Assistant Coaches coaching staff
Jessica Zabel Assistant Coach
3rd season, USF ‘07 Jessica Zabel is in her third season with the FGCU Women’s Soccer staff. Zabel came to FGCU to play as a senior in the inaugural season of the Eagles. She was part of the first-year team that finished third in the Atlantic Sun Conference and sits tied for fifth in assists (5) in the FGCU women’s soccer record book. Zabel has helped lead the Eagles to two consecutive regular season third-place finishes in the A-Sun race. She assists head coach Jim Blankenship with recruiting, travel and practice management as well as working with the offense. A native of Lake Mary, Fla., Zabel graduated from Lake Mary High School in 2003. She received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from USF in 2007 where she played three years on the BIG EAST team. She earned academic honors as part of the BIG EAST Academic All-Stars. She completed her Master’s in Reading from FGCU in December 2008.
Erin Switalski Assistant Coach
1st season, Campbell ‘05 Erin Switalski begins her first season with the women’s soccer staff after spending the last three seasons at Lynn University. During her time at Lynn, she worked primarily with the goalkeepers while also contributing to recruiting and game management. Under the guidance of Switalski, the Knights had a 1.06 goals against average and a save percentage of .748 during her three years. Switalski came to Lynn after playing in the Danish First Division for a year and coaching two seasons at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn. The Lady Govs recorded a 1.87 GAA as a team in 2007, but saw their starting keeper post a 1.30 GAA, good for fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference. Prior to embarking on a coaching career, Switalski starred at Campbell University. A four-year letterwinner with the Lady Camels, she was a three-time Atlantic Sun All-Conference first team selection and was named the 2004 A-Sun Tournament MVP after posting shutouts against Gardner-Webb and UCF. She led Campbell to its first A-Sun title and initial appearance in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship. She holds school records for shutouts in a career (26) and season (nine in 2003 and 2004), and career saves (329) while finishing with the second lowest goals against average for a career (1.11). The Breckville, Ohio, native graduated with a Bachelor of Science in exercise sciences from Campbell in May 2005.
2010 EAGLES
Women’s Soccer Women’s Soccer
10