Jacqui Gnassi begins her first season as an assistant women's soccer coach after joining the staff in August of 2021.
Gnassi arrives on Castle Point after a noteworthy playing career at Western Carolina University, where she amassed 142 saves over just under 2,500 career minutes for the Catamounts. Named to the 2017 Southern Conference Championship All-Tournament Team, the Ramsey, New Jersey native allowed just a single goal over three matches in piloting her alma mater to the conference final for the first time in nearly 10 years. Counted among Gnassi’s four clean sheets that season was a 10-save blanking of top-seeded Furman University, whose potent offense featured six first-team All-SoCon standouts, in the conference semifinal.
All totaled during her time in Cullowhee, North Carolina, Gnassi marshalled eight clean sheets and finished her time in the program with a goals-against average of 1.09 and a career save percentage of 0.826 over 30 career matches. She ranked 48th in the country with an 0.833 save percentage in 2017.
In addition to her undergraduate playing career, Gnassi volunteered at Western Carolina’s University Participant Program, working with university students with intellectual disabilities, to develop life skills, while also providing academic and day-to-day support.
Prior to enrolling at Western Carolina, Gnassi’s New Jersey soccer lineage was well established. She was a standout goalkeeper for New Jersey powerhouse Immaculate Heart Academy, who reached nine New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Non-Public A championships between 2007 and 2017. Additionally, Gnassi also competed on the club circuit with Match Fit Academy FC.
Gnassi, who will enter the collegiate coaching ranks for the first time, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Western Carolina in 2019. She went on to earn her master’s degree in sport psychology from Florida State University earlier this year. Gnassi also interned at the University of South Wales with Dr. David Shearer and attended the Pan-Wales Postgraduate Conference in Sport and Exercise Psychology.
