FORT MYERS, Fla. — Following a split slate of mid-week road action, the Florida Gulf Coast University men’s and women’s soccer teams return to the pitch Sunday, Aug. 23, to conclude their non-conference road swings.

The women (1-1-1) remain in Louisiana to face SEC foe Louisiana State University (1-2-0) at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT), while the men (0-1-0) travel to South Carolina to square off against the College of Charleston (0-0-1) at 7 p.m. ET.

Riding the momentum of their first victory of the 2026 season, the women head to Baton Rouge following a dominant 4-0 shutout over Southern University on Thursday. Cape Coral native Ryleigh Acosta scored twice, while defenders Sarah Greiner and Kaitlin Gabelman also scored. FGCU’s backline has allowed just two goals across three matches this season, holding both Houston and Southern without a single shot on goal in those contests.

LSU enters Sunday seeking a rebound after falling 2-1 to UCF on Thursday. Coming off the program’s first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in 2025, the Tigers feature a dangerous attack led by Ava Galligan (11 goals in 2025) and BYU transfer Allie Fryer (30 career goals). Sunday marks the second all-time meeting between the programs, following LSU’s 6-1 victory over the Eagles in Fort Myers last season. FGCU seeks its fifth win over an SEC opponent in program history and its first since defeating Alabama in 2018.

To pull off the road upset, FGCU must maintain backline discipline against SEC-caliber pace to limit LSU’s high-powered attack on the wings. Additionally, building off Thursday’s breakout offensive performance by converting set-piece opportunities could give goalkeepers Madara Bome and Danyelle Dorn the goal support needed in Baton Rouge.

Men’s Soccer

The FGCU men look to bounce back in Charleston, South Carolina, after dropping their season opener 3-1 at Georgia Southern on Thursday. Despite outshooting the home team 14-13 overall and 9-6 in the second half, early-season defensive errors proved costly in a physical match that featured 26 fouls and seven yellow cards. Junior forward Aron Martinez provided the equalizer in the 50th minute on a penalty kick following a VAR review, while sophomore goalkeeper Marcelo Lacayo notched six saves in his NCAA debut.

The Eagles enter 2026 undergoing a major roster turnover, having lost 81.3% of their total minutes played from a season ago—the fifth-highest departure percentage in NCAA Division I. College of Charleston opens its home slate following a 1-1 draw against Davidson, where Matt Lenert provided the lone goal for the Cougars. Sunday marks just the second all-time meeting between FGCU and Charleston, with the Cougars claiming a 1-0 victory in their initial 2009 matchup.

Eliminating costly turnovers will be paramount for a young Green & Blue backline after two of Georgia Southern’s three goals stemmed directly from a misplayed pass and a set piece. Furthermore, increasing shot efficiency after placing just five of 14 attempts on frame on Thursday will be crucial to breaking down Charleston’s compact setup at Patriots Point.