The FGCU women's soccer head coach Jim Blankenship has announced the signing of eight student-athletes during the early-signing period. Lauren Arrabito, Ashley Blanchard, Darien Davis, Shay Jackson, Camille Knudstrup, Bridget Schoffman and Taylor Shore have all signed a National Letter of Intent with the FGCU women's soccer program for the fall of 2015. The signings come in the wake of a record-breaking 2014 campaign that saw the Eagles win a fifth-consecutive Atlantic Sun Regular Season Championship and make a third trip to the NCAA Tournament.

"Signing day is an exciting time as we look to bring in new FGCU Eagles under our wings," head coach Jim Blankenship added. "We are confident that this crop of players will be able to come in and hit the ground running as we look to take our program to new heights after a successful campaign last season.

Lauren Arrabito (Land O' Lakes, Fla./Land O' Lakes HS) will join the Eagles this upcoming season as a goalkeeper having just finished a very successful Senior campaign that saw her team advance all the way to the Florida State Finals. Arrabito was named 2013-14 Defensive Player of the Year as well as Second Team All-Conference honors. Lauren decided to attend FGCU so that she could be part of a prestigious and growing program.

Ashley Blanchard (Largo, Fla./Largo HS) is an All-County and All-Conference selection following her final two seasons at Largo High School. A strong and versatile defender Blanchard's aerial presence allows her to come in and contribute right away. While attending FGCU she will focus her studies on Marine Biology and with an older brother already enrolled at FGCU Blanchard made her decision based mainly on the Universities' academic standing and the ability to further her athletic career as a Division I soccer player.

Darien Davis (Newport Richey, Fla./River Ridge HS) is a striker/winger from just up the road with Tampa Bay United who joins the Eagles after yet another Golden Boot performance at River Ridge High School, her third in a row. Her ability to utilize speed and finishing allowed her to finish her career with the most goals scored in her district. She chose FGCU after visiting and falling in love with the campus and coaching staff.

Shay Jackson (Parkville, Mo./Park Hill South HS) joins the Eagle family from Parkville, Mo. where she attended Park Hill South High School and competed with Sporting Blue Valley ECNL. The speedy and crafty attack minded player was able to leave her time in Kansas City with numerous awards including All-Conference, All-District and All-State team selections. Having looked at numerous other schools including Ole Miss, Kansas, St Louis and Iowa State, Shay decided to come to FGCU because she loved the campus, weather and where the program is headed.

Camille Knudstrup (Lakeland, Fla./George Jenkins HS) arrives to FGCU as a very experienced and talented center back capable of playing anywhere across the backline. At Jenkins High School she racked up numerous All-County honors. Camille was also a member and starter the past four years for the Olympic Development Teams of Florida along with being selected to numerous national ODP events representing Region III. Along with the success on the field she is also a very strong student poised to help the program in many ways. Camille also plays for the ECNL club West Florida Flames.

Bridget Schoffman (Eagan, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran HS) comes to Ft Myers with a bandwagon of success in her high school career. A two-time All-State selection, multiple-time All-Missota, All-Pioneer and Most Valuable Player award winner, she tallied 37 goals and 16 assists from the midfield. Schoffman has a knack for playing in the middle of the field. She has excellent vision and great passing ability to go with an ability to score as well. A member of ECNL club Minnesota Thunder, Schoffman chose FGCU due to their strong program, coaches and their excellent business program.

Taylor Shore (Plantation, Fla./Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy) another Florida native comes to FGCU as an All-County first team selection. Playing for her club Boca United, Shore was recently crowned Champion at the Disney Showcase in Orlando, Florida. They were also participants in Florida State Cup Final Four and 2012-13 NPL Champions. Taylor has an aggressive streak and a willingness to work hard for an entire match that will suit her well in her future years at FGCU. She says that her reasoning for coming to FGCU came down to the beautiful campus, academics and friendly staff.

JIM BLANKENSHIP - 2014 A-SUN COACH OF THE YEAR
A veteran of over two decades in collegiate coaching, head coach Jim Blankenship, who was named the 2012 and 2013 A-Sun Coach of the Year as well, has built FGCU women's soccer into a yearly contender in the Atlantic Sun Conference and a rising program in the South Region in just eight seasons. Blankenship started the program in 2007 and has since guided the Eagles to eight double-digit win seasons, culminating with Atlantic Sun Regular Season Championships in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. In 2011 and 2012 he also led the Eagles to back-to-back A-Sun tournament championships and became the first team in the history of the university to make it to the NCAA Tournament. Blankenship has guided FGCU to a 101-36-17 overall record over the first eight seasons of the program's existence, including a 54-9-9 mark in the A-Sun.

2014 FGCU WOMEN'S SOCCER
FGCU put together a record-shattering season, winning a program record 17 games, a fifth-consecutive Atlantic Sun Regular Season Championship, a third A-Sun Tournament title and hosted the first NCAA Tournament match in the history of FGCU Athletics which produced a record-shattering attendance of 2,014 fans. After dropping a 2-0 result to No. 16 South Carolina on Sept. 14 on a neutral field, the Eagles won a program record 13 consecutive matches, outscoring their opponents 36-6 with seven shutouts, including a 15-2 advantage against A-Sun competition during the regular season. The Eagles are now 7-0-1 all-time in the A-Sun Tournament and 3-0-1 in the Championship match.

---

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

ECNL Girls N. Atlantic Players to Watch

Women's NCAA Tournament Round Two Preview

Best of Men's College Soccer Week 13