After record-setting year, soccer star sets her sights on European career
- Rick Weber
- Athletics
- Contributors: James Greco, Photos
5 – minute read
When Erika Zschuppe was an infant, her father would toss soft, baby-safe toy soccer balls into her crib, hoping she would learn how to handle the ball and take an early interest in the game he loved.
Instead, she was so annoyed that she would kick them out of the crib.
“It’s a story our family still laughs about to this day,” Zschuppe says. “It’s funny now, but that’s where it all started. From that moment, soccer became part of who I am.”
From kicking toys out of her crib, she grew into a 22-year-old midfielder reliably firing balls between two goalposts and a crossbar at Florida Gulf Coast University. And no woman in America — at least in the NCAA’s Division I — was better at it in 2025 than Zschuppe.
She did not just set an FGCU single-season women’s soccer record with 21 goals during her senior season, while becoming the unanimous Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year. She also led the nation in the regular season and teamed up with senior forward Kendal Gargiula to give FGCU the nation’s best goal-scoring duo (with 30).
“Scoring a goal is a mix of relief, adrenaline and gratitude all at once,” she says. “You feel the energy of the crowd, your teammates and every moment of training come together in one second. I think it’s something only a player truly understands — each goal carries its own emotion, story and meaning.
“Scoring in 10 straight games and leading the nation was unreal. It meant everything because it showed how much work, faith and consistency paid off. It was a dream come true to represent FGCU at that level.”
A string of striking success
Zschuppe has always been a prolific scorer. She tallied 170 goals in her high school career in Ohio, where she led Kirtland High School to the Division III state championship as a junior — a first for a Lake County team.
However, what fully unleashed her at FGCU was likely a position switch. After playing forward most of her life and outside midfielder in club soccer and her first three years at FGCU, she was asked by head coach Jim Blankenship to switch to attacking midfielder in her senior year to fill a gap in the starting lineup.
“The move helped me get more touches, read the game better and create scoring chances,” Zschuppe says. “It’s not common for midfielders to lead in goals, but it taught me how to finish creatively.”
“She’s super-competitive, athletic, aggressive and really phenomenal in front of the goal,” says Blankenship. “I think the thing that’s probably most impressive is that she’s a midfielder, so she’s not even playing striker, and still to have that kind of success says a lot about her.”
National spotlight on FGCU
Fall was a magical season for Zschuppe and FGCU’s program. She received national attention, as she earned a spot on the Hermann Trophy Midseason Watchlist and was named National Player of the Week (Oct. 8) and the No. 21 player in the country for 2025 by Top Drawer Soccer, a leading soccer media authority with content syndicated to outlets such as ESPN and Sports Illustrated. Moreover, FGCU finished the regular season with the best record in the ASUN (8-1-1) before losing to Bellarmine in the quarterfinals of the ASUN Championship, as Zschuppe’s 10-game goal-scoring streak was broken.
Soccer is in her blood. Her grandfather, Hans Zschuppe Sr., played professional Level Two soccer in Germany and her father, Hans Jr., played at Lakeland Community College.
Hearing their stories always inspired me to carry that family legacy forward with pride,” Zschuppe says. “I learned a lot from watching soccer with my grandfather, especially his passion for the game, even though he got sick later in life and couldn’t play with me.
My dad coached me throughout my youth years and never left my side. He taught me to stay humble, disciplined and to always play with passion. One thing he always said was, ‘You are not the best. There is always someone better, so keep working.’ He still helps me today by watching my games, giving honest feedback and reminding me to stay grounded. He motivates me not just as a player but as a person, keeping me focused on faith and gratitude.”
Aiming for European clubs
Her plan now — after graduating Dec. 13 with a bachelor’s degree in integrated studies — is to play professionally in Europe.
“I’m working with my coaches, agents and mentors to make that happen,” Zschuppe says. “I’ll sign with an agent, who will present my player profile to European clubs looking for someone in my position. My dream is to play in Spain, Portugal, Italy or Germany — all countries with amazing passion and style of play.”
Her hero is Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, the all-time leading scorer in men’s international soccer. He once described what it’s like for him to score a goal: “It gives me the happiest feeling in the world. I just love scoring.”
Zschuppe can relate.