FGCU women’s soccer seniors (L-R) Sarah Greiner, Reese Dunaway, Maya Henley Buisan, Ava Russell, and Ava Boyd pose with their families, and framed recognition portraits during Senior Day ceremonies prior to Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Stetson at Pickering Field. (Photo: Zachary Gibbons / The Eagles Sports Report)

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Florida Gulf Coast University women’s soccer team clinched a berth in the ASUN Conference postseason tournament on Sunday afternoon, securing a 2-0 shutout victory over Stetson University on Senior Day at Pickering Field.

With the win, FGCU improves to 8-1-5 overall and 5-0-2 in the ASUN in its final home match of the regular season, while Stetson falls to 2-12-0 overall and 0-6-0 in conference play.

Prior to the match, the Eagles honored the five members of their senior class: Sarah Greiner, Reese Dunaway, Maya Henley Buisan, Ava Russell, and Ava Boyd. This match also marks the final home regular-season appearance for fifth-year player Megan Morgan, who was previously honored during the 2025 Senior Day.

Once the festivities were over, the Eagles got to work quickly. FGCU drew a free kick in the attacking third in the fifth minute, allowing Sarah Greiner to service a ball into the box that found the head of Kate Friday. Friday buried it in the bottom right corner for her second goal of the season, giving FGCU a quick 1-0 lead.

“All my players were making really good runs and I played a good ball in and Kate did a great job,” Greiner said of the opening scoring sequence.

The Eagles extended their lead in the 21st minute when goalkeeper Madara Bome launched a goal kick to midfield that found Kaitlin Gabelman. Gabelman quickly fed Taylor Latini, who beat Stetson goalkeeper Clare Boesel one-on-one with a right-footed strike into the bottom center of the net for her third goal of the season. Bome’s primary assist on the play marked a rare milestone—it was the first by an FGCU goalkeeper since Katie Sullivan recorded one during a 2021 win over the University of North Florida.

FGCU had two prime opportunities to extend its advantage before the break. In the 28th minute, Megan Morgan delivered a corner kick into the box that found Friday, but Boesel made a sharp save to deny the goal. Friday threatened again in the 37th minute, firing a shot that went off the post to keep the margin at 2-0 heading into halftime.

The early offensive surge delivered on FGCU head coach Jim Blankenship’s pre-game focus to strike early and claim the all-important postseason berth.

“Ultimately, that’s what we start out for, right? We talk about trying to make sure that we get a spot in the tournament, try to get a good seed,” Blankenship said. “I’m proud of them. I’m proud of that. We scored a great goal to start the game. It wasn’t our best games of the year, but we got the result.”

With the tournament spot secured, the Eagles have their sights set on hosting and contending for the conference title.

“It’s great to be able to play in the ASUN Championship,” Greiner said. “We’re hoping host it, so we’re playing for number one, we’re not playing just to get in. We’re hoping to get the number one seed to win the whole thing.”

The FGCU offense faced some adversity in the second half, as a couple of early yellow cards forced forwards Keira Morgan and Kaitlin Gabelman off the pitch just 10 minutes into the period. The Eagles outshot the Hatters 18-4 in the contest, but managed just four total shots on net and none in the second half of action.

Stetson’s best chance to break the shutout came in the 72nd minute with a strike from inside the box, but the shot was just off target.

Blankenship acknowledged that while securing the result was primary, his squad still has areas to sharpen offensively as postseason play approaches.

“There’s a lot about a team if you don’t play your best soccer and still win,” Blankenship noted. “I think this moment, it was good enough. It’s gonna have to be better. Especially, you gotta create shots.”

In goal, Bome earned the victory for the Eagles, making two saves across a full 90 minutes of work to anchor the defense and secure the clean sheet.

Blankenship was pleased to see his team celebrate Senior Day with a victory, praising the contributions of his senior class in Sunday’s performance.

“They all played, all but Ava [Boyd], who’s still hurt,” Blankenship said. “I’m proud, and it’s kind of them. They go on, they contribute. Our depth is kind of our strength.”

The Eagles have three matches remaining in the regular season as they gear up for tournament play. FGCU returns to action on Thursday for a road rematch against Jacksonville University, with kickoff set for 5 p.m. at Southern Oak Stadium in Jacksonville.

A Possible Return

While Senior Day traditionally signifies the end of a collegiate journey at home, the door may not be completely closed for at least one key contributor.

While she cannot officially commit until next year, Greiner is open to the idea of returning for a fifth season under the NCAA’s new “5 in 5” eligibility rule. Reflecting post-match on her options, Greiner explained:

“I’ll have one more year remaining. And so it’s really exciting that the whole five or five allows me to do that because I know when I originally signed I was only given four years total so this would have been my last year, but I have one more year left.”

Greiner also expressed deep appreciation for the program culture Blankenship has fostered throughout her time in Fort Myers.

“Jim is great, honestly he’s made it such a family,” Greiner said. “I mean I can go to Jim for anything so. It’s been really great, I’ve never had a coach that’s been so supportive on and off the field. It’s amazing to have coach, and we’re a player to him but we’re also a person so that really means a lot to me.”

Blankenship echoed that enthusiasm when asked about the possibility of having his standout attacker back on the squad for another run:

“She’s been phenomenal. It’s exciting to hear that she wants to come back and play another year. She’s a big piece, an important piece.”