Rhonda Gottschalk - Women's Soccer Coach - Bowling Green State University Athletics

Rhonda Gottschalk

Title:
Assistant Women's Soccer Coach
Email:
rgottsc@bgsu.edu
Phone:
419-372-9617

Rhonda Gottschalk recently concluded her second season as an assistant coach with the BGSU women’s soccer program in 2014. Gottschalk was hired by head coach Lindsay Basalyga in February of 2013, and began her duties at BGSU on March 11 of that year.

Gottschalk works directly with the BGSU goalkeepers and helps with the day-to-day operations of the women's soccer program.

In 2014, the Falcons made huge strides within their process of returning the BGSU women’s soccer program back to MAC Championship contenders as the Falcons quadrupled its win total from the previous season and posted back-to-back conference wins for the first time since the 2010 season.

BGSU posted three wins over Ohio, Akron and Kent State in MAC play on the year. The win over Ohio on Oct. 17 was the first win over the Bobcats since Oct. 26, 2007. The win over Akron on Oct. 5 was the first win over the Zips since Oct. 5, 2008, while the victory over Kent State on Oct. 19 was the first win over the Golden Flashes since Sept. 26, 2010.

Individually, goalkeeper Lauren Cadel led the MAC with a new BGSU school record of 146 saves on the season, which ranked third in the nation among all NCAA Division I women’s soccer goalkeepers. Cadel’s .834 saves percentage was the fourth highest saves percentage by a goalkeeper in a single season in BGSU’s history, while her six games of double digit saves increased her career total to 12 games with double digit saves, also a new BGSU program record.

The 2013 season saw Basalyga and Gottschalk lay the groundwork as the Falcons looked to return to the top of the MAC. In goal, Cadel led the MAC and ranked among the national leaders in several categories, including total saves and saves per game. She finished seventh in the nation in saves per game (7.79) and was 26th in the country in total stops (109). Cadel also had double digit save totals in six matches, the most by a BGSU 'keeper in a single season in school history, which was matched in 2014, while her saves percentage of .796 was the sixth-best single-season pct. in BG annals.

Gottschalk joined Basalyga's program after gaining experience on the staffs at Youngstown State, Duquesne and Ashland. She came to BGSU after spending the 2012 season as an assistant coach at YSU, where she primarily worked with the goalkeepers. The Penguins turned in the best year in program history in 2012, going 8-9-0 overall to set a school record for wins. The 2012 club won three Horizon League matches, after the program had never before won more than one league game.

Under Gottschalk’s tutelage, YSU goalkeepers Jackie Podolsky and Ali Viola combined to win the Horizon League Defensive Player-of-the-Week honor three times in 2012. Viola had set the school single-season record for goals-against average in 2011, with a GAA of 1.34. But, in 2012, both Podolsky and Viola bettered that mark. Podolsky had a GAA of just 1.15, while Viola’s GAA was 1.16.

The two combined to allow a total of 20 goals all season, shattering that school record. YSU had only held opponents to fewer than 30 goals on one prior occasion in program history.

Prior to her stint at YSU, Gottschalk spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Duquesne. The Dukes posted a 9-9-1 overall mark in the 2010 campaign, going 6-3-0 in Atlantic 10 Conference play to finish third in the 14-team league.

Gottschalk is no stranger to the state of Ohio. In addition to her tenure in Youngstown, she spent three seasons as assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s teams at Ashland University. She helped the Eagles’ men’s team to back-to-back Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) championships and NCAA Championships appearances in 2008 and 2009.

Gottschalk, a native of Greencastle, Ind., also spent one season as a student assistant coach at her alma mater, Concord (W.Va.) in 2006.

In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Gottschalk has coached several club teams. She coached for the Pennine United Soccer Club in Lodi, Ohio, in 2008-09, and has served as the head coach of the FC Pittsburgh U14 girls team since 2011.

Gottschalk earned her bachelor’s degree in education, physical education and health from Concord in 2006. She also earned a master’s degree in applied exercise science from Ashland in 2009.

Gottschalk is a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and earned her NSCAA National Diploma License in 2009. She earned her NSCAA Advance National Diploma License in 2012 and her NSCAA Goalkeeper 3 Diploma License in 2013.