ORLANDO, Fla. – The FGCU women’s soccer team took an early lead against #23 UCF, Sunday afternoon, but could not hold on as the Knights defeated the Eagles, 3-1. FGCU falls to 1-3 on the season while UCF improves to 2-0-2.
“We got off to a great start taking the early lead, but UCF is a good team and they responded,” said the head coach. Jim Blankenship. “This was a good game to see how we match up against a top-25 team and we can use what we learned today for the rest of the season.”
Junior Louise Lillback (Stockholm, Sweden/Tibble Gymnasium) got the scoring started just 81 seconds into the game as she looked for a pass from graduate student Libby Helverson (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley HS/Drake) in the box and fired a shot just past the outstretched leg of UCF keeper Caroline DeLisle.
The goal for Lilleback was her 28th of her career which ties her for second all-time in FGCU history with Shannen Wacker ’15, only behind Tabby Tindell.
Most Career Goals
| 1. | 66 | Tabby Tindell | 2013-16 |
| 2. | 28 | Shannen Wacker | 2011-14 |
| 2. | 28 | Louise Lillback | 2019-Present |
| 4. | 25 | Evdokia Popadinova | 2018-19 |
| 5. | 24 | Amber McCall | 2007-09 |
Most Career Points
| 1. | 162 | Tabby Tindell | 2013-16 |
| 2. | 83 | Shannen Wacker | 2011-14 |
| 3. | 68 | Lindsey Haw | 2007-10 |
| 4. | 67 | Marjorie Boilesen | 2017-19 |
| 5. | 66 | Paulina Speckmaier | 2013-16 |
| 6. | 63 | Louise Lillback | 2019-present |
| 7. | 59 | Evdokia Popadinova | 2018-19 |
| 8. | 57 | Amber McCall | 2007-09 |
| 9. | 53 | Ally Kasun | 2012-15 |
| 10. | 44 | Gina Petracco | 2008-11 |
UCF answered in the 21stSt minute as Kristen Scott scored on a breakaway to even the match at one.
The Eagles had a great chance to take the lead back in the 30th minute as junior Leah Scarpelli (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial HS/Penn State) sent a free kick into the box that found the head of Helverson, but her shot went straight into the keeper’s hands.
The game remained even at the half, but out of the break, the Knights took the lead in the 57thth minute right before an hour-long lightning delay.
After the delay, Lillback took a shot from distance in the 59th minute, but DeLisle made a leaping save to keep the Knights out in front. UCF took advantage of the missed opportunity by the Eagles and extended its lead in the 61stSt minute on Scott’s second goal of the game.
FGCU almost responded right away as a freshman Erika Zschuppe (Kirtland, Ohio/Kirtland HS) took a clean shot but once again, DeLisle made a diving save.
The Eagles kept fighting and had a couple of corner kicks in the final 10 minutes, but they could not capitalize.
Overall, UCF outshot the Eagles, 18-9, and had a 6-4 advantage in shots on goal while FGCU had a 7-3 edge in corner kicks.
The Eagles will have a week off before returning home next Sunday to take on Florida Atlantic. Kickoff from Pickering Field is set for 1 pm
For complete coverage of FGCU women’s soccer, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_WSoccer and online at www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU women’s soccer or other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.
EAGLE CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal – a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the EAGLE Campaign – Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join our team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
COACH JIM BLANKENSHIP
A veteran of over two decades in collegiate coaching, head coach Jim Blankenship, who was named the ASUN Coach of the Year in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2019, has built FGCU women’s soccer into an annual contender in the ASUN Conference and a rising program in the South Region in just 13 seasons. Blankenship started the program in 2007 and has since guided the Eagles to 13 double-digit win seasons, culminating with ASUN Regular Season Championships in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019. In 2011 and 2012 he also led the Eagles to back-to-back ASUN Tournament titles as they became the first team in the history of the university to make it to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles went on to win the 2014 ASUN Tournament and hosted the first NCAA Championship event on campus. The Eagles earned their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance with the 2015 ASUN Tournament Championship and won their first NCAA game at USF in 2015 while finishing 24th in the nation. In 2016, the Eagles made it three-consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament with a third-straight ASUN Tournament title. A year later, the Eagles became the first ASUN women’s soccer program to make four-straight NCAA Tournaments with another tournament title in 2017. Blankenship has guided FGCU to a 185-72-27 (.699) overall record through the first 15 seasons of the program’s existence, including a 93-19-15 (.791) mark in the ASUN. Blankenship’s impressive career record of 425-143-38 (.733) over 31 seasons has come while leading FGCU, the University of Miami, Lynn University and St. Thomas University.
EAGLE CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal – a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the EAGLE Campaign – Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join our team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics’ charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and use the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 92 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 15 seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 11 seasons of DI postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 45 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. In 2022, the men’s golf team became the first program to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sports – including women’s basketball (No. 20, 2021-22), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022) and both men’s soccer (2018, 2019) and women’s soccer (2018) as four of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors’ Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA’s Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.50 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2020 semester and has outperformed the general university undergraduate population for 26 consecutive semesters. The past five semesters (Fall 2019 – Spring 2022) saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher cumulative team GPA. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.