Women's Soccer | 8/17/2017 1:18:00 PM

STATESBORO, Ga. – The wait is nearly over. After 10 months since the conclusion of the 2016 season, the Georgia Southern women's soccer team will begin its 2017 campaign at home against Florida Gulf Coast, Friday, August 18 at 7:00 PM. Friday marks the beginning of the programs 25^th season. The Eagles enter play on Friday, losing only eight letter winners from last season.

"We're really looking forward to this weekend," Head Coach Brian Dunleavy said. "We get to play some games that actually count towards our record. I think we have had a great preseason and I was happy with how well we did in both exhibition games. As we get ready for Florida Gulf Coast we need to make sure we are on top of our game, because they are one of the best mid-major programs in the country and they are coming here. They are a perennial NCAA tournament team. They've got attacking power, great defending, and it's a very formidable opponent. We have got to make sure we get ourselves ready to go. Shortly there afterwards, we have a quick turnaround against a rising program in Gardner-Webb. They are a team that is going to come in here and really give us a challenge on a hot Sunday. It is going to be a little bit of a war of attrition, so we need to be ready for that game as well, but our focus is on Gulf Coast and making sure we are as prepared as possible."
 
FRIDAY'S MATCH SNAPSHOT
GS (0-0-0) vs. Florida Gulf Coast (0-0-0)
Friday, August 18 | 7:00 PM | Eagle Field (Statesboro, Ga.)
Live Stats | Live Video
 
SUNDAY'S MATCH SNAPSHOT
GS (0-0-0) vs. Gardner-Webb (0-0-0)
Sunday, August 20 | 1:00 PM | Eagle Field (Statesboro, Ga.)
Live Stats | Live Video
 
SCOUTING FLORIDA GULF COAST
The Florida Gulf Coast Eagles come into this season following a 14-5-1 record in 2016. They won their 7^th straight ASUN Regular Season Championship this past season, which is the longest active streak in the nation. They are returning 7 starters and have 13 newcomers. Emilie Olson is a key returner who had 6 goals and 3 assists during the 2016 season.
 
SCOUTING GARDNER-WEBB
Gardner-Webb finished their 2016 campaign with a 9-8-3 record and finished 6-3-1 in conference play. They scored 23 total goals last season and averaged 1.15 per game. The team is returning 8 starters and has 13 newcomers. Keely Brown and Samuelle Grove are returning key players for the Bulldogs. Grove started every game last season and led the team in scoring with 12 points, while Brown had a team high of minutes in the goal.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Georgia Southern and Florida Gulf Coast will meet for the first time in either programs histories Friday evening.
Georgia Southern and Gardner-Webb will also meet this weekend for the third time in program history. The Eagles currently lead the series 2-0-0, with the last victory coming at Eagle Field on August 24, 2012.
 
NEXT UP
The Eagles will continue their play on the road next weekend as they head to Macon, Georgia, to take on Kennesaw State (8/25) and Siena (8/27) in the Mercer Tournament.
 
Georgia Southern Athletics provides current information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, which is fully responsive with any device. Information on Eagle athletics can also be found through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics and Instagram.com/GSAthletics. To purchase tickets to Georgia Southern athletics events, visit GSEagles.com/tickets.
 
In order to expedite entry and provide a safe environment for all patrons and participants, Georgia Southern Athletics has implemented a Clear Bag Policy for all ticketed sporting events, effective Aug. 1, 2017. Fans can find the complete policy as well as an FAQ section at GSEagles.com/ClearBag.