FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Florida Gulf Coast University women's soccer team earned a 6-0 victory over North Florida on Sunday at Pickering Field. FGCU improved its overall record 7-4-1 and 4-1 in Atlantic Sun Conference play. The Green and Blue matched their largest scoring output and margin of victory of the season, equaling their 6-0 season-opening victory over Webber International on Aug. 17. The Eagles have won three consecutive conference matches by a combined score of 15-0 over UNF, Jacksonville and West Georgia. FGCU has outscored opponents 18-2 in ASUN matches overall.
The Eagles notched the first two shots of the match within the first three minutes, one from
Megan Morgan and the other from
Erika Zschuppe, but neither found the back of the net. The next shot did not come for either team until the 21st minute when senior
Kendal Gargiula struck. The forward's right-footed try found the top right corner of the goal to give FGCU a 1-0 lead. It was Gargiula's sixth tally of the season, which is good for second on the team.
Maya Henley Buisan and
Ryanne Robinson provided the assists.
Zschuppe, the ASUN Preseason Player and Midfielder of the Year, continued her remarkable season less than four minutes later. She scored her 11th goal of the year, finding the top right corner like Gargiula did. Ten minutes later, Zschuppe made it 3-0, this time finding the top left corner, securing her third consecutive brace and her fourth multi-goal contest in a single season for the first time in her career.
In the 37th minute, Henley Buisan gave the Eagles a 4-0 advantage with her first goal of the season and the third goal of the match in which the Eagles found the top right corner of the net. The junior notched her second career contest in which she has posted at least one goal and one assist, along with her performance against Austin Peay last October when she scored once and assisted on another tally.
Sophia Holtzman assisted Henley Buisan's goal.
In the 43rd minute, Zschuppe made it a first half hat trick and gave FGCU its highest scoring period of the season with its fifth goal, surpassing its total of four in the first half against Webber International. Holtzman registered her second assist of the match, the first two of the freshman's career. Redshirt senior
Lindsey Saad also secured her second career assist on Zschuppe's third goal. The Eagles entered halftime with a 5-0 advantage, having scored on five of their nine shots and not allowing the Ospreys to attempt a shot.
Five minutes into the second half, Zschuppe made it a pair of career highs with her fourth goal and her seventh and eighth points of the match. Three of the senior's four goals were unassisted. Zschuppe's four goals and eight points both tied for the second most in a single match in program history, equaling Tabby Tindell's marks against Idaho State in 2013. Courtney Eppelman holds both records with five goals and 10 points against Alabama State in August 2007, the program's first ever match. Zschuppe boosted her career totals to 39 goals and 94 points, both second in FGCU history behind Tindell. Zschuppe has scored eight goals in her last three matches and leads the ASUN with 14 goals and 28 points.
UNF recorded its first shot of the match in the 57th minute and its first shot on goal the 67th minute, forcing the only save of the afternoon from FGCU's
Madara Matrevica. The Ospreys finished with three total shots and just one on goal. The three shots tied FGCU's fewest allowed in a contest this season, matching their performance against Weber International. The lone try on net surrendered was the Eagles' second-best mark of the year, behind the zero they gave up against Webber International. FGCU finished with 14 shots and nine shots on goal.
FGCU (7-4-1, 4-1 ASUN) concluded its first round of matches against its Graphite Division foes and will begin the second round against this same North Florida team on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. in Jacksonville. The Eagles now lead the all-time series against the Ospreys 18-3-1 and have won six in a row while outscoring UNF 17-1 in that span.
