CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte women's soccer team (0-3-3) is set to welcome Florida Gulf Coast (2-4) in their ASUN opener on Thursday, Sept. 15. The Royals concluded a difficult non-conference schedule over the weekend and are prepared to begin their ASUN journey which features 10 matches, including five in the Queen City.
 
"It's always a great time of season when you start conference play," said Head Coach Shannon Neely Noel. "For us, it's even more as it's our first season in the ASUN. While the focus continues to be growth and improvement, results matter more. We are playing for points and every game is an opportunity for us to prove ourselves and continue to make history."
 
Queens will be searching for their first Division I victory on Thursday night. The Royals were minutes away from taking down Morehead State on the road before a late foul was called resulting in a PK. Senior forward Nia Gaither scored the first Division I goal in program history against the Eagles in the 7^th minute. The lone goal was the Harrisburg, N.C. natives 20^th career goal. Erica Turner sits atop the career record books in shutouts with 28 total, including two this season.
 
The Royals will welcome the Eagles who were picked to finish second in the Preseason Coaches Poll while receiving one first place vote. FGCU landed three Preseason All-Conference standouts, including Louise Lillback, Leah Scarpelli, and Ashley Labbe. Lillback was also voted as the Preseason Player of the Year after scoring 11 goals in conference play while having four multi-goal performances.
 
The Royals non-conference slate featured six matches against top competition. Queens opened the season against the reigning CAA Regular Season Champs from UNC Wilmington and closed their non-conference slate against the SEC Preseason favorites from Tennessee. In between, the Royals faced a pair of the best Division II opponents in the country in Mississippi College and West Florida.
 
"Having a chance to work with this group all spring, I knew that I wanted to challenge them in a non-conference schedule which would prepare us for the ASUN," stated Noel. "The past matches have presented great adversity and opportunity for us to learn about ourselves and continue growing as we get ready to take on our new conference opponents."
 
Fans and families can purchase single game tickets for the upcoming match by visiting the Queens Athletics website. The match will be broadcasted on ESPN+ and live stats can be accessed here.
 
Be sure to follow the Queens Women's Soccer team on Twitter and Instagram throughout the 2022 season to get the latest news and updates. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tik Tok to keep up with all the Royals in action.