FGCU freshman goalkeeper already setting records for women’s soccer

Writer: Sylvie Sparks
Published: Updated:
FGCU goalkeeper Molina

The FGCU Women’s Soccer team is ready to defend its conference championship, but not without the help of its true freshman goalkeeper.

Olivia Molina is the true freshman goalkeeper for the Eagles and she’s already setting school records.

She is FGCU’s single-season record holder in saves with 86.

“We had no clue going into that game that I was only four saves away from having the single-season high, so after going out of that game and seeing that post on Instagram, it made me really happy and excited,” Molina said.

Molina says she didn’t even know the school kept track of records like that.

“I mean, any save is an amazing save, especially in that game against Bellarmine because it was a really tight game and we ended up winning 1-0,” Molina said. “It was like any other save, but every save is a great save.

The record was set in a game back on Oct. 12, now the freshman has 99 saves on the season.

Eagles’ Head Coach Jim Blankenship says Molina has a lot of things that a coach wants in a keeper

“Her foundation is phenomenal,” Blankenship said. “She’s quick. She’s fearless. She’s got great hands. She’s good in the box.”

What Coach Blankenship admires most is her coachability.

“Even though she’s super young, as a coach you’re able to get on her a bit to push her,” Blankenship said. “She wants to be better. She wants you to be hard on her and drive her and help her be successful.”

Molina has eight shutouts on the season, the second most in the ASUN Conference.

She told me her success goes hand in hand with the team’s success.

“I’ll always back up my defense and that leads all the way through the offense,” Molina said. “I think every individual player, we go out there and play for ourselves, but also play for the whole team.”

Three seed FGCU takes on the winner of Austin Peay versus Kennesaw State in the ASUN quarterfinals at home on Sunday at 1 p.m.

It is the Eagles 13th straight postseason appearance.

A win in that match sends them to the semifinals in Nashville next week.

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