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FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University women’s soccer opens the 2024 campaign Thursday by hosting FIU at Pickering Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., and FGCU Athletics will commemorate the 2023 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship-winning team with a pregame ceremony.
The back-to-back defending champs are home to the ASUN’s Preseason Player, Midfielder, Defender and Goalkeeper of the Year. The Eagles swept the ASUN’s preseason superlative awards and were picked No. 1 overall in the coaches poll, earning nine of the 12 first-place votes. FGCU returns 19 Eagles from its championship-winning season.
Ashley Labbe captured the league’s highest preseason honor, the ASUN Player of the Year. 2023 ASUN Tournament MVP Erika Zschuppe was named the Midfielder of the Year. Reese Mendenhall was credited with the Defender of the Year, and Olivia Molina grabbed the Goalkeeper of the Year nod from the league. Zschuppe and Mendenhall also landed on the United Soccer Coaches’ Players to Watch Lists for the upcoming season.
Head coach Jim Blankenship is two wins away from 450 career victories. He enters 2024 as the eighth-winningest active head coach in Division I women’s soccer. FGCU has won the ASUN’s regular season or tournament title in 12 out of the last 13 seasons. Blankenship has won 10 or more matches in 15 of his 16 seasons at FGCU. He enters his 17th year at the helm of the Eagles in 2024.
FGCU has gotten one exhibition under its belt this season, facing and outshooting Miami in a scoreless draw. FIU has competed in two exhibition matches this preseason, defeating Miami Dade College 7-0 and Eastern Florida State College 3-0. FGCU is 13-1-1 all-time against the Panthers, winning the last 11 matches. In 2023, the Eagles delivered a 1-0 shutout victory in Miami.
Two Panthers appeared on the Conference USA Preseason All-Conference Team as defender Reagan Bridges and midfielder Noemi Paquin were awarded the honor. Paquin, a C-USA First Team selection in 2023 with five goals, recorded the most shots (59) and third most shots on goal (25) across their respective conference a season ago. FIU was picked to finish fourth in the C-USA’s 2024 Preseason Coaches Poll.
For tickets, purchase online HERE or at the gate. Single-game tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for military and youth (ages 4-12). For groups of 10 or more, tickets start at $6. FGCU students, faculty and staff are free with a valid Eagle I.D. The match will not be streamed on ESPN+.
Source link : https://fgcuathletics.com/news/2024/8/13/womens-soccer-womens-soccer-hosts-fiu-to-open-2024-season.aspx
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Publish date : 2024-08-15 01:00:46
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