From The Heart: Gottinger's Soccer Journey Leads Her Into Bonnies Record Books

The 'From The Heart' feature series takes an in-depth look at St. Bonaventure student-athletes and coaches. Named for the beloved Merton's Heart that overlooks campus, this series will tell the stories of Bonnies athletic programs on and off the field.

When Chiara Gottinger graduates this spring, she will sit highly on the leaderboard of many of the major goalie stats. Gottinger came to St. Bonaventure in 2021 to play soccer but fell in love with the community.

“I love going to a smaller school because it reminds me a little bit of home,” Gottinger said. “St. Bonaventure’s community is just special.”

Back home in Austria, Gottinger comes from a town with a population just over 2,500. She loved growing up in a small town and has similar vibes in the St. Bonaventure community.

“People know each other it’s just fun,” she said.

In her sophomore season, she led all of NCAA Division I women’s soccer in total saves with 163. She was a key figure in leading the Bonnies back to the Atlantic 10 Tournament that season. She played every second in net and finished the season with a sparkling 1.29 GAA.

“I am really proud of the accomplishments of the 2022 season,”  she said “Receiving recognition from the NCAA was something I would have never expected.”

There are many differences between the soccer in the United States and the play in Europe. One is the number of stats kept in the U.S.

“For the longest time of my first season,” said Gottinger, “I didn’t know anything about all these stats.”

Coming to the U.S. was her first time hearing about stats such as save percentage and goals against average. 

Off the field, Gottinger had to face some culture shock too.

“Sometimes it seems like everything is just bigger and louder,” said Gottinger.

After her junior season she was practicing when she injured her shoulder, an injury goalies always fear.

“Healthy shoulders are very important to a goalkeeper,” said Gottinger. “After getting injured I was scared that my shoulder would not be the same as it was before.”

Gottinger faced a grueling recovery. She would be placed in a sling for six weeks. Her goal was to play in late August or early September.

“When I was back on campus the main objectives were trusting my shoulder, strengthening it, and being able to do everything I did before.”         

After missing the start of her senior season, Gottinger was cleared Sept. 5 and started her first game of the year the same day. It was a 2-0 shutout win against Youngstown St. where she recorded two saves.

“It was one of the best feelings,” Gottinger said. “It felt like a heavy weight fell of my shoulder.”

She will finish her Bonaventure playing career this month among the program's all-time leaders in net. She is one of five Bonnies goalies to surpass 400 career saves while her 13 shutouts are tied for third in program history and her 1.37 goals against average is second. 

After graduating, Gottinger will return to Austria to pursue her master’s degree and continue playing soccer, she says.