Wyers were the final Eagles to score as they crossed the end line 117th and 153rd, respectively.
The eventual winner for the men's and women's meets was Florida while the individual winner was Nathan Jubran of UNF for the men and Jessica Pascoe of UF.
Up Next
The Eagles are back in action on Saturday, Oct. 5 when they head to Louisville, Ky., for the Live in Lou Classic.
Men's Individual Results
4. Lucas Kiprotich – 25:37.8
27. Boniface Mutai – 26:39.0
41. Jan Figueroa – 27:20.4
67. Bradyn Ricca – 27:53.8
105. Cole Pruim – 28:40.5
Women's Individual Results
67. Gianna Citarella – 19:51.5
73. Jillian Felton – 19:59.2
79. Emily O'Connor – 20:01.8
117. Julia Filip – 20:58.0
153. Madeline Wyers – 21:59.4
154. Reilly Ritter – 22:03.1
"On the men's side we were missing some key people in the race," said head coach Cassandra Goodson. "With that being said, we had a few people step up and help the team. The women did a good job of finding each other on the course. There's still more there as far as team scores go but overall I am confident we will re-group and learn from these races."
Lucas Kiprotich led the way for the Eagles coming in fourth overall (25:37.8, season best) in a field of over 300 runners. On top of placing in the top 10 of each meet this year, his fourth overall finish becomes the highest in program history at the Mountain Dew Invitational – Johnathan Lanning placed sixth in 2010. Boniface Mutai crossed the line in 27th while Jan Figueroa rounded out the top 50 coming in 41st. Bradyn Ricca and Cole Pruim were the final runners to score for the men, coming in 67th and 105th, respectively.
Gianna Citarella paced the women's team with season-best 5k mark (19:51.5) coming in 67th overall. Jillian Felton etched another season-best time finishing 73rd (19:59.2) as Emily O'Connor placed 79th to round off the top 100. Julia Filip and Madeline Wyers were the final Eagles to score as they crossed the end line 117th and 153rd, respectively.
The eventual winner for the men's and women's meets was Florida while the individual winner was Nathan Jubran of UNF for the men and Jessica Pascoe of UF.
Up Next
The Eagles are back in action on Saturday, Oct. 5 when they head to Louisville, Ky., for the Live in Lou Classic.
Men's Individual Results
4. Lucas Kiprotich – 25:37.8
27. Boniface Mutai – 26:39.0
41. Jan Figueroa – 27:20.4
67. Bradyn Ricca – 27:53.8
105. Cole Pruim – 28:40.5
Women's Individual Results
67. Gianna Citarella – 19:51.5
73. Jillian Felton – 19:59.2
79. Emily O'Connor – 20:01.8
117. Julia Filip – 20:58.0
153. Madeline Wyers – 21:59.4
154. Reilly Ritter – 22:03.1
FGCU WSOC @ Florida; vs Ball State Preview
The FGCU women's soccer team (2-2-0) is gearing up for a pair of matches against Florida (2-4-0) and Ball State (5-0-0). The Eagles will first travel up to Gainesville for a 6:30 p.m. tilt on Thursday, Sept. 12 against the Gators. That game will be streamed on the SECN+. Following the road trip, FGCU will return home to host the Cardinals at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15 at the FGCU Soccer Complex. The home match will be streamed on YouTube Live.
The Green and Blue:
After dropping a pair of matches, FGCU earned its way back into the win column with a 2-0 shutout over Northeastern last Sunday (Sept. 8). Current MAC Hermann Trophy candidate senior Evdokia Popadinova netted her first goal of the season before sophomore Ashlee Brentlinger sealed the win with her second career goal. Popandinova's goal was her 15th in her career at FGCU and is two shy of passing
After her performance against the Huskies, Popadinova now ranks 10th all-time with 37 career points, while fellow senior Marjorie Boilesen checks in at sixth with 55 points.
Senior Melissa Weck (2-2) collected her second shutout of the season and now needs just 1.7 more career shutouts to stand alone at second in the FGCU record book.
The United Soccer Coaches have the Eagles ranked as the 10th team in the South Region poll. Of the teams ahead of the Green and Blue, three are nationally ranked and two are receiving votes.
Scouting Florida:
The match between the Eagles and the Gators will be the fifth in the history between the two programs, which is highlighted by a pair of NCAA Tournament games. FGCU faced off against Florida in the first round of both the 2011 and 2016 NCAA Tournaments. In both matches, the Gators downed the Eagles by a score of 3-0.
The Gators enter Thursday's contest with a four-match losing streak and have fallen out of the national rankings after receiving four votes last week. Florida dropped road games against No. 3 USC, No 5. UCLA, and No. 6 Florida State, as well as a home match against UCF, who received three votes in this week's poll. Both UCLA and UCF shut out the Gators entirely.
Junior Rose Deanne leads Florida's offense with three goals and one assist, good for seven points. So far, the Gators have netted seven goals from five different players, while just three players have tallied assists. Redshirt-junior Susi Espinoza has started in net for all six of Florida's games. The keeper has been scored on 10 times and her only shutout so far was a 2-0 shutout over a USF squad that is ranked 25th in the national poll.
This will be the second time this season that the Eagles have taken on an SEC opponent. On Aug. 25, FGCU hosted Auburn and dominated the first half of play before the game was cancelled due to weather. Overall, the Eagles are 4-8 against SEC programs.
Scouting Ball State:
Sunday's contest at the FGCU Soccer Complex will mark the first meeting between the teams. Though the Cardinals are not ranked nationally, they were tabbed eighth in this week's United Soccer Coaches Poll for the Midwest region, behind only Power-5 opponents.
Ball State will head to Fort Myers with a 16-match unbeaten streak that includes five wins this season. Last season, the Cardinals won nine-straight matches before a 1-1 draw against Bowling Green, who advanced on PK's 5-4, in the 2018 Mid-American Conference Tournament. This season, Ball State has picked up wins in all four of its home contests and most recently defeated Omaha 1-0 (Sept. 6) in its first road game of 2019.
Prior to taking on FGCU, the Cardinals are slated to take on FAU in a 7 p.m. match at the Owls' home stadium on Friday, Sept. 13.
This season, redshirt-senior Tristin Stuteville has started every game between the pipes for the Cardinals and has four shutouts. She has made allowed just one goal against 19 saves, good for a .950 save percentage. Ball State's offensive effort is led by sophomore Grace Alsop, who has found the back of the net four times and is credited with one game-winner. The team's strongest showing so far was a 6-0 victory over Eastern Illinois (Aug. 23), when Alsop netted a hat trick and three other Cardinals scored.
The Green and Blue:
After dropping a pair of matches, FGCU earned its way back into the win column with a 2-0 shutout over Northeastern last Sunday (Sept. 8). Current MAC Hermann Trophy candidate senior Evdokia Popadinova netted her first goal of the season before sophomore Ashlee Brentlinger sealed the win with her second career goal. Popandinova's goal was her 15th in her career at FGCU and is two shy of passing
After her performance against the Huskies, Popadinova now ranks 10th all-time with 37 career points, while fellow senior Marjorie Boilesen checks in at sixth with 55 points.
Senior Melissa Weck (2-2) collected her second shutout of the season and now needs just 1.7 more career shutouts to stand alone at second in the FGCU record book.
The United Soccer Coaches have the Eagles ranked as the 10th team in the South Region poll. Of the teams ahead of the Green and Blue, three are nationally ranked and two are receiving votes.
Scouting Florida:
The match between the Eagles and the Gators will be the fifth in the history between the two programs, which is highlighted by a pair of NCAA Tournament games. FGCU faced off against Florida in the first round of both the 2011 and 2016 NCAA Tournaments. In both matches, the Gators downed the Eagles by a score of 3-0.
The Gators enter Thursday's contest with a four-match losing streak and have fallen out of the national rankings after receiving four votes last week. Florida dropped road games against No. 3 USC, No 5. UCLA, and No. 6 Florida State, as well as a home match against UCF, who received three votes in this week's poll. Both UCLA and UCF shut out the Gators entirely.
Junior Rose Deanne leads Florida's offense with three goals and one assist, good for seven points. So far, the Gators have netted seven goals from five different players, while just three players have tallied assists. Redshirt-junior Susi Espinoza has started in net for all six of Florida's games. The keeper has been scored on 10 times and her only shutout so far was a 2-0 shutout over a USF squad that is ranked 25th in the national poll.
This will be the second time this season that the Eagles have taken on an SEC opponent. On Aug. 25, FGCU hosted Auburn and dominated the first half of play before the game was cancelled due to weather. Overall, the Eagles are 4-8 against SEC programs.
Scouting Ball State:
Sunday's contest at the FGCU Soccer Complex will mark the first meeting between the teams. Though the Cardinals are not ranked nationally, they were tabbed eighth in this week's United Soccer Coaches Poll for the Midwest region, behind only Power-5 opponents.
Ball State will head to Fort Myers with a 16-match unbeaten streak that includes five wins this season. Last season, the Cardinals won nine-straight matches before a 1-1 draw against Bowling Green, who advanced on PK's 5-4, in the 2018 Mid-American Conference Tournament. This season, Ball State has picked up wins in all four of its home contests and most recently defeated Omaha 1-0 (Sept. 6) in its first road game of 2019.
Prior to taking on FGCU, the Cardinals are slated to take on FAU in a 7 p.m. match at the Owls' home stadium on Friday, Sept. 13.
This season, redshirt-senior Tristin Stuteville has started every game between the pipes for the Cardinals and has four shutouts. She has made allowed just one goal against 19 saves, good for a .950 save percentage. Ball State's offensive effort is led by sophomore Grace Alsop, who has found the back of the net four times and is credited with one game-winner. The team's strongest showing so far was a 6-0 victory over Eastern Illinois (Aug. 23), when Alsop netted a hat trick and three other Cardinals scored.
FGCU WSOC vs Northeastern Recap
Goals from senior Evdokia Popadinova and sophomore Ashlee Brentlinger boosted the FGCU women's soccer team (2-2-0) to a 2-0 victory over Northeastern (2-3-0) at the FGCU Soccer Complex on Sunday evening.
"We knew we had to show up to this game because Northeastern is a really good team," said head coach Jim Blankenship. "I was thrilled to see our team put together a full 90 minutes of hard work. We were able to keep the pressure on them throughout the game and we got a lot of second balls, which helped us get the win."
Both sides kept each other in check in the opening minutes of play as the Eagles and the Huskies were limited to one shot apiece through the 15-minute mark. Popadinova broke open the scoring for the Green and Blue after connecting with a pass from senior Marjorie Boilesenin the 20th minute that put the home team up 1-0 and snapped a four-match drought for the All-American.
Minutes later, the Huskies' Alexis Legowski fired one into the box but senior Melissa Weck dove on the ball to keep the visitors off the board. The Eagles' back line continued to stifle Northeastern's offense as the team took its 1-0 edge into the break.
FGCU continued to keep the pressure on the Huskies in the second stanza. Senior Silvana Gordon provided some pop off the bench for the Eagles and immediately tested the visiting keeper twice within two minutes of entering the match.
With just under 10 minutes left on the game clock, a free kick within the 20-yard line provided FGCU with a scoring opportunity. Senior Opal Curlessdrilled the free kick off the Huskies' keeper and Brentlinger tapped the second ball into the back of the net for her second career goal.
"I was really excited for Evi, I mean she's just a world class athlete and she has taken a lot of responsibility for our results so far," Blankenship said. "I was happy that she scored and I know she feels relieved. It was also really exciting to see Ashlee score. We have been talking a lot about getting to the second ball and she was able to do that and score on it, which was great."
Though Northeastern attempted to respond with an on-frame shot of their own, Weck held on for her second shutout of the season. She finished the night with four saves and is just under two career shutouts away from claiming second in the FGCU record book.
Gordon led the Eagles' offense with four shots, while Popadinova added three and both Brentlinger and redshirt-junior Megan Young contributed a pair each. With tonight's win, FGCU now improves to .500 on the season.
Up Next:
FGCU will hit the road to take on the Florida Gators up in Gainesville at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12. The Gators received four votes in the most recent United Soccer Coaches Poll and were tabbed ninth in the Southeast Region Poll. The only time the Eagles have defeated Florida was a 1-0 victory in a 2015 exhibition match.
"We knew we had to show up to this game because Northeastern is a really good team," said head coach Jim Blankenship. "I was thrilled to see our team put together a full 90 minutes of hard work. We were able to keep the pressure on them throughout the game and we got a lot of second balls, which helped us get the win."
Both sides kept each other in check in the opening minutes of play as the Eagles and the Huskies were limited to one shot apiece through the 15-minute mark. Popadinova broke open the scoring for the Green and Blue after connecting with a pass from senior Marjorie Boilesenin the 20th minute that put the home team up 1-0 and snapped a four-match drought for the All-American.
Minutes later, the Huskies' Alexis Legowski fired one into the box but senior Melissa Weck dove on the ball to keep the visitors off the board. The Eagles' back line continued to stifle Northeastern's offense as the team took its 1-0 edge into the break.
FGCU continued to keep the pressure on the Huskies in the second stanza. Senior Silvana Gordon provided some pop off the bench for the Eagles and immediately tested the visiting keeper twice within two minutes of entering the match.
With just under 10 minutes left on the game clock, a free kick within the 20-yard line provided FGCU with a scoring opportunity. Senior Opal Curlessdrilled the free kick off the Huskies' keeper and Brentlinger tapped the second ball into the back of the net for her second career goal.
"I was really excited for Evi, I mean she's just a world class athlete and she has taken a lot of responsibility for our results so far," Blankenship said. "I was happy that she scored and I know she feels relieved. It was also really exciting to see Ashlee score. We have been talking a lot about getting to the second ball and she was able to do that and score on it, which was great."
Though Northeastern attempted to respond with an on-frame shot of their own, Weck held on for her second shutout of the season. She finished the night with four saves and is just under two career shutouts away from claiming second in the FGCU record book.
Gordon led the Eagles' offense with four shots, while Popadinova added three and both Brentlinger and redshirt-junior Megan Young contributed a pair each. With tonight's win, FGCU now improves to .500 on the season.
Up Next:
FGCU will hit the road to take on the Florida Gators up in Gainesville at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12. The Gators received four votes in the most recent United Soccer Coaches Poll and were tabbed ninth in the Southeast Region Poll. The only time the Eagles have defeated Florida was a 1-0 victory in a 2015 exhibition match.
FGCU WSOC vs Northeastern Preview
The FGCU women's soccer team (1-2-0) will look to snap a two-match skid as it takes on Northeastern (2-2-0) in a 5 p.m. match on Sunday, Sept. 8. The Blue Out game at the FGCU Soccer Complex will be streamed on YouTube Live and will be the second game of the Eagles Futbol Doubleheader. Fans who purchase tickets for the 1 p.m. match between the #18 FGCU men's soccer team and Georgia Southern will receive free entry to the women's game.
Sunday's game will mark the first meeting between not only the programs, but also the schools. As far as team sports go, Northeastern and FGCU have never played one another.
After shutting out FIU 2-0 in the season-opener (Aug. 22), the Eagles dropped a road contest to Michigan (Aug. 31) and a home game against La Salle (Sept. 5). So far, FGCU has tallied three goals through as many games; senior Marjorie Boilesen netted two against FIU and freshman Louise Lillback scored her first career goal against La Salle.
Senior Melissa Weck (1-2) has started off her final season between the pipes for the Green and Blue by climbing the program record book. The keeper's 212 career saves put her at third all-time and she needs 50 more to overtake Stephanie Powers (2008-11) for second place. With a 0.75 goals-against average, she checks in at third in the FGCU ranks. Stephanie Powers comes in at second with a 0.73 average and former FGCU great Brittany Brown sits at the top with a 0.67 career average.
Scouting Northeastern:
The Huskies will come to Fort Myers in pursuit of their first road win of the season. Northeastern suffered a 2-1 overtime loss on the road at Stony Brook in its season-opener before responding with back-to-back home wins over Albany (1-0) and Harvard (4-1). Most recently, Boston College downed the Huskies (Sept. 5) by a score of 1-0 on the Eagles' home pitch.
Junior Chelsea Domond leads the Huskies' offensive effort with two goals and one assist. Five different players have scored for the team so far. In the backfield, Northeastern has been splitting time between redshirt-sophomore Megan Adams and freshman Angeline Friel. Both keepers have been scored on twice and own 1-1 records.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles were defeated at the hands of La Salle by a score of 2-1 on Thursday, Sept. 5 at the FGCU Soccer Complex. FGCU owned the first half of the game, as Lillback's first career goal gave the home team a 1-0 advantage in the 11th minute, which they held into the break. Sophomore Ashlee Brentlinger was credited with the assist. Though the Eagles' back line held the La Salle offense to just one shot in the first half, the Explorers were able to capitalize on a few one-on-one opportunities in the second stanza. La Salle found the back of the net twice within seven minutes to take the final 2-1 lead. Weck totaled six saves, all of which came in the second half. Senior Evdokia Popadinova and redshirt-junior Megan Young each tallied four shots. Three of Young's were on-target and Popadinova directly tested the keeper twice.
Livestats Link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=267054
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWPlmFZxpc1KCiQx90Ei4hg/
Sunday's game will mark the first meeting between not only the programs, but also the schools. As far as team sports go, Northeastern and FGCU have never played one another.
After shutting out FIU 2-0 in the season-opener (Aug. 22), the Eagles dropped a road contest to Michigan (Aug. 31) and a home game against La Salle (Sept. 5). So far, FGCU has tallied three goals through as many games; senior Marjorie Boilesen netted two against FIU and freshman Louise Lillback scored her first career goal against La Salle.
Senior Melissa Weck (1-2) has started off her final season between the pipes for the Green and Blue by climbing the program record book. The keeper's 212 career saves put her at third all-time and she needs 50 more to overtake Stephanie Powers (2008-11) for second place. With a 0.75 goals-against average, she checks in at third in the FGCU ranks. Stephanie Powers comes in at second with a 0.73 average and former FGCU great Brittany Brown sits at the top with a 0.67 career average.
Scouting Northeastern:
The Huskies will come to Fort Myers in pursuit of their first road win of the season. Northeastern suffered a 2-1 overtime loss on the road at Stony Brook in its season-opener before responding with back-to-back home wins over Albany (1-0) and Harvard (4-1). Most recently, Boston College downed the Huskies (Sept. 5) by a score of 1-0 on the Eagles' home pitch.
Junior Chelsea Domond leads the Huskies' offensive effort with two goals and one assist. Five different players have scored for the team so far. In the backfield, Northeastern has been splitting time between redshirt-sophomore Megan Adams and freshman Angeline Friel. Both keepers have been scored on twice and own 1-1 records.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles were defeated at the hands of La Salle by a score of 2-1 on Thursday, Sept. 5 at the FGCU Soccer Complex. FGCU owned the first half of the game, as Lillback's first career goal gave the home team a 1-0 advantage in the 11th minute, which they held into the break. Sophomore Ashlee Brentlinger was credited with the assist. Though the Eagles' back line held the La Salle offense to just one shot in the first half, the Explorers were able to capitalize on a few one-on-one opportunities in the second stanza. La Salle found the back of the net twice within seven minutes to take the final 2-1 lead. Weck totaled six saves, all of which came in the second half. Senior Evdokia Popadinova and redshirt-junior Megan Young each tallied four shots. Three of Young's were on-target and Popadinova directly tested the keeper twice.
Livestats Link: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=267054
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWPlmFZxpc1KCiQx90Ei4hg/
FGCU WSOC @ Michigan Recap
The FGCU women's soccer team (1-1-0) fell on the road to Michigan (3-0-0) by a score of 2-0, Friday evening at U-M Soccer Stadium.
"Tonight was a disappointing result," said head coach Jim Blankenship. "You got to give credit to Michigan and how they came out. We'll learn from this outcome and start getting ready for La Salle at home Thursday night."
It was a slow first half for the Eagles as the attack struggled to get things turning, recording just one shot courtesy of newcomer Louise Lillback (Stockholm, Sweden/Tibble Gymnasium) in the 14th minute. Following a corner kick, Hannah Blake put the Wolverines on the board to make it 1-0 in the 24th minute. Right before the intermission, Meredith Haakenson gave Michigan a 2-0 lead in the 43rd. A cross from just outside the 15-yard box bounced a few times before it was headed in.
Senior Melissa Weck (1-1) came away with three saves in the first half, facing seven shots.
In the second half, the FGCU defense limited Michigan to a pair of shots with only one coming on frame. Meanwhile, the offense began to find some rhythm, coming away with four shots with close opportunities coming from senior Evdokia Popadinova and redshirt junior Megan Young.
In the 78th minute, Popadinova fired a shot just outside the 15-yard box that sailed over the crossbar. Six minutes later, Young launched one from about 20 yards forcing the Wolverine keeper to diver to the near post for the save.
Weck capped off her night in net with four saves. On offense, FGCU walked away with five shots, one on target.
Up Next:
The Eagles will return home to face La Salle (1-1-1) Thursday night, Sept. 5 at 7 pm.
"Tonight was a disappointing result," said head coach Jim Blankenship. "You got to give credit to Michigan and how they came out. We'll learn from this outcome and start getting ready for La Salle at home Thursday night."
It was a slow first half for the Eagles as the attack struggled to get things turning, recording just one shot courtesy of newcomer Louise Lillback (Stockholm, Sweden/Tibble Gymnasium) in the 14th minute. Following a corner kick, Hannah Blake put the Wolverines on the board to make it 1-0 in the 24th minute. Right before the intermission, Meredith Haakenson gave Michigan a 2-0 lead in the 43rd. A cross from just outside the 15-yard box bounced a few times before it was headed in.
Senior Melissa Weck (1-1) came away with three saves in the first half, facing seven shots.
In the second half, the FGCU defense limited Michigan to a pair of shots with only one coming on frame. Meanwhile, the offense began to find some rhythm, coming away with four shots with close opportunities coming from senior Evdokia Popadinova and redshirt junior Megan Young.
In the 78th minute, Popadinova fired a shot just outside the 15-yard box that sailed over the crossbar. Six minutes later, Young launched one from about 20 yards forcing the Wolverine keeper to diver to the near post for the save.
Weck capped off her night in net with four saves. On offense, FGCU walked away with five shots, one on target.
Up Next:
The Eagles will return home to face La Salle (1-1-1) Thursday night, Sept. 5 at 7 pm.
FGCU WSOC @ Michigan Preview
The FGCU women's soccer team (1-0) will open their first road match as they travel to Ann Arbor to face Michigan (2-0) at the U-M Soccer Stadium Friday night, August 30 at 5 pm.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles were originally scheduled to face RV Auburn at home and were able to compete for 45 before it was suspended ruled a no-contest. Because the game did not exceed over 70 minutes due to the weather and the addition of Auburn's travel restrictions, the NCAA rule book states that if conditions lead to a suspended game and the game is not resumed the same day, it is considered a "no contest".
Big Goals:
In the game against FIU, it was senior Marjorie "Ma" Boilesen that took over the offense as she notched the first two goals of the season for the Eagles. Boilesen's two goals put her at 18 in her career as she passed Gina Petracco (17, 2008-11) and tied for sixth all-time with Ally Kasun (17, 2012-15) before passing Kasun for sole possession of sixth all-time. Boilesen needs six to pass Paulina "Pau" Speckmaier (22, 2013-16) for fifth all-time.
Weck 200:
Senior Melissa Weck has sent a message as starting goalkeeper. Weck (1-0) got the shutout win over FIU with four saves. The native of Yorba, California has in fact boosted her careers stats from the game in saves, shutouts and wins. Weck's four saves put her at 202 in her career and is 61 away from passing Stephanie Powers (26, 2008-11) for second all-time. The shutout was her her 28.4th in her career and 2.7 away from passing Powers for second all-time. Weck earned her 42nd win as she tied Powers (42) for second all-time.
FGCU vs. Power 5:
Since the jump to D1, the Eagles are 13-18-2 against teams from the Power 5 Conference.
Scouting the Maize and Blue:
The Wolverines are coming off opening their first two games at home as they defeated Marshall (5-0) and Utah Valley (2-1 OT).
Three players have two goals each: junior Sarah Stratigakis, sophomore Meredith Haakenson and freshman Danielle Wolfe. Meanwhile in the box, junior Hillary Beall has five saves in her name.
Series History:
This will be the second time both teams meet. The first time was last season at the FGCU Soccer Complex where the Eagles won 3-2.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on the Big Ten Network livestrean (BTN+). The stream will cost money ($9.95 monthly or $79.95 yearly).
Fans can also keep up to date with both teams on Twitter:
Twitter Accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_WSoccer
Michigan: @umichwsoccer
Promotions:
At the U-M Soccer Stadium, Michigan is promoting the game as 'Dollar Day', so general admission and concessions for everyone is $1. In addition, the first 250 fans upon arrival will get a free koozie.
Livestats Link: https://mgoblue.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
BTN+ Link: https://www.btnplus.com/game/florida-gulf-coast-at-michigan-on-08302019?tid=17
Last Time Out:
The Eagles were originally scheduled to face RV Auburn at home and were able to compete for 45 before it was suspended ruled a no-contest. Because the game did not exceed over 70 minutes due to the weather and the addition of Auburn's travel restrictions, the NCAA rule book states that if conditions lead to a suspended game and the game is not resumed the same day, it is considered a "no contest".
Big Goals:
In the game against FIU, it was senior Marjorie "Ma" Boilesen that took over the offense as she notched the first two goals of the season for the Eagles. Boilesen's two goals put her at 18 in her career as she passed Gina Petracco (17, 2008-11) and tied for sixth all-time with Ally Kasun (17, 2012-15) before passing Kasun for sole possession of sixth all-time. Boilesen needs six to pass Paulina "Pau" Speckmaier (22, 2013-16) for fifth all-time.
Weck 200:
Senior Melissa Weck has sent a message as starting goalkeeper. Weck (1-0) got the shutout win over FIU with four saves. The native of Yorba, California has in fact boosted her careers stats from the game in saves, shutouts and wins. Weck's four saves put her at 202 in her career and is 61 away from passing Stephanie Powers (26, 2008-11) for second all-time. The shutout was her her 28.4th in her career and 2.7 away from passing Powers for second all-time. Weck earned her 42nd win as she tied Powers (42) for second all-time.
FGCU vs. Power 5:
Since the jump to D1, the Eagles are 13-18-2 against teams from the Power 5 Conference.
Scouting the Maize and Blue:
The Wolverines are coming off opening their first two games at home as they defeated Marshall (5-0) and Utah Valley (2-1 OT).
Three players have two goals each: junior Sarah Stratigakis, sophomore Meredith Haakenson and freshman Danielle Wolfe. Meanwhile in the box, junior Hillary Beall has five saves in her name.
Series History:
This will be the second time both teams meet. The first time was last season at the FGCU Soccer Complex where the Eagles won 3-2.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available for the game and will air on the Big Ten Network livestrean (BTN+). The stream will cost money ($9.95 monthly or $79.95 yearly).
Fans can also keep up to date with both teams on Twitter:
Twitter Accounts:
FGCU: @FGCU_WSoccer
Michigan: @umichwsoccer
Promotions:
At the U-M Soccer Stadium, Michigan is promoting the game as 'Dollar Day', so general admission and concessions for everyone is $1. In addition, the first 250 fans upon arrival will get a free koozie.
Livestats Link: https://mgoblue.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
BTN+ Link: https://www.btnplus.com/game/florida-gulf-coast-at-michigan-on-08302019?tid=17
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