Gretchen Zigante

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Gretchen Zigante
Personal information
Full name Gretchen Marie Zigante
Birth name Gretchen Marie Gegg[1]
Date of birth (1964-10-06) October 6, 1964 (age 59)[2]
Place of birth Tacoma, Washington, United States[3]
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[2]
Position(s) Goalkeeper[2]
Youth career
Bellarmine Lions[4]
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
0000–1986 North Carolina Tar Heels 21 (0)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Fujita Tendai SC Mercury
International career
1986–1990 United States 2 (0)
Managerial career
1990 Colorado College Tigers (assistant)
Shiroki FC Serena (goalkeeping coach)
1995–1997 Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes
1998–1999 San Diego State Aztecs (assistant)
Sereno Soccer Club
2002–2006 Cornell Big Red (assistant)
2006 Cornell Big Red (interim)
TC United
2018– Wasatch Wasps
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gretchen Marie Zigante (née Gegg; born October 6, 1964) is an American former soccer player who played as a goalkeeper, making two appearances for the United States women's national team.

Career[edit]

During college, Zigante played for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where she was the starting goalkeeper in her senior season of 1986 where the team won the 1986 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament.[5] She later joined Japanese club Fujita Tendai SC Mercury, where she spent five seasons before retiring.[6]

Zigante made her international debut for the United States on July 9, 1986 against Canada in a play-off for the 1986 North American Cup title (a friendly tournament). The match, which lasted 30 minutes, was won by the U.S 3–0 to win the tournament.[7] Her second and final cap came on July 27, 1990 in a friendly match against Canada.[2]

Zigante holds a U.S. Soccer B coaching license, and previously held an A license.[8] After graduating from college, Zigante began working as an assistant coach for the Colorado College Tigers,[9] where she primarily focused on goalkeeper training. After retiring from her playing career, she started working as a goalkeeping coach in Japan with Shiroki FC Serena for two years. She later returned to the U.S., becoming the head coach of the Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes in 1995,[10] where she won the Coach of the Year award from the California Collegiate Athletic Association. She later served as the assistant for the San Diego State Aztecs, before joining the youth team Sereno Soccer Club where she helped coach, develop youth curriculum, and manage the program. In 2002, she joined as an assistant coach for Cornell Big Red, before leading the team as the interim head coach during the 2006 season.[11][12][13] She also founded and coached TC United in Ithaca, New York. In 2018, she became the head coach of Wasatch High School Wasps women's soccer team in Heber City, Utah.[14][15]

Personal life[edit]

Gretchen is married to Nenad "Ziggy" Žigante, a former Croatian footballer and coach born in Yugoslavia. They have two children,[16] with her daughter Susana also playing soccer as a goalkeeper. With eligibility through her father, she is capped to the Croatia national team.[17]

Career statistics[edit]

International[edit]

United States[2]
Year Apps Goals
1986 1 0
1990 1 0
Total 2 0

Honors[edit]

United States

  • 1986 North American Cup

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2001 North Carolina women's soccer media guide" (PDF). North Carolina Tar Heels. 2001. p. 63. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e "2019 U.S. Women's National Team Media Guide" (PDF). United States Soccer Federation. 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 8, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  3. ^ Pentz, Matt (July 20, 2016). "Michelle Akers, Hope Solo headline Washington Youth Soccer's 50th anniversary team". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on October 16, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  4. ^ "All-Time WA Women's Roster". Washington Youth Soccer. July 18, 2016. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  5. ^ "2010 Carolina Tar Heels Women's Soccer Media Guide" (PDF). North Carolina Tar Heels. 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  6. ^ "Gretchen Zigante Named Assistant Women's Soccer Coach At Cornell". Cornell Big Red. Ithaca, New York. March 22, 2002. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  7. ^ "This Day in Football from 9–15 July". CanadaSoccer.com. Canadian Soccer Association. July 9, 2012. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  8. ^ "Advanced & Junior Goalkeeping". Lake Placid Soccer Centre. July 31, 2010. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  9. ^ "1990 Women's Soccer Roster". Colorado College Tigers. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  10. ^ "Margaritis appointed acting coach" (PDF). The Friday Bulletin. California State University, San Bernardino. July 21, 1995. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  11. ^ "Zigante Named Interim Women's Soccer Head Coach". College Sports Live. Ithaca, New York. February 13, 2006. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  12. ^ "Cornell Women's Soccer History". Cornell Big Red. August 16, 2007. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  13. ^ Drucker, Jeremy (September 12, 2006). "Zigante Takes Helm of Women's Soccer". College Sports Live. Ithaca, New York: The Cornell Daily Sun. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  14. ^ Marsing, Steve (January 10, 2018). "Wasatch Names New Head Women's Soccer Coach". Wasatch High Athletic. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  15. ^ Bristow, Kenny (October 10, 2018). "Wasatch's first-year girls soccer coach already building for second season". Deseret News. Heber City, Utah. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  16. ^ "Nenad Zigante". Cornell Big Red. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  17. ^ "Women's Soccer Inks North Carolina, U-19 Croatian National Team Goalkeeper". Grand Canyon Antelopes. February 17, 2012. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
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