FGCU Opens Conference Play with Win Over Mercer

Box Score

MACON, GA- The Florida Gulf Coast University women’s soccer team picked up a key conference win on the road as they knocked off the Mercer Bears by a score of 2-1 in Macon, Georgia on Friday night.

With the win, the Eagles improve their record to 6-3-1 (1-0-0 A-Sun) as the Bears fall to 4-4-1 (0-2-0 A-Sun). The Eagles have now won six of there last seven games after starting the season 0-2-1.

 “I give a lot of credit to Mercer, they are a tough team that is very organized and possesses the ball well, “said head coach Jim Blankenship. “I was really pleased with our effort tonight, we continued to create opportunities and it finally paid off.”

Sophomore Olivia Elias (Coral Springs, Fla.) shined once again for FGCU as she tallied four shots while getting the Eagles on the board in the first 20 minutes of the match. Elias took a pass from freshman Jess Swartzentruber (Sarasota, Fla.) from outside the box and blasted her shot into the upper left corner of the net to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.

Later in the first half the Bears would answer with a goal of their own as Lauren Johnson dribbled through the FGCU defense and buried her shot just under the outstretched arms of Eagles keeper Stephanie Powers (Seffner, Fla.) to tie score at one in the 27^th minute.

There would be no scoring until 63^rd minute of the second half when Senior Amber McCall (Ft. Myers, Fla.) scored her third goal of the season and the eventual game winner. McCall one-timed a cross from Junior Caytlan McKenzie (Calgary Alberta, Canada) and buried it past Mercer goalie Jean Worts.

Though the Eagles were out shot by a 12-10 margin, FGCU got another strong outing from Powers in goal as she stopped six of the seven shots she faced to get the win.

FGCU will be back in action Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. as they travel to Kennesaw, Georgia for an A-Sun match up with the Kennesaw State Owls. The Eagles return home October 3^rd for a 1 p.m. battle with A-Sun foe Campbell