Norwin grad Katelyn Kauffman helps Florida Gulf Coast reach NCAA Tournament

Katelyn Kauffman wanted a change of scenery. After spending her freshman year at Pitt, the former Norwin soccer standout realized the novelty of playing close to home had worn off.

She wanted a new experience. She wanted to contend for a championship, something that was going to be difficult to do in the ACC, widely regarded as the best women’s soccer conference in the country.

And it certainly wouldn’t hurt if her new school was someplace warm.

Her family frequently vacationed in Florida, and she knew about Florida Gulf Coast in Fort Myers. So after entering the transfer portal, she looked into the possibility of playing soccer for the Eagles.

After visiting the campus and meeting with the coaching staff, Kauffman decided FGCU would be a good fit. Coach Jim Blankenship felt Kauffman would have a chance to make an impact on his team, which would feature 19 new players.

The results were positive for all involved. The Eagles went 8-1-1 in the Atlantic Sun Conference, then won the title with a 4-3 shootout decision over top-seeded Liberty to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Kauffman, a forward, started all 20 matches, contributed a goal and three assists and earned third-team all-conference recognition.

“I had huge expectations for myself,” Kauffman said. “I honestly just wanted to be a starter and play a lot of minutes and just make an impact, which was exactly what I did this season. So I’m really happy with my season.”

There was, of course, a period of adjustment. Kauffman was getting accustomed to a new school, new coaching staff and new players. The players, meanwhile, were getting adjusted to one another.

Blankenship said the group started slowly, but, as the season progressed, he could see them improving. He said he was happy with the way Kauffman took to the other players and his system throughout the process.

“Great fit,” he said. “She’s athletic, technical. I think a big thing for us is she’s very coachable and wants to learn. … There’s nothing where I’d say, ‘Oh, her biggest problem is this.’ Her overall game is very good, especially for a young player.”

Kauffman’s first collegiate point came in the third match of the season, a 4-1 win over Southern. She assisted on Louise Lillback’s goal — it would prove to be the winner — in the 18th minute.

Her first goal came in an Oct. 6 match against conference foe Eastern Kentucky. She scored just 2 minutes, 28 seconds into what would be a 5-1 Eagles victory.

Being a forward, Kauffman’s one goal and three assists seem like modest numbers, particularly for someone who played every match. Blankenship said no coach would say no to a player pumping in more goals, but he said Kauffman was able to contribute to games beyond what might have shown up on the stat sheet.

“She can impact things in so many other ways,” he said, “with her movement, with just the things that she will be able to do off the ball. Not overly hung up on the amount of goals she’s scored. There are so many other ways you can make a difference in a game. … But, we’ll take all the goals she can give us.”

Added Kauffman: “I honestly expected to score more, but … usually on a team you only have one goal-scorer. But on this team we had multiple girls who had multiple goals, which has been huge for us. As long as we were winning and as long as we were getting goals overall, it really didn’t matter to me who was scoring.”

Kauffman might have left the ACC, but she couldn’t escape its presence. The Eagles drew Florida State, ranked No. 5 in the United Soccer Coaches poll, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Seminoles, who beat the Eagles, 5-0, in an out-of-conference match in September, earned a 3-0 victory in the tournament.

Kauffman started and played 40 minutes in that match. Not the result she wanted, but it was the experience she hoped for.

“It was unreal just to even be there and go to Florida State,” she said. “And it was an honor to play Florida State, one of the best teams in the country. I just enjoyed it. … I enjoyed every moment regardless of what happened. I was just thankful to play in the tournament.”

With the offseason underway, Kauffman is looking ahead to a better season in 2023. She is still undecided as to whether she will come home over the summer — she said there are some trainers here she enjoys working with — or if she will remain in Florida. She said it likely will be an “in-the-moment” decision.

She said her focus, wherever she is, will be to hone her technical skills and her finishing as well as keep up with her fitness. As satisfying as her first season at FGCU went and as many of her expectations as she fulfilled, she said, there always is room for improvement.

“I’m still not satisfied. I still wanted to do more. I want to win again next year. I want to make it further in the NCAA Tournament. I want to score more goals. I want to get more assists. There can always be more.”