CARROLLTON, Ga. - The Florida Gulf Coast University women's soccer team earned a 4-0 victory over West Georgia on Sunday, improving its record to 5-4-1 overall and 2-1 in Atlantic Sun Conference play. It was the Eagles' second-largest margin of victory and second-highest goal total of the season, trailing only their 6-0 season-opening win over Webber International on Aug. 17.
FGCU began the scoring by converting on the first shot of the match in the eighth minute. Senior
Erika Zschuppe, the ASUN Preseason Player and Midfielder of the Year, scored her team-leading seventh goal of the year, a strike into the bottom right corner of the net to give the Green and Blue a 1-0 lead. Fellow senior
Kendal Gargiula picked up the assist, her team-best third of the year.
Kate Friday forced a save less than 45 seconds after the opening tally, and FGCU made it 2-0 soon after. Zschuppe made it a brace in the 11th minute, once again finding the bottom right portion of the net for her eighth goal of the year. Graduate student
Elena Hinkson provided the assist, the defender's third of the season, tying Gargiula for the team-high, third in her last four matches and fourth of her career.
Despite it taking only 10:03, it was only the third least amount of time the Eagles have taken to reach two goals in a match this year. FGCU scored twice in 4:19 against Webber International and in 6:53 against Stetson on Sept. 21.
The Wolves made an effort to get back into the match just one minute after Zschuppe's second goal, but freshman goalkeeper
Madara Matrevica kept West Georgia's first shot of the match out of the net to retain her team's 2-0 advantage. The Eagles managed six more shots in the first period, going into halftime with nine tries, five of which were on goal. The Wolves attempted just two shots, and forced one save from Matrevica.
Much like in the first half, FGCU scored on the first shot of the second, this time courtesy of
Lauren Dwyer in the 49th minute to put the Green and Blue ahead 3-0. It was the senior defender's first career goal in her 65th match. Dwyer made her 49th career start on Sunday and was a First Team All-ASUN selection last year. Her only other point was an assist in 2023.
Matrevica made her second and final save of the match in the 67th minute and FGCU added one more goal in the 81st minute. Freshman
Sophia Holtzman notched the second goal of her career off an assist by
Maya Henley Buisan, which was her third helper of the year, equaling Gargiula and Hinkson for the team lead.
The Eagles finished with 16 total shots and nine on goal. Nine tries on net ties FGCU's second-best mark of the year, which it set against Queens on Thursday. The Wolves were held to five shots and two on goal. Two shots on goal allowed is the second-lowest total FGCU has allowed this year. The Green and Blue posted 21 shots on goal and did not allow any against Webber International.
The Eagles (5-4-1, 2-1 ASUN) return to the pitch on Thursday at 6 p.m. for their first home conference match of the season against Jacksonville at Pickering Field. FGCU has won 11 of its last 12 contests against the Dolphins.
